MediaShout/PPT2007 issue and answer

[[Director] Joseph B]

An inherent idiosyncrasy with a Windows Based PC is that different hardware/software combinations affect how the software runs on individual machines.
I have MS4 on my laptop and it runs differently on the laptop then it does on the church projection computer. It occasionally locks up on the projection computer but has never locked up on the laptop. Same program, same build - but on two different machines.
The problem could also be in powerpoint and not MS.
I remember years ago beta testing a version of Microsoft Office and it crashed my PC every time. After spending nearly 3 hours on the phone to Microsoft with a software engineer we finally loaded windows, loaded Office and then loaded every other program I had one at a time until we got the crash. The culprit PC Tools. When PC tools was installed starting word would crash my system.
PC Tools "altered" a file that word needed to function and would crash the system every time. Even altering the order I loaded the software (which would sometimes fix a problem) didn't work.
The moral of the story: don't just look at Media Shout, look at every program you have loaded or updated since the problem began.

[LounaTech]

I've fought my way through most of the MS issues (Versions 3.x, 4.0x, & now 4.5x) by adding more RAM (it's a memory pig) and by running though a test (playing everything...esp. videos) prior to going live with a sermon / presentation.

When dragging in videos, MS tries to reserve RAM for future use (it doesn't do a good job of releasing memory addresses after the fact). If you're low on free RAM or consecutive blocks of free memory addresses, MS kinda freaks out.

You can play with a memory mapping tool...or, simply do the following ASAP:

1. Max out the system RAM considering your budget, OS & Hardware constraints (aim for 4GB RAM if supportable)

2. Consider getting a video card with dedicated, onboard video RAM so windows vista doesn't steal as much of your system RAM off of the top for video RAM - it's going to take some of the addresses, but you'll see better performance with dedicated onboard video RAM.

Prior to every presentation:

1. Reboot the PC to clear out RAM & hung-up memory addresses

2. Load the presentation into MS prior to use (why can't you load previously saved show??? - because memory isn't allocated as well with a show as it is with loading each item, one by one...don't know why, just know it seems to work better when you do things this way)

3. Test Drive Every Cue / Video / PPT / IMAGE / Sound / etc. prior to go-live (if MS hangs...just let it sit there and figure things out...typically...it will recover after a couple of minutes if you're patient - once it comes back, it won't typically freeze again!). With previous versions, I used to instruct my staff to actually try and make MS freeze up by abusing it (fast clicking, multiple starts of long videos, etc.) prior to our go-live time...just because once it suffers its little memory addressing issues once...it almost never has a problem again.

Later versions have much better memory-handling...but I'm sure these tricks will assist when you've exhausted all other attempts to troubleshoot.

I hope that helps.

[dave1]

Well, after doing a System Restore, removing all updates and fixes installed over the past month, removing PPT 2007, removing & reinstalling MS, and then installing PPT 2003, MS & PPT are working together again.
Remember that after each attempt to fix, I retested MS & PPT, only to find that MS still locked up. After the final fix did MS work OK with PPT 2003.
There is plenty of memory in this machine. Video cards have not been an issue over the past 6 months.
My main immediate issue now is to get a commercial version of PPT 2003 so as to be ethical & legal.
I am grateful for the direction from my Brothers & Sisters. Dave

[James Thomas]

LounaTech, not to be controversial but I have not had any problem with MS and memory issues. I have had a system freeze on rare occasion as I do with other programs also. I think a lot of problems are machine specific and would not apply as a general rule.

[Aldersgate UMC]

I use MS v 4.5 and yes I have trouble with it shutting down completely during the middle of a song. I have simply stopped using motion backgrounds becuase that is when it seems to be at its worse.

I do love MS 4.5 - so am working with them to get this fixed, they think it is my media card.

They also tell me that a new update fixing the ppt issue is to come out today or tomorrow, but I haven't checked.

Good luck,
Dorothy

[[Admin] osborn4]

Sounds like it's a good chance it's your video driver, your video card or your video codecs.

And I'll be MS support would have checked out the driver and codecs, leaving the card as thier primary suspect.

Makes sense to me.

[dave1]

Thought I should check back to look for more input.
MS 3.5 with VISTA seems to just be incompatible with including PPT 200* in the Script so they are being used but not together.
Has anyone found any resolutions for this issue? We are at least a year away from upgrading to Win 7 and MS 4 so I'm just fishing for a better way.