Alert 4GB Windows file size limit -seamless linking of large files

[Worldlife]

This is a provisional alert concerning- Arcsoft "ShowBiz" video editing suite retailed by Serif UK. I'm not sure how this program overcomes the 4Gb Windows file size limit particularly for files within a file.. would appreciate an explanation. Suspect a problem here might be the cause of the havoc on my system yesterday.. could I be correct?

What other reasons might there be for "wiping" a drive in this way?

Spent yesterday afternoon and most of the evening assembling and editing a video featuring not too much of ourselves intermingled with location shots and excellent professional entertainment. Was careful to "save" the video after every clip loaded and edited. All was lost as my slave Drive D on which the program was installed together with everything on that drive has been wiped.

Do you think the following might be valid reasons for thinking that the villain is indeed "ShowBiz" that was running at the time of the problem?

4Gb represents about 20 minutes assembled video running time in the format I was using (.avi). Just prior to the system failure a five minute clip had been seamlessly broken into two files suggesting that the 4Gb maximum file size for the co-ordinating system had been exceeded. Hmmm thinking this one through the captured avi.files are the only big ones it must have been that one of my "saves" was to a partially finished movie... the production file is otherwise mere assembly links to each of the smaller edited clips.

My current editing suite (Ulead Video Studio 5) was running well on Drive D and to avoid conflict was uninstalled before putting ShowBiz on the system.

I finished capturing ofr editing the last clip before closing a day's work. Things happened rapidly but I think I had trouble stopping the job using the on screen software and I then used the camcorder stop buttons. Almost immediately I saw red unavailable signals going over all the thumbnail file links in my library of edited clips.

As far as I can recall I was able to close Windows normally although Showbiz had failed. On restarting Windows I received a reprimand from Scandisk.....it proceeded to check drive "D" and at 95% completion dropped back to 85% and there it stayed.

WinRescue advised that there was not enough conventional memory for Scandisk. Suggested REM of device drivers and using Emm 386.exe to load drivers high. (Is this still a valid procedure for W98/ME etc?) Good thing what little DOS procedures I knew had been forgotten. Now need the "i"'s dotted for this

This gave me the idea of trying Windows Safe mode but again unable to move beyond the 85% scandisk completion.

I had a CD boot disk for Ontrack SystemSuite (although the program is not installed as I prefer Zone Alarm and IPE realtime). This did seem to give a useful explanation...

"Drive D - severe file allocation table errors found. No repair attempted"

I gave up here but decided to give "Safe Mode" and overnigh chance. Got up at about 1.00 am this morning to prepare a handwritten note for my wife to fax to Serif from her office. After about an hour (Scandisk had already been running 3 hrs) the indicator moved to 87% and then onwards to 100% and then a very, very long wait with a blank "Safe Mode" screen. Wow the program icons then appeared. I had Drive C back in operation!!!!

Should one expect this sort of thing from quality professional software - this for me is the equivalent of losing one's virginity. I've always been able to pin a need to reinstall directly on my own action and never before installed software with such drastic adverse results.

It could have happened to someone operating a single large Drive. Total and absolute disaster!!!

At least I have now been able to email Serif and await their reply.