Number of Issues on Playback of Exe File just created

[Xenofex2]

Over the years I have completed a number of personal family memory audio visuals without any problems, but today, for the first time ever I have suddenly experienced a number of issues when playing back the Exe file (for PC). And can't think why.

This new project was to provide permanent memories of a recent grandchildren visit. Within the Project File, my latest project plays well, so I had no inkling of subsequent problems that would be experienced in playback of the Exe version.

However for some reason, after exporting and watching the Exe File version, I've immediately noticed the following ….

1. the Exe file seems to take literally ages to start to play (it has 75 slides & size is 184MB. In order to compare to see if it was anything to do with the size of file, I did then re-visit a larger Exe Project completed a few months back that is 434MB in size and that does not seem to take so long to start, nor any problems on Exe playback.)

2. fourth Slide in this new show, in which I used the Rubiks Cube Style, the Rubiks Cube does not complete it’s rotating in the Exe playback, it sticks near to the end of the rotation for several seconds. In the Project File there is no such problem.

3. the first video in the Exe version playing starts off juddery. At least one other is not that great. (All video, I believe, has been converted, but in this Project, they have all been added via the O&A tab although I assume that would not make a difference.) Again, in the Project file playback there is no such problem.

4. the audio jumps in a number of places in the Exe playback. (I imported an MP3 file, the same process as in all previous Exe projects.) Again in the Project file there is no problem with the audio.

5. in another section, again in the Exe playback, a slide with no animation, sticks, meaning that the subsequent slide that should have movement in it, does not, and seemingly subsequent slides are quite abrupt.

P2E version is 9.0.12 and am using Windows 10.

Incidentally I also had a problem on first export to an Exe file in this same Project after making use of the Infinity Mirror Style (just posted on the Forum). My sequence went straight from that to the Rubiks Cube Style but on Exe playback I had a period where most of the screen was blacked out. Go back to the Project, insert another Title slide between The Infinity Mirror and Rubiks Cube, re-Export and problem was cured. As a result I wonder whether something similar I've done is causing the above issues. Where should I be looking?

George

[Lin Evans]

Hi George,

This almost sounds like a video card or video driver issue. Could you tell us what type video card you have?  If you want to test - go to "File" "Run" then type in dxdiag and press Enter. This will perform a diagnosis and reveal the details of your system.

Best regards,

Lin

[Xenofex2]

Lin

I have just run the test, and think, the report is attached. This computer, a Desktop model, I had built around 18months ago. I do also, normally once a month, do a check to make sure all Drivers are up todate.

Having now slept on the issue, within my Project and like the one I later resolved by putting an extra Slide between the Infinity Mirror and the Rubiks Cube Styles, I just wondered whether a similar issue was somewhere in the background between the Rubiks Cube Style and the next Slide, which happens to be a map of the London Underground and a train going round to show where we went that day. Just wonder whether that was having a knock on effect.  I'll test that out later today.

I should add, in case it is relevant, that I did cut down the time allowed for the Rubik's rotation. The idea being that it showed places we could visit and was like a dice revolving whilst the boys made their mind up as to where they would like to go. Well that was the idea.

George

 

 

DxDiag Sept 2017.txt

[Lin Evans]

Hi George,

Your video card seems to have sufficient power to run the animations - the time before the exe appears after clicking on it seems to depend a lot on overall system resources. On my XP system with maxed out RAM (less than 4 gig) and essentially the same video card you have with 2 gig of RAM it takes about  17 seconds to load and first see the linked zipped exe below. On my Win 8.1 system with 32 Gig of system RAM and essentially the same video card it takes 4 seconds to load and begin playing the file. This probably is because of the size of the images and the complexity of the animation for the mirror style. If you wan to try it and time the start perhaps we can get the figures and turn this information over to Igor for evaluation?

http://www.lin-evans.org/lin/experiment.zip

Best regards,

Lin

[Xenofex2]

Lin

I have been making progress and it seems inserting an extra Slide after the Rubiks Cube solved one issue. And now I am slowly working through the remainder, having to adjust timings accordingly. Trouble is that whilst the Project plays perfectly within P2E, when I produce an Exe file and then check the playback, I see issues that are not there when playing back within P2E and so back to the drawing board. I am now up to Exe File No 9 and still I have outstanding issues to resolve.

Oddly enough, I have an issue with Slides 46 - 49 and the only animation is in Slide 49. In the first Version, Slides 46 & 47 were 7 seconds but Slide 47 seemed to get stuck, hence I have now reduced the timings but still something is wrong. Think it will be one of those 'sleep on' times, for as you maybe able to see in the screenshot, when I click on Slide 47, it is the next Slide that is appearing in the screen. Might be easier to remove them and start again methinks but that will be for another day.

I downloaded your Experiment zip, and despite having to go through the Windows and Anti-Virus warnings, it took us about 17-20 seconds from first clicking on it for it to run. Now my Exe file for which I do not have them warnings and so should start reasonably quickly, it has taken around 50 - 60 seconds before I finally get a black screen, and then, still seeing the little wheel whirring round, it is another 30 seconds, so around 80 - 90 seconds after first clicking on the Exe file that it starts to play. I am running Windows 10 and timed the start up of my Exe file on six occasions. Oh and by the way, the only thing I had opened on the Computer was this Winsoft Forum page.

George

 

[Lin Evans]

Hi George,

There have always been difference in the Preview play and the play of a completed exe file. I don't believe we have ever known the reasons for the difference but sometimes animations which work perfectly well in preview have issues after the exe is created and played back. Having an extra slide after the RC which solves one issue seems to indicate a resource issue of some type involving RAM. Why don't you email Igor and perhaps he can look at this and determine where the problem lies. The fact that it takes about the same length of time for you to run my sample as it does for my XP system while my Win 8.1 system loads and plays the file in about 4 seconds also is indicative of a resource issue of some type. Let's hope Igor can look at the results of the dxdiag and help with a solution.

Igor has been notified of this issue - best to wait for his evaluation...

Best regards,

Lin

[Igor]

George,

I apologize for this problem with slow run of EXE files with presentations on your PC.

1. Do you assign a custom icon for an EXE file (in the Project options -> Advanced tab) ? If yes, try to remove an icon and re-build the EXE file.

2. What antivirus software you use on your computer? Try to temporarily turn it off to compare speed of running EXE files.

3. Do you run the EXE file from a local hard drive (or SSD) or from network drive (WD MyCloud, etc) ?

[Xenofex2]

Igor,

Thankyou for looking at my issues although what has happened in the last 24 hours it looks like I have wasted your time for which I apologise.

First though your questions, in case a similar issue arises with someone else. 1) No I do not assign a custom icon. 2) I have both Norton 360 Premier, and Malwarebytes Premium installed and have done so for a number of years. I have found the only slight problem with either is when I download someone else's Exe file and it normally tries to quarantine the file. 3) My programs are kept on the SSD within my Desktop and all Documents, Music & Photos are on the intermal 2Tb hard drive partition.

In the last 24 hours I decided to action my monthly back-up and then follow up with my clean-up check routine of my Desktop. What solved my issues, I don't know, so just detail what I did as it might help others. First I ran a Full Scan with Norton. Then I ran a Full Scan with Malwarebytes. Some years ago I decided to have a paid for program to run a system clean scan, Magix PC  Check & Tuning is my program, and have had no problems with it so have kept with it. I then ran that program and actioned all the clean-ups suggested.

After doing all this I looked to answer your questions. First I ran an Exe that I had put together a few months back (434Mb) and that started running in about 3 seconds. I than ran the Problem Exe file (just 186Mb) that I had just created so could compare start timings, and this time it started in ........................ 3 seconds. Wow! Also there were no problems with any video or audio playback.  

I then went back to P2E, re-adjusted the timings to match the audio, exported, and again no problems with the Exe file.

So somewhere, between these three programs my issues have been solved. Obviously it seems that there was something on my computer that was creating my problems.

So thankyou Lin and Igor for your help and suggestions. And the Forum which keeps us all in touch,

Thankyou

George

 

 

 

 

[Igor]

Hello George,

I'm glad that your solved this problem.

Probably it was related with incorrect work of one (or both) antiviruses. I'm not sure that 2 antivirus can work correctly at same time.

[Xenofex2]

No, I am okay with both Norton and Malwarebytes, the latter program is not an Anti-Virus one, and fingers crossed, provides another defence barrier.

I just mentioned everything that I did to resolve my issue as thought it may help someone else at some stage in the future. Although I guess we'll never know, but my guess is something in the PC Cleaning process somehow resolved the issue.

George