AccuSplit FAQ

 

Table of Contents

General Questions

Video Split Mode Questions

Standard Split Mode Questions

 

 

 

 

Q1.  Are there any limitations to the file sizes that AccuSplit can work with?

During my testing, AccuSplit has had no problems working with files sizes in excess of 150GB and the application’s internal data structures should give it the capability of working correctly with file sizes up 4300Gbytes (4.3TB).

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Q2.  I used AccuSplit to split a large video file into pieces for storage onto CD-R. When I try to play back the video files stored on the individual CD’s some of the file segments refuse to play in the media player. Why do some of the segment files play and others fail?

First make sure that you are using the latest release of AccuSplit. Registered Full Version users of the software are entitled to free upgrades to new releases (see Question #4) and users of the free Shareware Version can also download new Shareware releases from this website.

Early releases of AccuSplit (prior to v3.0) were sometimes able to split large MPEG files into smaller segments that would then be independently playable, however this was not a designed-in capability of those early versions of the software and it was not 100% reliable. However, beginning with the v3.0 release of the software, AccuSplit introduced the capability to split AVI, DIVX, MPEG-1 and other video format files into "independently playable" segments. You can access this feature by selecting the Video File Smart Split option. For complete details on the various codecs and formats supported by the latest release of AccuSplit please see Question #12.

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Q3.  A database file that we have has grown too large to be read by an application that we are using. Can I use AccuSplit to split the database file into smaller pieces that our database application could then read?

AccuSplit will have no problem splitting your large database file into smaller segments. AccuSplit will also have no problem taking those segments and using them to reconstruct an exact replica of your original database file. However, the individual AccuSplit segment files will probably not be readable by your database application. There are at least two potential problems with your plan.  The first is presuming that the database will still be operational after slicing it into arbitrarily sized pieces and the second is that during a Standard Mode File Split operation AccuSplit adds a 1KB data header to each of the segment files. This header includes information such as the original composite file size, the number of file segments created during the split, the MD5 message digest for the original composite file, and the MD5 message digest for the current segment file. AccuSplit uses the information in this header to insure that the data integrity of the file is maintained during the reconstruction process. It is very likely that this data header will be interpreted as a form of data corruption by the database application.

However, to meet the needs of users who may desire to split a file into segments that do not include any extra information (ie. the 1KB AccuSplit data header) AccuSplit includes the ability to perform a Raw Mode Split operation. During a "Raw Mode" split AccuSplit will not add the 1KB data header to its file segments. These segment files will therefore only contain the raw data from the original composite file.

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Q4.  I have just purchased the Full Version of AccuSplit. It looks like the next release of the software will have some new features that I really would like to have. When this new version is released will I be entitled to a free upgrade? 

Absolutely! Any user who has purchased the Full Version of any prior release the software will be eligible for a free upgrade. Simply send an email to:  AccuSplit_support@cox.net  listing the name and address that you used when you purchased the software. After we validate that information against the registered list of users in our database we will email you a copy of the latest Full Version release of the software.

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Q5.  I am interested in purchasing the Full Version of AccuSplit so that I can split large movie files into CD-sized pieces that can be sent to my relatives.  Can my relatives use the Shareware Version of the software to rebuild these file segments into a copy of the original file, or must they also purchase the Full Version?

Your relatives do not need to purchase the Full Version. The Shareware Version of the program only restricts user capabilities during the file split process. The file rebuild process is not restricted in any way. Therefore, the Shareware Version of the program can be used to rebuild any file segments that you create with the Full Version into a copy of the original file.

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Q6.  I split an MPEG-1 file using AccuSplit’s "Video File Smart Split" option. No errors were generated during the split process but some of the segments don’t play. What am I doing wrong?

You occasionally see this problem when trying to split MPEG-1 files that weren’t encoded in compliance with the MPEG-1 specifications. The fix in this case is to re-encode the file so that it complies with the MPEG-1 specs. Fortunately there is a relatively easy way to do this that doesn’t involve a time consuming re-rendering of the entire file. You will need to download and install a freeware MPEG encoding application called TMPGEnc which can be found at the following URL:

http://www.tmpgenc.net/

Follow these steps to re-encode your video (it’s easier than it looks!):

  1. Launch TMPGEnc and from the FILE drop-down menu select "MPEG TOOLS..."

  2. Select the "SIMPLE DEMULTIPLEX" tab and enter the name of your video in the "INPUT" field or browse to your video using the BROWSE button adjacent to the "INPUT" field.

  3. Accept any default entries that are placed in the "VIDEO OUTPUT" and "AUDIO OUTPUT" sections.

  4. Click the RUN button and wait until TMPGEnc finishes demultiplexing the video and audio streams from your original video file.

  5. Annotate the name of the video stream and audio stream files that TMPGEnc just created – they are listed in the "VIDEO OUTPUT" and "AUDIO OUTPUT" fields. You will need to reference these files in the next step.

  6. Select the "SIMPLE MULTIPLEX" tab and browse to the video stream file annotated in step#5 using the BROWSE button adjacent to the "VIDEO INPUT" field.

  7. The "AUDIO INPUT" field should be filled in automatically – if it is not, then browse to the audio stream file annotated in step#5 using the BROWSE button adjacent to the "AUDIO INPUT" field.

  8. In the "TYPE" drop-down list select the type of MPEG file that you are trying to recreate. This should be either: "MPEG-1 System (automatic)" for a generic MPEG-1 file, "MPEG-1 System (VBR)" for a Variable Bit Rate file, or "MPEG-1 Video-CD" for a Video-CD format file.

  9. In the "OUTPUT" field select the desired name for your re-encoded MPEG file.

  10. Click the RUN button and wait until TMPGEnc finishes multiplexing the video and audio streams into a re-encoded version of your original file.

AccuSplit should now have no problem splitting your re-encoded file into independently playable segments using the "Video File Smart Split" option.

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Q7.  Why do I get a message notifying me of missing DLL files INETWH32.DLL and ROBOEX32.DLL whenever I open the AccuSplit help file?

You are using a very old version of AccuSplit. Please upgrade to the current release of the software which includes an updated help file that corrects this problem. Registered Full Version users of AccuSplit are entitled to free upgrades to new releases (see Question #4) and users of the free Shareware Version can also download new Shareware releases from this website.

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Q8.  Do I really need to have DirectX installed to use AccuSplit?

NOTE:  This question is only applicable to AccuSplit v3.0 and later

AccuSplit only requires DirectX when you try to split an AVI format video file using the "Video File Smart Split" option. This is the option that enables you to split the AVI file into independently playable segments. So unless you are planning to split AVI files using this advanced option you do not need to have DirectX installed.

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Q9.  I tried to split a DIVX file using the "Video File Smart Split" option but I keep getting the error: "ERROR Code 1421 – Cannot find compressor for smart recompression type". What is wrong?

NOTE:  This question is only applicable to AccuSplit v3.0 and later

Try the suggestions below to correct the problem:

NOTE:  If the DIVX file you are trying to split has a FOURCC code of "DIV3" please see the question relating to DIV3 files elsewhere in this FAQ.

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Q10.  I tried to use the "Video File Smart Split" option to split an AVI file with a FOURCC code of "MP43" but I keep getting the error: "ERROR Code 1421 – Cannot find compressor for smart recompression type". I can play the file without any problems. Why can't I split it using the "Video File Smart Split" option?

NOTE:  This question is only applicable to AccuSplit v3.0 and later

The "MP43" FourCC code identifies AVI files encoded with Microsoft's MPEG-4 version 3 codec. Unfortunately, only initial beta releases of this codec allowed for file encoding or re-encoding. All current versions of this codec (which is distributed by Microsoft) support only file decoding which allows for playback only. Since AccuSplit needs to access a codec's re-encoding capabilities whenever it attempts to split a file using the "Video File Smart Split" option and because it is unable to do this for "MP43" type files you end up getting the "ERROR Code 1421" message. AccuSplit will only be able to split "MP43" type files using the Standard Split mode which means that the file segments will not be "independently playable".

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Q11.  Whenever I try to split a file with a FOURCC code of "DIV3" using the Video File Smart Split option I get the error: "ERROR:  Unable to find a codec that supports the source file format". I have the current release of the DIVX codec installed and I can play the file without any problems. Why am I unable to split it using the Smart Split option?

NOTE:  This question is only applicable to AccuSplit v3.0 and later

The "DIV3" FOURCC code identifies files encoded using the DIVX version 3 codec, which is an older DIVX format. The current releases of the DIVX codec can play DIV3 format files but they don't allow them to be re-encoded back into the DIV3 format using the DirectX components that AccuSplit needs to split AVI files. This is a limitation of the DIVX codec, not AccuSplit, so please don't send me any unpleasant emails. If you want to split DIV3 files using AccuSplit's Video File Smart Split mode then you will have to install the DIV3 codec onto your system. This codec is no longer available on the DIVX site but it is still fairly easy to find copies on the web. Since I am unsure about the legitimacy of some of the sites providing the codec I don't want to provide any direct links, however you should be able to find a copy fairly easily using your favorite search engine. 

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Q12.  What file types can be split into independently playable segments using AccuSplit's Video File Smart Split option?

AccuSplit's Video Smart Split mode has been validated to work with all of the encoding formats listed below:

If you would like detailed information concerning the vendor support for a particular codec or FOURCC type I would recommend that you visit - http://www.fourcc.org

In theory, AccuSplit's Smart Split mode should support any properly installed codec that allows for re-encoding of the video back into the source file format (see Questions 10, 11, & 15 for more info on the re-encoding requirement). Providing the associated codec allows it, AccuSplit should be able to split any AVI file format into independently playable segments. However, please note that AccuSplit does not offer Smart Split support for MPEG-2 format files because of copyright restrictions and royalty requirements related to the usage of this format. MPEG-2 files can only be split using AccuSplit's Standard and Raw Split modes.

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Q13.  If I have a problem splitting a file using the Video File Smart Split option what sort of information will you need in order to assist me in finding a solution?

Good question. If you ever have a problem I will try to do everything I can to assist you but please try to give me at least the information listed below whenever you request help.

Additionally, AccuSplit also creates a log file of the split process. This log file contains diagnostic information that can be useful in isolating problems with the video split. The log file is named ACCUSPLIT.LOG and by default the application will attempt to create it on the root of the C: drive. 

However, in certain instances user permissions can prevent AccuSplit from creating the log file on the root of the C: drive. If this is the case then it will instead be created in the user's TEMP directory. The TEMP directory can have various locations depending on the version of Windows that you are running but some typical default locations are shown below:

WIN2K - C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Local Settings\Temp
WINXP - C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Local Settings\Temp
Vista - C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Temp

NOTE: - <username> is the name of your current user account

Please forward the AccuSplit log file to me with your help request.

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Q14.  I split an AVI file using the Video File Smart Split option. No errors were generated during the split process and the file segments play properly but they do not have any audio. What is the problem?

Early releases of AccuSplit v3.0.x had a problem splitting files that used certain audio compression codecs like MPEG Layer-3. AccuSplit v3.0.2 corrected this problem so make sure that you are using at least the AccuSplit v3.0.2 release. Registered Full Version users of AccuSplit are entitled to free upgrades to new releases (see Question #4) and users of the free Shareware Version can also download new Shareware releases from this website.

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Q15.  I tried to split an XVID encoded AVI file using the Video File Smart Split option but I keep getting the error:  "ERROR:  Unable to find a codec that supports the source file format". I have an XVID codec installed and can play the file just fine. What is the problem?

Make sure that you have the Full Version release of the XVID codec installed. The XVID codec comes in two different versions - one version is the Full Version that allows both encoding as well as decoding, and the other version is the Decoder-only version which will only allow for file playback. In order to split an AVI file using the Video File Smart Split option you must have the Full Version of this codec installed because AccuSplit needs to access the codec's encoding capabilities whenever it splits the file. This is a requirement for both the video and the audio codecs that are used to compress AVI files. A good site to download the latest Full Version release of the XVID codec is at http://www.doom9.org.

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Q16.  When trying to split an XVID encoded file the split process "hangs" or the split segments exhibit some strange problems like inverted video.

The XVID codec is an open-source development project and as such there are many different variations of this codec software in use by the general public. Unfortunately many of the releases that are being used are Beta or even Alpha builds of the software. These releases are inherently unstable and should be avoided if possible. Beta builds can typically be problematic and Alpha builds will almost certainly have problems. The best solution for general-purpose users when working with the XVID codec is to always use the latest STABLE FULL VERSION RELEASE (see Question #15) of the software. The Beta and Alpha builds are only recommended for advanced users who are willing to tolerate any potential problems they may encounter. A good site to download the latest build of the XVID codec is at http://www.doom9.org.

Users should also note that various releases of the XVID codec can sometimes exhibit problems when splitting video files at any location that is not a keyframe. Symptoms of this problem can include file segments with inverted (upside-down) video or file splits that "hang" after the completion of a certain portion of the split process. These issues are all being caused by the XVID codec, not AccuSplit. To work around the issues you can do one of two things - upgrade to a newer, STABLE release of the XVID codec that corrects the problem or follow the procedure below whenever you are splitting an XVID encoded file.

Following these steps will insure that the file segments are only created on keyframe boundaries.

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Q17.  I split a DV-AVI format file using the Video Smart Split option. The output file segments play the video properly but the audio is missing. What is wrong?

Some users have reported a problem where the audio stream is missing in the output file segments after splitting a DV-AVI format file. This problem is due to the fact that certain DV capture applications appear to be embedding an incorrect audio sampling rate parameter into the header of the original file. The incorrect parameter doesn't affect the audio playback of the original file in Windows Media Player, however, it does adversely impact AccuSplit. This is because AccuSplit queries this value in order to set up the proper internal parameters for the split process. Because the embedded audio sampling rate parameter is incorrect AccuSplit is unable to render the audio stream in the split file segments.

The AccuSplit v3.7.1 and newer releases include a software workaround for this problem that is able to detect incorrect audio sampling rate values embedded in the original source file. It can then determine the correct sampling rate that should be used for the split process to insure that the audio is properly rendered in the output file segments.

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Q18.  I split a file using the Create RAID Segments option and the total size of the file segments that were created by the split process exceed the size of the original file. Why is this?

Any type of error correction mechanism will come with some cost of increased data overhead. This is due to the fact that the error correction information must be added into the data that it is protecting. Generally, the more robust the error correction mechanism the more data overhead it will incur. The error correction scheme used by AccuSplit will create one additional file segment that is equal in size to the largest file segment that was created during the file split process. For instance, if you split a 185MB file - TEST.DAT - into 100MB file segments using the Create RAID Segments option the following file segments will be created:  TEST.DAT.0000.SEG (100MB), TEST.DAT.0001.SEG (85MB), and TEST.DAT.0002.SEG (100MB).

Depending on the data that is contained in the file being split it is often advantageous to also select both the Compress File Segments option and the Create RAID Segments option. The file segment data compression can often offset the additional overhead incurred by the inclusion of the RAID error correction data.

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Q19.  I split a file using the Create RAID Segments option and would now like to reconstruct that file. Unfortunately, the CD containing the Segment Index File (*.0000.SEG) has been damaged and is unreadable. How can I reconstruct this file?

AccuSplit makes this relatively easy but first you should copy all of the other file segments from the CD's into a temporary directory on your hard drive. Now, launch AccuSplit and select the REBUILD tab. Click the BROWSE button and in the "Files of Type" selection box change the selection to "All Files (*.*)". Now browse to the temporary directory on your hard drive that contains the file segments and select any one of the file segments - it doesn't matter which segment number you choose. Then click the REBUILD button - AccuSplit will present you with a warning message stating that the segment that you selected is not a Segment Index File and will ask you if you want to be automatically redirected to the correct Index File for the segments. Select YES and AccuSplit will detect the missing file segment and then initiate the RAID reconstruction process.

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Q20.  I would like to use AccuSplit to quickly extract specific sections from a large video file. How can I use the software to do this?

Although this is not expressly what AccuSplit was designed to do you can accomplish it quite easily when working with the AVI, DV-AVI, WMV, and DVR-MS file formats if you proceed as follows:

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Q21.  When I split a DVR-MS file using the Video Smart Split mode I can split the file without any problems. However, when I attempt to preview or adjust the split points by also selecting the Preview Split Points option I receive the following error:  "ERROR:  Unable to render StreamBuffer Source output pins". Why does this occur?

In order to be able to preview a DVR-MS file in AccuSplit using the Preview Split Points option a Windows-compatible DVD decoder must be installed on your system (this is a Windows™ operating system requirement). Can you successfully play back the DVR-MS clip using Windows Media Player? Make certain that you test this with Windows Media Player because some third-party player apps have their own built-in MPEG-2 support. If you can play back the file in Media Player then you should have no problems previewing it in AccuSplit. If you are unable to preview the clip in Media Player then you will need to obtain and install a third-party DVD decoder from a company like CyberLink before you will be able to preview this file in AccuSplit.

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Q22.  I am trying to split WMV files using the Video Smart Split mode but I receive an error stating that I need to install the Windows Media Encoder 9 Series software package on my system. Where can I obtain this software?

The Windows Media Encoder 9 Series package is a free add-in software package from Microsoft. This package can currently be downloaded from the following Microsoft website:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/forpros/encoder/default.mspx

or if this location is no longer valid you can locate the updated download location via a quick GOOGLE search by clicking this link.

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Q23.  I am trying to view the AccuSplit help file on a computer running Windows Vista. The help file opens and I can see the Table of Contents in the left pane but the right pane only shows a "The address is not valid" error and I am unable to view any of the help topics. What is happening?

This problem is related to some of the security updates that are installed on Windows Vista. More detailed information about this issue is contained in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base Article (KB902225).

To resolve this problem you can do the following:

  1. Right-click the ACCUSPLIT_HELP.CHM file, and then click Properties.

  2. Click Unblock.

  3. Double-click the ACCUSPLIT_HELP.CHM file to open the file.

The help file should now open properly.

Alternatively, you can also access a PDF version of the help file by clicking this link: AccuSplit_Help.pdf

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Q24.  Whenever I attempt to split an AVI file using the Video File Smart Split mode the application crashes and reports an error 
in module LAMEACM.ACM. Why is this happening?

The AVI file that you are splitting contains an MPEG-3 (MP3) encoded audio stream and the version of the LAME MPEG-3 codec that you have installed on your system contains a bug that causes it to crash when it is used within the Microsoft DirectShow framework utilized by AccuSplit. To work around this problem I would recommend that you uninstall the older (and buggy) version of the LAME MP3 codec that you currently have installed and download a newer release of the LAME codec that will work correctly with DirectShow applications like AccuSplit. See the response to Question #25 for information on how you can obtain a newer release of the LAME codec.

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Q25.  On my computer running Windows Vista, when I try to use AccuSplit’s Video Smart Split mode to split an AVI file that uses an MP3 audio stream for the soundtrack I receive the following error "ERROR: Unable to render audio group pins" and the file fails to split. I can preview the file in AccuSplit without problems and it plays properly in Windows Media Player. I am using AccuSplit v4.5. What can I do to solve this problem?

This error is related to the default MP3 codec that ships with Windows Vista. Prior to Vista, all versions of Windows included an MP3 codec that enabled both playback and encoding of MP3 audio. However, with the release of Vista, Microsoft made the decision (supposedly for "security" reasons) to only include an MP3 decoder. This means that AccuSplit can preview your MP3 encoded files without problems but it can't split them since it needs access to an MP3 audio encoder during the split process. Now, in a normal situation when AccuSplit fails to find an appropriate encoder on the user's system it presents a message stating the problem and asks the user if they would like to transcode the audio stream into the PCM format. However, the problem is that on Vista Microsoft does include an MP3 encoder - it's just that this encoder has been restricted so that it can only be utilized by the native Windows components (i.e. Media Player) - third-party applications like AccuSplit can see that this encoder exists on the system but they are prevented from utilizing it. This is the reason for the cryptic "Unable to render group audio pins" message. AccuSplit v4.6 and later will correctly detect this problem on Vista and will display an error message that properly describes the issue.

Now for potential solutions to your problem - you absolutely have to have fully capable codecs installed on your system that support the video and audio formats that your files are using before they can be split with AccuSplit's Video Smart Split mode. If you have access to an XP, 2K, or even a 98 system then you should have no problems splitting the MP3 encoded AVIs on one of those systems. If you are limited to only the Vista system then you will need to install a third-party MP3 codec on the system. There is one free, open-source MP3 codec available - the LAME MP3 codec - but unfortunately most of the downloadable versions of this codec that are available on the internet contain a bug that causes the codec to crash when it is used with DirectShow applications like AccuSplit. I have worked with the LAME software development team to correct the bug in the LAME codec so that it can now be used successfully with AccuSplit. If interested, you can contact me directly at:  AccuSplit_support@cox.net  and I will send you an installable version of the LAME MP3 encoder that will enable you to work with MP3 encoded files on all versions of Windows - including Vista. If you would like more information on the LAME codec you can visit the SourceForge website which is the host for the LAME development effort at the following URL - http://sourceforge.net/projects/lame/ 

(Please note that the SourceForge website only contains the source-code for the LAME codec - it doesn't host any installable builds of the codec.)

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Revised: June 21, 2008 .