The version isn't 10 my photostory is "Photostory on CD and DVD 10". I couldn't quickly find my version number, but most routines in my version are dated pre-2010. I'll try and find my version number!

My Photostory Deluxe 10 was established in June 2017!

@jmc

Hi

. . . . Photostory on CD and DVD 10 . . . .

This version was released in April 2011 and is compatible with Windows XP, Vista and 7.

If you are running Windows 10, then the changes in Windows since the program was released may be preventing the updater running correctly.

We need more information about your computer specification and Windows version and Antivirus - see this topic for what is required.

John EB
Forum Moderator

@jmc

Hi

Thanks for coming back with your solution - have fun.

John EB

No problem! I've had a chance to mess with PS 2021 a little. Two little issues surfaced right away.

First if you go to Edit, Wizards, Slideshow Maker, Effects, and "Don't Use Any Effects" about 5% of the photos/slides will have Effects on them anyway. No problem in manually removing them, but it indicates that something in the program overrides the "Don't Use any Effects" selection a few times during the making of a slideshow.

The second thing is that if you make a slideshow and then decide you want to add a Title to a photo/slide, sometimes the Title will run into the next photo/slide. It's not so easy to resolve this issue. Maybe I'm missing some simple detail about Titles to get them to only appear on the slide you initially put them on? This would indicate to me that the program does not always restrict a title to it's photo/slide which seems relatively easy to do.

Am I missing some simple detail on these two issues?

Thanks again for your help!

jmc

@jmc

Hi

. . . . add a Title to a photo/slide, sometimes the Title will run into the next photo/slide. It's not so easy to resolve this issue. . . . .

If you are working in Storyboard mode, switch to timeline mode - this gives you more control - to change the length of a title, image or trim a video object, drag the left or right edge depending on which direction you want to change the length, or trim in the case of a video clip, of the object.

I don't have PS 2021 installed so cannot test the Slideshow Maker - it does work fine in PS 2020.

John EB

Ok, thanks! I'll try it when I get back in a few days.

jmc

I worked all last week to get a 500+ photo project put together with 9 slideshows! Got to the point today of burning a copy, and after doing that and saving the project, PS doesn't have the project in the que when you open it! Tried to open a BAK copy, but couldn't because it was an Explorer file and I use Google. So with all that work into the project, I need to open a BAK file. How do I do that with Google as my browser?

In addition, I did as you said above on Titles and I could adjust the time on some titles and some I couldn't. About the only way I could get a title icon with adjustment capabilities is to max the slide time first. The program shouldn't let the title be longer than it's slide time, but it does. The developer should restrict the title time to something less than the slide time to eliminate titles from overflowing to the next slide. Until I lost my project today, I spent the majority of the time trying to adjust titles! Also, the "No Effects" button in Slideshow Maker should not allow any effects to be incorporated, so one doesn't have to manually delete unwanted effects.

I'm dead in the water until I can resurrect my project via my BAK files!

@jmc

I think you are misunderstanding things!

First, "Google" is a search engine! "Explorer" (i.e. Windows Explorer) is the core program that shows icons etc. on your screen (amongst many other things); without it, your computer would not function at all! I suspect you are actually meaning "Internet Explorer" which is a web browser and completely irrelevant here! You are apparently using "Google Chrome" as your web browser; again, that is irrelevant.

As to the missing project; where, exactly, did you choose to save it on your computer? If you navigate to that folder, do you see it? if so, double-click it and it should automatically open PS and the project.

All BAK files are exactly what their name suggests: they are back-up saves of your project, created at whatever time interval is set within PS, nominally 15 minutes, I think. Again, double-clicking on one of them should open PS and the project, but you do need to check carefully that you are opening the "latest" one. By default PS "saves" up to 10 BAK files, starting numbering them at 0 up to 9. Once number 9 has been created the next one will be 0, so overwriting the original "0", if you see what I mean! You need to carefully check the "created time" for each BAK file to discover which is actually the "latest"!.

As to your comment about Titles being too long; assuming you are now using the timeline view, each title object will appear as a box (object) on a track. Simply drag the right-hand edge of the box to ensure the title ends where you want it to.

HTH

Jeff
Forum Moderator

I understand about Google Chrome and Windows Explorer! When I clicked on a BAK file it ask me what I wanted to open it with, Explorer or go to Google Store and find something. I clicked on Explorer even though I wanted PS and the rest of the story is below.

When I go to the project file and click on it, PS comes up and loads the project, but the 9 slideshows are not there! So I go to My PC, Documents, PS, PS Projects, and see the 10 Explorer Project BAK files(0-9) and click on a BAK MP_file a View and Track Downloads secondary window comes up. I then click on Open for one of the files and the Window flickers, but PS doesn't come up and load the BAK file.

Also, when I get on the BAK file page 7 of the 10 files have a red circle with an x in them in the Status column. Only 3 of the 10 files have a green circle with a check mark in them. I can't open any of the 10 files.

@jmc

Hi

Are you storing your projects on Google Drive?

John EB

Yes on One Drive, but I can't open the file there either! Same thing occurs.

I mean No on Microsoft One Drive!

@jmc

Hi

You should be working with the locally stored files, ie those on your hard drive, not the files stored in Microsoft One Drive, Google Drive or any other cloud storage.

Have you tried opening the project file stored on your computer?

John EB

Yes at This Pc, Documents, Magix Projects, and PS Deluxe! In PS Deluxe there are PS Project files and BAK files. The Project file I want to open will open, but the 9 slideshows are missing. No BAK files will not open and thereby lies the problem. I cannot open any BAK MP_File!

@jmc

Does the program work OK if you start a new project?

It sounds like the project files and the backups are corrupted, were there any issues during the last successful edit of the project?

John EB

Yes it works fine on a new project except if I try to open a BAK file it won't just as it won't with the other project! The new project is much smaller than the other project. The new project has four slideshows and about 150 photos instead of 9 slideshows and 500+ photos.

No issues the day it deleted the 9 slideshows from the project. Early one afternoon I revised it a little and saved it. That night I brought it up to burn a new disc and the project came up, but all the slideshows had been deleted.

If PS won't open a BAK file, there's no reason to have backup files!

@jmc

Can we take a step backwards?

In another forum which I visit a very experienced user of (audio) software describes storing project and associated files on any Cloud platform as "depending on the equivalent of a piece of wet string"!

So, where, exactly, on your computer are the image files for your project saved? If, perchance, they are on your Cloud server, you are dependent upon the connection to that server being stable and continuous, something which cannot be guaranteed. Are you saving them straight to the cloud? If so, if that cloud>computer connection in any way "fails" then it is highly likely that PS will, in effect, "fall over" and fail to load everything properly!

The advice always is to save first to your local computer and then backup to the cloud, as @johnebaker said previously.

Just for the record: I have an internal and cloud backup for all my important files. Both are set to run at specific times but I would never consider not saving those files to my local computer before any backup software runs.

As for the comment If PS won't open a BAK file, there's no reason to have backup files, you do have the option to turn off the setting, but then you are entirely dependent upon the project file being saved correctly - and that is something you will need to do a very regular basis if you are to avoid any loss of your editing work in the scenario that your computer and/or PS suddenly crashes. As to why your BAK files fail to open, ad John wrote it would seem they are corrupted, perhaps by losing connection to your Image files?

Jeff

Last night I got on to what you're talking about above! When I looked up the Properties of the PS Project Files that I can successfully open, the path goes thru OneDrive and indicates it opens with PS. The path for the BAK files is the same, but it indicates it only opens with Internet Explorer which I don't use and I didn't know you could use a browser to open a file. Why don't the BAK files open with PS? Did I miss something when I installed PS 2021 and did I tell PS to only open BAK files with IE? I have File Explorer which will not open any BAK files. So can I select where BAK files are stored and what to open them with?

Thanks for the help!

@jmc

Hi

Does the BAK file name look something like this:

Slideshow name_BAK0.MP_

where the number is in the range 0 to 9

If not what do the names look like?

. . . . So can I select where BAK files are stored and what to open them with? . . . .

No, they are saved in the same folder as the project file.

. . . . the path goes thru OneDrive . . . .

The default local path when using One Drive is

C:\Users\username\OneDrive

Is this what you mean by goes through One Drive.

. . . . it indicates it only opens with Internet Explorer . . . .

How are you determining this? A screen shot may help.

John EB

The answers to both of your questions are yes! If I go to File Exporer, then to Documents, then to Magix Projects, then to PS 2021 Deluxe, and to a BAK file and right click on it, then click on Properties it gives me the file path and indicates it opens with IE. If I click on Change it says open it with IE or go to Google Store. If I go to Google Store it says nothing's available to open a Mp_File or .MP. Nowhere does it give me the option to open it with PS.

In contrast, if I do the same thing with a PS Project file it will indicate to open it with Magix PS.