O.T. Video editing software

[Opry99er]

Love making videos... Did quite a few back in the day and really want to do more. Problem is, half the programs on my laptop don't work anymore (MovieMaker included) and my desktop does not have that program installed, as it is a Win7 Enterprise machine... Didn't come with the Home Premium programs. It also has a small hard drive and not suited for video editing.

 

I do have a newer laptop that someone gave me which HAS MovieMaker, but several of the keys stick badly.

 

Would you (in my shoes):

 

A. Try to find a version of MovieMaker to DL onto the Enterprise machine and see if it can handle it

 

B. Try to fix the newer laptop with faulty keyboard

 

C. Attempt a massive file transfer to external HD of old laptop, wipe, and start from scratch on it, hoping to fix whatever garbage is going on with it

 

 

Ive cleaned the keyboard and blown it out on the newer laptop, but I think contacts are bad.

 

I tried to re-DL a version of MovieMaker onto the old laptop but could not get it functioning.

 

Tried to get a free version of MM for the desktop from Microsoft, but since it did not come installed on my machine from the factory, apparently it will not be free.

[Opry99er]

P.S., I have tried other free video editing software and don't dig them as much as MM. Just feel comfortable with it.

[Gary from OPA]

Microsoft bundles in a newer version of Movie Maker in their Windows Live Essentials download, just search for it, and when the installer starts, unclick all the bundled apms except for Movie Maker.

 

Try it out and see if it what you like, if not there is blog sites that have info on how to download and install the older MM on newer Windows plus alot of third-party addons.

[Omega-TI]

You don't have to fix the newer laptops keyboard, at least not right away. You can just slap on a wireless USB keyboard.

 

You can get an el-cheapo MicroShaft WinDoze keyboard and mouse for as little as 20 Bux @ Wally World. << HERE >>

You could double that amount and get a better quality Logitech keyboard with a syncing receiver for a compatible mouse too.

Those options may be cheaper and less time consuming than replacing a specialty keyboard.

[Opry99er]

I may have a spare USB keyboard lying aroubd, but no USB mouse.

 

Interesting thought, that. Hadnt considered it.

[Gary from OPA]

get one of those ti99 keyboard to usb adapters, and remove your old laptop keyboard, and replace it with it, the lid might not close anymore, but you can call it a Frankenstein ti99 laptop.

[Retrospect]

mmmm .... I would probably do none of the things you listed, and go the whacky route of installing Linux Lubuntu to a spare laptop (even a small one if you have 1gig ram) and downloading OpenShot movie editor from the Software repository .... in my opinion it's at least as good if not better than the windows free one. It's very flexible.

[+Schmitzi]

I would use an cheap USB-keyboard and mouse as interim on the new laptop, watching out on eBay for an original spare-keyboard for low price.

 

On this "new start", I would think about re-installing windows if not clean install (but seems)

In all ways, don´t use old laptop for video-editing, that sucks.

Use it for normal daily work, while, in parallel, create your videos on the new one.

That sounds a bit comfortable.

 

Maybe, if the new one runs perfect, you can transfer your productive data to it,

and then give the old one a try for a new, clean install

[Tursi]

Besides the above suggestions, I'd suggest that if half the programs on your laptop have mysteriously stopped working, the laptop is probably infected with malware and needs to be wiped and re-imaged.

 

Otherwise, like Gary says, the tool's in Windows Live Essentials for free. Just make SURE you download it from Microsoft's site, and not one of the many spam sites that offer it.

 

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-live/essentials

[Opry99er]

Thanks guys.

 

I am convinced ut is malware of some kind. I have slowly been transferring my files and programs via USB stick because I am worried about plugging my external hard drive up to it... I dont know if viruses "jump" like that, but I am being super careful. I CANNOT lose the contents of that HD.

 

Stuff I have been transferring over is like notepad++ files, Classic99 DSK folders, pictures, etc. No executables and no large directories. Snips at a time, just to be extra cautious.

 

I'll look into Windows Essentials... I was not aware of it til now. Maybe that service did not exist in 2011, when I tried to DL MovieMaker to this desktop... Or maybe it did andI was not paying attention.

[Omega-TI]

Thanks guys.

 

I am convinced ut is malware of some kind.

 

Just for kicks, go online with it and go here to download the free Malwarebytes software. If you have any malware on your system, there is a good chance this program will find it.

[Opry99er]

I DLed a few malware seeking programs... My initial thought is that one of THEM gave me the malware. LOL!!!

 

I DLed one or two because I was having speed issues, and then shit just stopped working. These days I have to boot in SAFE mode to do transfers. Sucks... Ton of stuff on that HD.

[Opry99er]

Was able to DL MovieMaker onto the desktop... It works a bit sluggishly, but seems to work for small editing projects. I'm pleased.

 

Thanks for the suggestions, guys.

[Tursi]

 

 

I DLed a few malware seeking programs... My initial thought is that one of THEM gave me the malware. LOL!!!

 

If you downloaded "a few", one of them probably did. Fake anti-malware software is huge. Stick to the major vendors, and never believe a popup or banner that says you are infected. (And if anything ever promises to make your PC faster, run away.) Also remember you should never have more than one (active) anti-virus on your system at a time, many will fight each other and seriously degrade performance. (It's okay to have a couple if you trust them all, but only one should have active on-demand scanning active).

 

Malwarebytes is not bad.. it's certainly worth a try to see if it can do anything. Uninstall the other anti-viruses you already installed, if you can, first. (Best approach: download the Malwarebytes installer, and save to disk. Unplug from internet. Then start the uninstalls. Don't reconnect to the net until MalwareBytes is working and you get a clean scan out of it.) For already-infected machines, I also like to recommend Housecall as a first sweep. It doesn't need to install (beyond a web component), so it can be started more quickly and still catches a fair bit. (http://housecall.trendmicro.com)

 

Sadly, there are no guarantees, but it may help. Finish your backups FIRST. All that said, the USB stick and the USB external hard drive are pretty much the same thing as far as viruses go. Yes, they /can/ propagate that way. You are doing the right thing copying only data files, but make sure your main machine is virus protected as well and stop at the first sign of strange behavior.

 

[+Schmitzi]

Yes, TrendMicro-HouseCall is very good (needs java), i use it very often on private machines.

I use TM-Antivir-Products (WFBS) mostly on all networks-clients- and servers at customer-sites, also the IMSVA and IWSVA´s as gateways.

 

BUT second action could be running the CCleaner from piriform.com, just to cleanup the temp-files and the registry before a AV-scan

(no panic, it makes good backups, and I NEVER had problems, as you heared about maybe from other "Tune-Up"-Utilities),

Use this CCleaner to take many hits away from the other scanners, as they often show cookies as threats.

CCleaner is "no risk", as I use it on about 1000 machines for many years (10+). And it makes Windows sometimes much faster because of temp-files.

Part 1: cleaning temp-files, Part 2: cleaning registry (run as long a there are 0 errors). Part 3: reboot PC

 

Another big tool, third action, you should run in addition afterwards (after TM-SouseCall(CCleaner), is the ADWcleaner. Small tool, big effect on HighJackers, toolbars, Addons.

 

Of course, the best and safest way is to make a backup from the (infected) system very first, best way is a harddisk-image, maybe with Acronis or any other tool.

this is mandatory. better is better, for your data, if have not backed up yet