Windows Live Movie Maker 2011: Problems Importing Video

Windows Live Movie Maker is a free offering from Microsoft that offers novice and average users the ability to edit video and from there, be able to share/publish it to Facebook, YouTube, eMail, DVD and even custom resolutions. It's a basic editor with very simplified interface, and it's part of the Windows Live Essentials Suite of applications.

Windows Live Movie Maker is a good editor for the price, and it's supported video formats is impressive, when they work; and that's where it gets interesting. Windows Live Movie Maker supports many formats; but what's not provided to the public [regular users] is that Windows Live Movie Maker doesn't recognize those various formats unless the CODEC for that format is installed in the operating system; it's not built-in to Windows Live Movie Maker. And Windows Live Movie Maker doesn't make any attempts to identify or get those codecs for you.

It's a massive flaw in the way video editing should be. If a software vendor says the software they offer is supposed to support X format, then it should support that format right out of the gate— and that's not what Windows Live Movie Maker does.

So, these are some things to know about Windows Live Movie Maker and how to address them…

Windows Live Writer 2011: Minimize the Ribbon GUI

Were you aware that you can minimize the ribbon GUI in Windows Live Writer 2011?

Windows Live Writer is a fantastic offline blogging tool with a WYSIWYG editor. It interfaces with just about any blog service [Blogger, LiveJournal, TypePad, WordPress, etc.] If you're a blogger you'll find this tool incredibly helpful- and it's refreshingly free from Microsoft.

But nah, why would you go looking; it's so convenient right? Right; so why go messing with a good thing… because there's an option for it.

I mean Windows Live Writer doesn't have a Find and Replace option, but you can hide the ribbon GUI…
time well spent right..

So, how do you do it?

How to: Adjust the duration of the video transition effects in Windows Live Movie Maker 2011

This was a good question from the Windows Live Movie Maker support forum. An user was asking a question about how to apply timing to the duration of the transitions that Windows Live Movie Maker offers.

Microsoft expects the Windows Live Essentials suite to be simple enough for everyone to understand, but somethings still need a little help.

So how do you adjust the duration of the transitions?

Windows Live Applications crashing on you? Microsoft says create a NEW ACCOUNT

So, the fun in the Microsoft Windows Live support forums is starting to turn funny again. And since I hang out there a lot I get to see a lot of the same issues pop-up over and over and all the same ones Microsoft has no answer for…

Like the one for Windows Live Movie Maker and Windows Live Writer that either won't start or the application just randomly crashes on users as they're using it. Those are the problems that want to pull your hair out, but when you have to contacting support; you a really searching for some direction or an answer… sadly Microsoft doesn't know the answer…

For the past 2 years, the Windows Live support forums have been plagued with questions about why Windows Live Writer or why Windows Live Movie Maker wouldn't start… It's funny because the Windows Live suite is from Microsoft and yet the applications may not be starting and Microsoft has no idea why… but they do have an unique suggestion.

Create a NEW ACCOUNT… on your Windows operating system.

Windows Live Writer 2011 Updated to v15 [15.4.3538.513]

Windows Live Writer is a fantastic offline blogging tool with a WYSIWYG editor. It interfaces with just about any blog service [Blogger, LiveJournal, TypePad, WordPress, etc.] If you're a blogger you'll find this tool incredibly helpful- and it's refreshingly free from Microsoft.

Microsoft just pushed out a Windows Live Essentials update and Windows Live Writer was included with that update; pushing Windows Live Writer to the fresh new version of v15 [15.4.3538.513], but in typical Microsoft fashion they offer no ‘WHAT’S NEW’ file, or information page, to clarify what was actually updated.

I’m not understanding how or why Microsoft can’t offer any information as to what they changed or what they updated… where do you find this information?