I know that Windows Movie Maker hates MPEGs, but stupidly I decided to try and import an MPEG into WMM in order to convert it to WMV (since I didn't have STOIK on this computer; now I do). As expected, WMM instantly CRASHED and had to shut down. But now it crashes every time I try to start it up again. I get the same error message, "Windows Movie Maker has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience." The fixes I have tried include restarting the computer, and using System Restore. However, I tried System Restoring to a point earlier this morning, and a point on the 17th of this month, and both times upon restart, when I returned to the desktop, it said that the System Restore could not be completed and nothing has been changed. I don't really want to restore to an even earlier date, and am a LITTLE POed that the computer won't restore to those points, for whatever reason. I wish there was some way to just uninstall and reinstall Windows Movie Maker, but the only way I found requires a disc for Windows XP, and I do not have such a disc. I've read of lots of conflicts with WMM involving codecs and software, but I'm pretty well convinced that it will be a waste of my time to mess with that stuff because WMM has been working fine for me until I tried importing that MPEG today. The only other thing that happened, and I don't remember if it occurred before or after WMM stopped working, was a Windows Security update.

I'm on Windows XP Media Edition. It's an HP Pavilion Entertainment PC Notebook.

UPDATE: Tried restoring it to June 11th, because I'm so frustrated, but it would not restore to that point, either. I guess it just won't restore at all. The next step is to reinstall SP2, I suppose. Hope this works.I strongly recommend you update to Service Pack 2. It actually might fix your Windows Movie Maker problem, but install SP2 after you've tried the following:

Try reinstalling it here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/moviemaker2.mspx

Also, if that doesn't work, try System Restoring in Safe ModeI'm already on Service Pack 2, my thought was to perhaps REINSTALL. I also saw there is now a Service Pack 3, but I don't know if that's a good idea to install in general, and DOUBT it would fix my problem specifically.

Also, I already downloaded the Movie Maker 2 installer, and went through the INSTALLATION process, but nothing changed at all.

Thanks for taking a crack at it though. Thorough Google searching has turned up questions similar to mine, and it seems as though it's unanswerable, except for those people who have the Windows XP CD and are able to reinstall WMM that way.Quote

for those people who have the Windows XP CD and are able to reinstall WMM that way.