Hi Eric,

I checked the latest version of NVidia driver available for my Quadro 4000 Graphics card, but that would be version 276.14.  So for me, there hasn't been a 280.26 driver available yet... or am I overseeing something?

I found out something else that could be important: the only thing that was updated just before the first crash was a Windows KB critical update with the number KB2603229. This update was installed automatically and I don't fully comprehend its function, but I do know it has something to do with 32-bit apps running on 64-bit Windows versions.

Now as far as I understand, Premiere CS5 is actually 32-bit but the Mercury Playback Engine is 64-bit, right? If that is so, this KB2603229 update could have caused the problem; it might have something to do with the MPE being forced to operate in 32-bit mode or something.... what is your opinion on this one?

I also updated my NVidia card with the latest driver as mentioned but to no avail.

I tried de-installing the KB2603229 thing but obviously this update already influenced too many other files to erase its existence effectively; simply put: this didn't work either.

Would de- and then re-installing Premiere as an attempt to overrule the changes which KB2603229 made be an option? Or, is there any knowledge or experiences on this update? I am 99% sure there is a connection.

By the way, you were right about the Player Settings in Premiere. Choosing "Adobe Player" as the default is a workaround to avoid the kind of crash this discussion is all about. Unfortunately in that case, as you understand, I cannot judge the Source window footage on an external HD monitor any longer. So I am really still looking for the solution without this workaround.

Hi Harm,

Yep, you're right. I have de-installed every involved piece of software and then reinstalled them: Premiere, Matrox drivers and NVidia drivers. None of this solved the problem. For some strange reason, after having been able to view video and audio output from both my source and program monitor through the MX02 breakout box for almost a year now, I am facing this inevitable impossibility to switch between monitors at all, except when I choose Adobe player as the default.

This however gives me the strong impression that, whatever happened to cause this, probably should be solved at the Matrox side... so you all were right about that one.

If anything should be popping up spontaneously in your minds, like a thinking-outside-the-box type of conclusion or new idea, please let me know. I'll be overloading Matrox with emails now for their point of view.

Hi Eric,

Thanks for replying. I found out about this version confusion, and I tried the 275.89 version, to no avail. I tried the latest one you mentioned (funny to find that one in the beta/archive category of drivers), the 285.58, also to no avail.

In the meanwhile I decided to downgrade the NVidia drivers to version 266.45, which probably was the version installed on my system when I started to work with it in February 2011. I downgraded the Matrox Utilities to the earliest version for Premiere 5.0.3. This made a difference: only ONE project now gives me problems, and that is the same one the trouble all started with.

So I considered the fact I could also be dealing with a corrupt project somehow. To experiment with this, I printed the EDLs of the sequences contained in the mentioned project and started to rebuild them from scratch in a fresh project, in fresh sequences.

So far, there has been no appcrash of any kind. (?)

My new theory is now that either a conflicting Windows update or an automatic NVidia driver update caused the problem in the first place, thereby leaving some kind of traces in the project I was working on at that moment. Consequently, this project seems to be corrupted now.

Because of the NVidia driver issue I consider your answer to be the right one. After all, downgrading solved the problem for all other projects, and even working speed seems a tiny little bit faster (especially switching between source and program monitor). It makes one wonder what the use of automatic updates is anyway... but whatever.

On the other hand I could be back on this forum anytime; my confidence in the Premiere/Matrox combination decreased significantly. Maybe the issue will be back tomorrow... if not today.

Thanks for everything!

Yeah, I have three options to choose from concerning audio hardware and drivers: in the first place we have of course Premiere WDM sound, the second is Creative ASIO (I have a Soundblaster X-Fi Titanium card installed as well) and last but not least: Matrox ASIO - to the breakout box.

The strange thing is, that no matter which one I choose, after quitting Premiere and restarting, the preference is automatically forced back to Premiere WDM. But I will be updating drivers again (now that I know this should be harmless enough) to see whether I can make a change there. I can imagine that, indeed, relieving the pressure on the default audio device should improve things. Then on the other hand, having as little I/O devices as possible installed might free up some resources... I will try and have a go.

Cheers!