How does a .VEG file become corrupted?

BrianStanding wrote on 7/23/2003, 2:19 PM
I ran into a problem recently with my previously-stable Vegas setup. When trying to print to DV tape, Vegas would churn through all the video renders, get about 15% through rendering the .w64 file, then spit out a Windows exception error and crash.

To make a long story short, after double-checking all hardware connections, reinstalling Vegas 4.0c, upgrading to SP-4 of Windows 2000, clearing all temp files, deleting and reinstalling the wavplug.dll file, etc....

I finally concluded there was a problem with the .VEG file. I copied all the events into a new project file in a second instance of Vegas, and Print to Tape worked as perfectly as it always had for me in the past.

Now, having calmed down a bit after three days of panic.... this brings me to wonder:
how, exactly DOES a .VEG file become "corrupted" in the first place? More importantly, how do I make sure this NEVER happens again?

Any input welcome.

Comments

BillyBoy wrote on 7/23/2003, 3:31 PM
File corruption if that's what you experienced is just a fact of life. It happens and may not be the fault of the application you're using. In fact it is just as likely the fault of the OS, in this case Windows. Unless the same kind of thing happens over and over I wouldn't worry about it and just shrug it off as just one of those things. There is no magic to prevent such events if they are truly random events, which yours seems to suggest it was.
kameronj wrote on 7/23/2003, 9:44 PM
How exactly DOES a .VEG file become "corrupted" in the first place?

It's an all to familiar story. I've heard it a thousand times before - and I'm afraid I'll hear it a thousand million more times before my days are through.

How exactly does it start? Well, that part varies...but it always always always seems to start with a beer at a party, or just playing something simple like "Quarters". Oh sure...it is a fun time had by all! And who wouldn't have fun!! It's a party!!

Probably graduation or prom....or it could even be because the parent files are out of town on vacation and have left the young ones home alone!!

Then they go off to college. They keep the party going!! Frat parties, keg parties, RAM parties, ROM parties!! Heck, even the cast and crew of "Apps Gone Wild" show up and all sorts of vile and disgusting (and quite pleasurable) behavior goes on!! But it's just a party!!

But before you know it - some young punk named "Davie" says something like "Hey...try this!!" And before you know it there is trouble right here in River City! With a capitol "T"....that rhymes with "C" and that stands for "Corrupt!!"

Applications take too long to start...they act slow and lethargic when running...they start to slur their speech...they don't bathe....and they watch too much "Bay Watch!" Then...it just gets worse from there.

The worst is when you can't even render!!

Oh no....not the render!!! The shame!! The despair!!

But there is hope!!

The Friends of Bill G. have group meetings that these corrupt files can go to!! It's just a place they can go and talk and realize that they are powerless to overcome their own corruption.

You can find these place in your local phone book (or at any seach engine).

Yes....there is hope for these corrupt files (and there is a Santa Clause too, Virginia!!)

And THAT....is how it happens!!
GaryKleiner wrote on 7/24/2003, 1:32 AM
LOL! kameronj
sqblz wrote on 7/24/2003, 5:15 AM
Wanna read a long story about file corruption ? Here ...
http://www.sonicfoundry.com/Forums/ShowMessage.asp?Forum=4&MessageID=151343
IanG wrote on 7/24/2003, 6:00 AM
You could save the project with different names and / or in different places.

Ian G.
Grazie wrote on 7/24/2003, 6:23 AM
Oh yes . . . . . the ole "Name-it-as-something-else" tech solution. A well known method! been there, done that . . .

Grazie
BrianStanding wrote on 7/24/2003, 10:10 AM
LOL!.... and I thought it was just money and power!
BrianStanding wrote on 7/24/2003, 10:18 AM
sqblz: Just read your saga: all I can say is *whew* at least mine only took 3 days to resolve! Looks like from your story, you did what I did: found a solution, but never solved the mystery. How did this happen to begin with?

Thanks for crying in your beer with me.
BrianStanding wrote on 7/24/2003, 10:20 AM
Yeah, I thought of this, but not until AFTER I started having problems. So, the problem was replicated in the backups. Next time, I'll save backups as I go along, I guess.

*sigh* live and learn! At least the solution wasn't too painful.
sqblz wrote on 7/25/2003, 6:05 AM
It's a fact of life: software programming is an obscurantist science, composed of 50% technical knowledge, 25% devote faith and 25% black magic. Most of the times, problems are solved with the last 25%.

The strange of all this is that when magic fails, faith arises. Then, everybody (even SoFo) will go suggesting you to do all sorts of things, "to see if it works". Only very very unfrequently do the Gurus really look into the code and see if there's something wrong there ...

Strange way to go. I guess that, 500 years from now, everybody will laugh at the way we used to do it ...
SonyDennis wrote on 7/31/2003, 5:08 PM
BStanding:

I just sent you an email requesting a copy of the bad .veg file -- I'd like to see if we can reproduce the problem here.

Thanks.

///d@