I created a DVD slide show using Videowave 9 in Creator 9 on my Dell XPS 410 computer using Windows XP. When I try to burn the DVD using "My DVD Express" the production will not encode and the computer locks up. I don't want to loose the work on my 195 image slide show. What can I do to burn my slide show to a DVD?

Don't use the Express; use the full version of MyDVD. Save your production in Video Wave if you haven't already done that.

If that hangs in MyDVD, there is something wrong with your production. Go back to Video Wave and output the file to "mpg for DVD best quality" The output icon is above the preview screen and looks like a old style film reel. If that hangs, then note the time that it hangs. Go back to your production and look at what is going on at that time. Common problems are image timings compared to transitions, use of DRM (Itunes) music, use of a 3D transition when your video card/chip can;t do the 3D rendering and a couple more. You should be able to find out what is going on; it should be pretty obvious.

Once it encodes to the mpg file, just add that file to MyDVD. It will not be encoded again.

Thanks sknis for your suggestions. I tried to use My DVD instead of the Express version and it still did not encode. I also outputed the file to the mpg for DVD best quality and it still would not encode. When saved as a Video File the slide show would play as a preview but it still would not encode. I then deleated the transitions and music from the slide show and still no help with the encoding.

I would like to be sure that my work is saved independently of the Creator software then delete the program and re-install it. Do you think that might help? How can I be sure that I can save my 196 piece slide show as I go through the delete and re-install process.

Any suggestions?

Exactly what do you mean by "it will not encode"? Do you get any error messages or what?

Before reinstalling why not try to create a very simple slideshow project in Videowave and see if that can be rendered to a video file. If yes then start building up your project a few slides, etc at a time to see at what point it fails. This might indicate where the problem is.

When you save you Videowave project (it will have the extension dmsm) make sure you save it outside any Roxio/Sonic folder. Also don't place any of your source files inside any Roxio/Sonic folder. That way your project files will not be removed if you decide to do a uninstall/reinstall

When I try to burn my project using "My DVD" I click the Burn Project button and the page opens to show the project burning progress. Nothing is visible in the Encoding Preview window even after waiting as much as 15 minutes. The computer locks up and when I use Control,Alt,Delete the only message that I get is "Program not responding". Any ideas of what else I can try? Does Roxio offer paid support for Creator 9 problems like mine?

Read these two articles.

Resolving General Burning Issues

Resolving Video Burning Issues