Performance is reduced to a crawl

[stebbinsd]

I'm currently using version 7.03, but I did try the demo of version 10.16, and honestly, I think the newest version just made things worse.

This app is slow as molasses. I used to be able to edit videos rather smoothly. When I was exporting all sequences, I could just hover my mouse over the "create" icon in the export wizard, and then just spam the left mouse button, because the export wizard for each sequence came up so quickly that literally left clicking as fast as possible was a viable option. The actual editing process was nice and smooth, and I never felt like there was any kind of significant delay between my input and what happened on screen.

But then, things changed for some reason. The simplest task would often bog the app down. Now, about 75% of my time spent on this app isn't even actually editing, but just waiting for the app to actually do the things I tell it to do. I press Alt+V on a video clip. Then I wait ten seconds for the effects menu to pop up. I press CTRL+SHIFT+V to bring the video clip down to the timeline. About five seconds later, the clip is actually in the timeline.

I considered the possibility that my Windows 10 might have received some updates that version 7.03 was ill-equipped to handle, and that might be what was causing the slowdown. So on a hunch, I decided to try the demo for version 10.16. My performance went from slow to practically nonexistent. If my performance with v7.03 was a snail's pace, my performance with v10.16 is a tectonic plate! Now, instead of 5-10 seconds in between input and response, it's about 2-3 minutes!

Why is this app performing like complete trash?!

[borate]

While using 7.03, you say that things changed That hints at something amiss with your PC.  What are its specs:  CPU, GPU/video adapter, RAM, free space on C:?

Try these measures...

Update the video driver and Direct-X, if necessary.   https://www.nch.com.au/kb/10265.html

Confirm that the drive is free of errors.  In the W10 search box (bottom-left) type COMMAND <enter>. At the right click RUN AS ADMINISTRATOR.  In the black box that appears type chkdsk c:

At the end of this quick process it should report "Windows has scanned the file system and found no problems."  No further action is required.  If it does report issues, run this command:  chkdsk c: /F    This could take some time and require a reboot.

In Windows Explorer (the file manager) right-click the C drive and click PROPERTIES.  Click Disk Cleanup.

Close all other programs while running Videopad.

Test this Videopad 10.12 version.  For licensed users upgrades are free for up to six months from purchase date.  After that, VP will continue to fully function but a fee will be required in order to register the newest.  Retain your old install file and registration info.

When invoking effects with <alt-V> expect a slight delay the first time it's used after an install.  Thereafter the efx window should pop up immediately.  The shortcut to drop a clip from the bin to the timeline is <ctrl-W>.  <ctrl-shift-V) brings up the text editor.

Test Videopad on another PC, if available.  It's not inconceivable that the PC has been compromised with a virus.

Please report your findings here.

[stebbinsd]

6 hours ago, borate said:

What are its specs:  CPU, GPU/video adapter, RAM, free space on C:?

AMD Ryzen 5 3600

32GB DDR4 RAM

119GB free space on 😄

So I'm good on hardware.

[borate]

Well, if you have tried most suggestions above, then another PC would be the next test.

The issue doesn't seem to be Videopad;  it doesn't change.  Reinstalling should purge the cache, but this can be done manually under OPTIONS | DISK tab, Clear Unused Cache Files.

You might try this free utility to more thoroughly uninstall.  Select all registry entries that it finds as well, then reboot and reinstall - perhaps the above linked 10.12 release.

[stebbinsd]

3 minutes ago, borate said:

then another PC would be the next test.

You want to send me another PC?! I'll happily test it on that! Just make sure to provide return shipping if you want the PC back!

5 minutes ago, borate said:

The issue doesn't seem to be Videopad;  it doesn't change.

Then how come I'm not having this problem (at least not at this scale) with any other app?

4 minutes ago, borate said:

Reinstalling should purge the cache, but this can be done manually under OPTIONS | DISK tab, Clear Unused Cache Files.

My Videopad cache folder is already empty.

 

[borate]

Tough to say why only VP is bogging down, but others have not reported that here.  And my test with 7.03 is normal - response is instantaneous.

So it's doing it "for some reason" but that reason doesn't appear to be the program itself.

Download a fresh copy...   http://www.oldversiondownload.com/oldversions/videopad-7-03-2019-02-26.exe

[stebbinsd]

56 minutes ago, borate said:

Download a fresh copy

Apparently, you didn't read the OP. I already tried a fresh copy of version 10.16 to no avail.

Besides, why would a "fresh" copy of this app make a difference? I thought that was the primary advantage that digital media has over analog; the former doesn't deteriorate.

[borate]

Releases, by the same #, do occasionally change.  The copy downloaded a few days ago may not be the exactly the same as that available today.

Suggest that 10.16 not be installed until the root of your issue is discovered.  Try 10.15, which was a stable release under somewhat different architecture.

Still,  doubt that this is going to help, as your old 7.03 is lame. While an existing app may not "deteriorate" it can conceivably become corrupted, as can the Windows O/S on occasion.  Refreshing it is another thought.

[stebbinsd]

1 minute ago, borate said:

Continue to suspect that this isn't a Videopad issue.

If it wasn't a videopad issue, I'd be having this problem with apps other than videopad

[borate]

Not necessarily, though that seems counter intuitive.  Again, drop by a buddy's home and test your 7.03 or 10.15 on their machine.

[stebbinsd]

3 minutes ago, borate said:

Again, drop by a buddy's home and test your 7.03 or 10.15 on their machine.

https://i.postimg.cc/pT18M9YG/A.png

[borate]

If this is a recent phenomena type RESTORE POINT in the search box (far-left on the taskbar).

Click SYSTEM RESTORE.

Tic CHOOSE A DIFFERENT RESTORE POINT, then NEXT to see if there is one that predates your issue.

 

If so, restore your system back to that time, keeping in mind that files added from that date to the present may be lost.  Back them up on a separate drive.  The process takes time - be patient - and may seem to hang.   If the restore fails, Windows will revert to its pre-restore condition.

Consider installing an imager, such as Acronis TruImage, Macrium or Terrabyte's Image For Windows.  Create regular back ups.

Then, all files and the operating system can be restored in just minutes to the state they were in when things worked, saving countless troubleshooting hassles.

A memory test should eliminate RAM as a cause of your issue...  https://www.tomshardware.com/how-to/how-to-test-ram

[c_major]

7 hours ago, stebbinsd said:

AMD Ryzen 5 3600

32GB DDR4 RAM

119GB free space on 😄

So I'm good on hardware.

Thanks for the info. May I ask what kind of graphics card you are using?

v10.16 introduced a redesigned GPU acceleration pipeline which support encode and decode video files using your graphics card. In most cases we've tested this will help boost performance.

If you find the issue persists please use the last stable version v10.12 instead.

[stebbinsd]

2 hours ago, c_major said:

Thanks for the info. May I ask what kind of graphics card you are using?

Geforce GTX 1070ti

[c_major]

It seems your bad experiences are mostly because of the performance of the user interface rather than video processing.

We will investigate these issues and work on improve them.

Thanks for reporting issues to us.

[stebbinsd]

1 hour ago, c_major said:

rather than video processing.

For what it's worth, when I finally get around to exporting, that tends to go about as fast as it usually does. Exporting at 1280x720 @30fps typically exports at a 1-to-1 speed (that is to say ... it typically takes 1 second in real time to export 1 second of video with those settings).

Then again, the exporting phase is already the phase that I'm least involved in. Once a video is exporting, there's literally nothing I can do except wait for it to finish.

It's everything else - the adding of transitions and effects, the trimming out of unnecessary clips, the settings in the export wizard - those are the things that take forever to finally do the things I tell it to do.

[c_major]

Quote

Then again, the exporting phase is already the phase that I'm least involved in. Once a video is exporting, there's literally nothing I can do except wait for it to finish.

We used a separated data set for each export progress. Editing the project will not changes previous export result.

Quote

It's everything else - the adding of transitions and effects, the trimming out of unnecessary clips, the settings in the export wizard - those are the things that take forever to finally do the things I tell it to do.

We will investigate these areas.

[neilrbowers]

I have experience the same symptoms with almost the same details. I originally purchased version 7 which worked fine. I decided to try version 10 to see what was new, but as I was way past the discount on upgrade I went for the 10.12 non-commercial copy. However just loading files takes forever and hangs. I haven't actually managed to export anything yet. I'm going to have to downgrade.

[borate]

10.12 should be working fine for you.  Is it the 32- or 64-bit version?  Click the MENU (top-left), then HELP | ABOUT.  If it doesn't say "64" it's the 32-bit.

What are your PC's specs:  Video card, CPU, amount of RAM, free space on C:\?

Under OPTIONS | DISK tab in Videopad, Clear Unused Cache Files.

Try an install of this version.