x264 crashed when outputing an mp4 file

[johnc151]

Hi,

I'm having a strange problem with P2E - but related to the x264 component. It's struggling to output MP4 files - in fact it hangs and crashes on even the simplest of exports.... I've not yet output a single show!

I see the cpu ramp up, and it looks like the private memory for that process increases until it reaches around 290,000KB - 300,000 before it crashes. I'm running W7 64bit with 12GB of ram and a page file of 3GB-18GB so memory shouldn't be an issue.

I've tried to download a later version of x264 for 64 bit architecture and drop into the right folder - but I can't get P2E to play nicely - when I do this, I lose all video conversion!

Has anyone else seen this issue and how do I fix it?

John

[Lin Evans]

Hi John,

First, I'm assuming you mean h.264 (I haven't a clue what X264 is). There are a few things I would consider. The problem is very likely "not" with PTE. Thousands of people are using it to create mp4's without issue, so the internals of the program are probably not your problem.

Adding strange code to the program could have lots of unexpected results, so let's start with a fresh download and install. You didn't say which version you are using, so I would download the latest version. Once you have done that, try it again with a single slide. Just put in a slide and let it run for about 10 seconds and try to create an mp4 h.264 with it.

If you have a second system, install on that one and try it. The probability is that it's something in a setting on your computer or an expectation such as the version of Direct X which you have installed.

Let's start with a fresh install and go from there and see what we can discover...

Best regards,

Lin

[johnc151]

Hi Lin,

X264 is the actual program that P2E calls when you want to produce a H264 type video file. P2E calls it and then passes the slideshow images to it to render into a video file.

I've just tried a really cut down slideshow i.e 30 secs and that works. The slideshow I'm having problems with is about 18 mins long - which fits into my thinking that the x264 program is crashing due to a memory leak - hence why I've tried to replace it with a 64 bit version to no avail. When I try to produce my 18 min long slideshow, it

I've already tried to do a clean install and still have the same problem. I wouldn't have thought that DirectX is a problem as I don't think that's being called when x264.exe is running.

[Igor]

Hello John,

We apologize for this problem!

Please tell me:

1. What version of Windows installed on your PC?

2. When exactly x264 module crashes (time)?

3. Send me a screenshot of entire screen when the crash occurs (I'd like to see a view of VideoBuilder window and the error message).

4. What settings for encoding did you choose? Preset or custom parameters (width/height, frame rate, bitrate?)

5. Will that problem occur if you encode 3-5 minute project?

6. Does that project (18 minutes) include any video clips?

Thanks in advance!

[johnc151]

Hi Igor,

I'm not at my pc at the moment, so can't send you any screenshots but, in answer to your other questions:

1) Windows 7 Ultimate, 64 Bit - 12Gb Ram

2) It crashes at around 40% of the encoding

3) The videobuilder doesn't show an error message, it's a windows application error message saying "X264 has crashed" with the normal options to search for a solution and close the application. I'll attach the application crash data later on today. The video builder window just shows the video frozen at the point of the crash.

4) I've tried with a number of different options in terms of resolution etc - it crashes on all of them

5) I can encode a short slide show - I've done one of 30 secs with no problem

6) No, the 18min show includes about 361 slides and 4 music tracks (wav files).

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Hi John

In my experience PTE doesn't like WAV files, can you try MP3?

Yachtsman1.

[Igor]

Thanks, John!

I'm trying to find the solution.

[johnc151]

Yachtsman - it doesn't seem to have a problem with the wav files on a short clip - and it looks like that when it's encoding the audio stream that all works (I see a temporary sound file in the directory ready for P2E to merge back with the completed video).

From everything I can see happening, I would say that it seems to be some sort of memory issue - I've checked the memory with memtest etc and that comes back fine. What's more annoying is that I can happily edit video in Sony Vegas without any issue.

[Ken Cox]

get rid of the all wav's and put in mp3 s'and try it

ken

[johnc151]

Ken,

Like I said previously, the wavs aren't causing the problem. What P2E does (simple version) is encode the audio first, then the video and then puts the two together. The problem I have is that the crash is happening whilst it's encoding the video (the video encoding is carried out by x264.exe component).

I can certainly try using mp3s but I'm guessing that wont solve the issue.

[johnc151]

Right screenshots attached - sorry I was having to rdp from my phone so these are iphone screen grabs. The first shows the settings used, the remaining four show the crash error message.

And have tried without any music and the crash still happened at 40.4%

Igor, just out of interest, what release of x264 is P2E using for the h264 encoding - it looks like r50 to me?

[Ken Cox]

John

just a WAG

see

http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?/topic/6798-avi-problems-request/page__pid__42952__mode__threaded

http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?/topic/6880-got-burned-at-99/page__pid__42914

http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?/topic/4976-slide-show-too-big/

ken

[johnc151]

Sorry Ken, but none of those links really help.

This is really fustrating, as I can see what is causing the issue, and I can see that there are later releases of x246 which are for a 64 bit OS - I just can't get P2E to use a later version to identify if that is the problem.

Igor, have you got any ideas?

[Guest Yachtsman1]

PTE is a 32 bit programme.

Yachtsman1.

[johnc151]

Following a complete windows reinstall - I'm still having exactly the same problem - P2E wont produce a mp4 file.. x264 crashes at 40%

[nobeefstu]

Following a complete windows reinstall - I'm still having exactly the same problem - P2E wont produce a mp4 file.. x264 crashes at 40%

Your mp4 issue appears very similar to this link. :

x264 problem?

I dont know if the user ever found a final resolve ... but you might find some valuable information to possibly aid you. You can also PM the user if needed.

[johnc151]

Thanks Stu, that's exactly the same issue I'm having... and I've done pretty much everything this user does. The only that I can possibly see that would be a resource issue is the the x264 program seems to crash when it's memory use hits a certain point i.e. 300,000 KB (or 3GB) - hence why I think it's linked to the amount of memory that it access (it's a 32bit process as compared to a 64 bit process). I've email Jan to see whether he ever resolved the issue.

[Conflow]

Hi John,

I have just read your Posts and studied your Screenshots and I must admit I was somewhat surprised with the number of (open) Drives

shown on your "Pid-Listings" together with the great amount of Google-Chrome Exe's listed there and I suspect that you have downloaded

various Widgets from Google-Chrome or else imported them from another PC like a Vista-PC.

In particular have you imported or downloaded "Windows Desktop Gadgets" ?....I ask this because your Screenshots show the following:-

"Additional-Information-Notes from 1 ~ 4" and in each of these Snapshots they are showing the full "0a9e Error-Strings"...

These "Error-Strings" are particular to "Windows Desktop Gadgets" which were decommissioned by Microsoft some time ago because they

inter-acted with various O/S-System-Files in Windows-7 and previously they same happened with Vista....I suspect you have this problem.

Attached below 2-Papers on this Microsoft problem and it might be worth your time following them up.

Hope this helps...

Brian (Conflow)

http://www.sevenforu...n-name-bex.html

http://windows.micro...eatures/gadgets

[johnc151]

Hi Brian,

Thanks for that info. I've tried turning off the gadgets - which didn't solve the problem, and also tried excluding x264 from the DEP function in W7 - and again that didn't seem to work. What is slightly odd is that x264.exe has stopped crashing - and now simply "stops working" (great help Microsoft!).

It's really frustrating - I'm guessing it's something to do with the OS - but I cannot for the life of me work out what! Re your comments on Chrome, it does open up a number of threads hence the number of processes it runs. I've had exactly the same problem whether chrome runs or not - so I'm guessing it's not that.

It's odd as well in that Sony vegas will quite happily churn out an mp4 file - so at the moment I'm having to put my slideshows together in that in order to get them to render.

[Conflow]

Hi John,

Well my guess about you using Desktop-Gadgets was correct ~However~ Microsoft are quite adamant that these should be "Uninstalled" not mearly turned off.

Gadgets are part of the "Desktop-Picture-Software" as shown on your PC-Monitor. These reside in the 'Desktop-Registry' section of the Win-7 OP/System.

If it was my Win-7 PC I would "Uninstall" the Desktop-Gadgets ~ OR ~ Alternatively I would "Disable-them" with the routine given in the the "Link" shown below

then I would run the Windows-7 Repair Tool ~ If that didn't work~ I would uninstall them completely and get my Slideshow working as it should do.

http://www.sevenforu...le-disable.html

"Gadgets" have a very bad track record and these can go faulty after downloading an Anti-Virus Program or New-Drivers or even a perfectly innocent Program such

as PTE. ~ The proof is in the comparisons ~ Your Sony-PC runs your Mp4-Files but the Win-7 fails to do so ~ But Win.7 is telling you what's wrong and in particular

its telling you that one or more of those Desktop-Gadgets are defective and it clearly shows that in the "error-strings" I brought to your attention,viz:-

The " 0a9e Error-Strings " which refer to 'Gadgets' are shown in your Screenshots and its really up to you to rectify those defects before they impact something else.

Brian (Conflow)

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Hi John,

Well my guess about you using Desktop-Gadgets was correct ~However~ Microsoft are quite adamant that these should be "Uninstalled" not mearly turned off.

Gadgets are part of the "Desktop-Picture-Software" as shown on your PC-Monitor. These reside in the 'Desktop-Registry' section of the Win-7 OP/System.

Hi Brian

I was sort of half looking at this thread, but after an experience yesterday with a friends laptop, I took a bit more interest. I tried the links & the one to MS only seemed to be expounding the benefite of Gadgets & couldn't find any reference to getting rid of them. The other "7 forum" link from a W7 help forum, is this an official MS site? I can't find any reference on MS.Com to getting rid of gadgets?

I don't use them myself, in fact didn't even know they were there on my W7 PC, it wasn't until a month ago I started a computer club for silver surfers that I came across them in a YouTube seniors tutorial which, I made my own version as the YT version was such poor quality. I have distributed my version to my club members, but I'm now wondering if I've boobed by doing that.

I usually take things with a pinch of salt when advised to do things, a case in point being when my I' explorer 9 stopped working & I found using the 64bit version I was able to get my PC up & running but minus my bookmarks. Eventually after seeking advise which came back confilcting the use of both 32 & 64bit. My PC is now back to normal using IE9 32 bit with my bookmarks, however I do have the 64bit version & Mozilla browser links on my task bar in case it drops dead again. There is something nasty flying around out there & I suspect Google, but who am I to say such a thing, just someone who is devastated when my internet access is disrupted.

Sorrry to digress John.

Yachtsman1.

[Conflow]

Hi Eric,

Its very difficult to answer your's above without getting into Microsoft-Marketing politics and the impact that's having on:- XpSp3 ~ Win.7 and Win.8 ?

And what's happening behind the scene's with adjustments to Windows-7 making it compatible with the "Touch-Screen Technology of Windows.8 ?

Now ~ Win.8 can be downloaded "Freely" on request. ~ So ~ Microsoft is giving Win.7 users a "Free" Operating-System...That's a first for the Books ?

Apart from the "subtle-changes" to Win.7... And having downloaded Windows.8 to try it out.....That unfortunate Windows.7 user will find that he/she can

not completely revert back to Win.7 ~ Having first uninstalled their "Free" Win.8....The changes made are irreversable.....It's the price you pay for Win.8 !!

Remedy:- Full Re-Install of Windows-7 and install IE-8 before you use or install IE-9.

'Desktop-Gadjets' were an attractive addition to Win.7 for Marketing-purposes ~but as time went by~ things started to go wrong particularily with some

(topend) Graphics-Programs which demanded the " full-screen" Desktop-Utility into which Microsoft had previously planted their desktop-gadjets.

Various conflicts took place between the "gadjets" and other (intensive) Graphics-demand's consequently some of the "gadgets" were quietly dropped

and others are no longer available for downloading......Adding to those problems were the demands of Windows-8 "Touch-Screen-Technology" now

however some of these "gadjets" have become an integral part of the "Windows.8-TST System" (You can Google these issues should you wish to).

Concerning the "Windows-7 Forum" (below) and also the "Windows-XP Forum" (below) these are run by various concerned Engineers in the absence

of full "One-2-One" support from Microsoft...They are "Ad-supported" but these are static and non-invasive and Membership is not obligatory but the tech

support is superb.....Just park your query in the (top-right) Search-window and this brings you to the appropriate responses.

Hope this has been helpful,

Brian (Conflow)

http://www.sevenforums.com/

http://www.xpforums.com/

[LumenLux]

The x264.exe problem is driving me crazy also. Having read all the thread, there are some differences in my experience. Hopefully these observations may make more diagnostic sense to someone than they have, so far to me.

1. My OS is Windows XP. For the last month, my system has suffered various crashes and spontaneous reboots. It seems this condition was prefaced by ever-increasing crashes of Chrome browser. About this time, I had also installed a very troublesome business software. I was probably not using PTE much for a couple of months. At one point though, I noticed that PTE would not load on first try. However, PTE would load partially and leave a PTE item that would show up in Windows Task Manager. Leaving that "memory listing" in Task Manager, I would try again to load PTE program. This time, a second line of PTE memory consumption would appear in Task Manager. I could then, within Task Manager, stop the first PTE listed process. Thus, the 2nd attempt at loading PTE would function properly, as near as I could tell.

2. Now, in recent days, I had occasion to use PTE "Publish" to Youtube. The PTE contained only video, a couple of title slides, and no soundtrack. The video, via PTE, converted and appeared normally on Youtube. The next day, I created a similar PTE, again mainly video segments, and no sound track. This segment, 5 minutes long, crashes at varying time points (!) and displays the "x264.exe" error message. (See attached screen captures.) Among other trouble-shooting attempts, I have found the same results come even with a video clip of only a few seconds. Somehow, one test of a 30second video, did succeed to Youtube.

3. If I forget Youtube process of PTE, and just use PTE create HD video, the same x264 crash, dooms the PTE output.

4. The x264 failures in the PTE publish-to-Youtube method, were set to also save the video output to my own PC. The produced and saved files, 5 of them, were identical small size, regardless of how far the PTE conversion progress screen indicated, when the x264 would terminate. And, trying to view the saved converted video files, would yield no visual, only sound from the video.

As a couple of you have suggested, I'm convinced the problem is not caused by PTE, but never-the-less, I can not use PTE until we figure out what is wrong in my Windows PC. Or, unless Igor can figure what is wrong AND steer PTE around it somehow.

I'm well aware of the many keen minds among our Forum members too. So I eagerly await a solution. Thank you all!

[Guest Yachtsman1]

1. My OS is Windows XP.

Hi

I'm not the brightest when it comes to deeply technical issues, but from my observation, you claim to be running Windows XP, but your screen shot shows Windows NT 5.1 :blink:/> :blink:/> :blink:/> :blink:/>

Yachtsman1.

[LumenLux]

1. My OS is Windows XP.

Hi

I'm not the brightest when it comes to deeply technical issues, but from my observation, you claim to be running Windows XP, but your screen shot shows Windows NT 5.1 :blink:/>/>/> :blink:/>/>/> :blink:/>/>/> :blink:/>/>/>

Yachtsman1.

Thanks for the observation. I think XP is a child of the NT parent. The new attachment here, yielded by running dxdiag, shows it as XP Professional, with the same 5.1 and build or version 2600 as the NT 5.1 designation. Now if I were smart enough to use that to solve the issue - not yet.