Error message when you start the Import Video Wizard in Windows Movie Maker on a Windows Vista-based computer: "Switch your digital video camera to VCR mode to continue"

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SYMPTOMS

When you start the Import Video Wizard in Windows Movie Maker, you receive the following error message on a Windows Vista-based computer:

Switch your digital video camera to VCR mode to continue.

Additionally, you do not see the Import live video screen. Therefore, you cannot record live video from a video camera to the hard disk of the computer.

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This behavior may occur if a video camera supports only the MPEG-2 format for exporting live video to another device, such as a computer hard disk. Movie Maker in Windows Vista does not import live video that is streamed in MPEG-2 format.

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WORKAROUND

To work around this issue, switch the cameras export format to a format other than the MPEG-2 format. If your video camera only supports the MPEG-2 format for exporting, record the video to the storage media on the video camera, and then transfer or copy the video files to the Windows Vista-based computer.

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