Windows Live Movie Maker Error: 0x87160139

Hi Pamela,

There are several factors that could be contributing to this problem. Please take the following solution one at a time until we fix the problem.  

Ensure you have installed the latest version of Windows Live Movie Maker:
 • http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-live/movie-maker-get-started. 
 • For Windows Vista - The current 2011 version: 15.4.3555.0308
 • For Windows 7 / 8 - The current 2012 version: 16.4.3503.728
 • Windows Live Movie Maker is not supported on Windows XP

Make sure that the files you are using are of a supported format – Some file formats are not supported by Windows Live Movie Maker. A list of supported formats can be found here:  http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-live/movie-maker-file-types-faq 

Check if the media files still available or locally saved on your computer. You can find the location of the file and set it manually, please follow the steps below:

1. Open the project file in Windows Live Movie Maker.
2. Double-click on the image that is showing the error icon.
3. Click on Find, locate where the photos are saved.
4. Open the folder, and then click Open.

Note: When you create a project file it is much better if you can save the source files locally in your computer.

Ensure that you have the proper codecs to play your videos and audio files.  Audio and Video require codecs to play the file and it’s important to have the right codecs installed or updated in your PC. 

MediaInfo will be able to identify any issues with missing or faulty codecs and whether it’s already installed in your computer or not. You can get it here. 

Note: If you can't find the codec you need you may convert the video to a supported format (eg. wmv) and then add it to your Movie Maker project.

Ensure that your video card drivers are up to date. Movie Maker makes extensive use of the video card GPU (graphics processing unit). The display driver affects the reliability, performance, and compatibility of the video card with various software.

To determine the version and video card driver date, run the DirectX Diagnostic Tool (dxdiag):

1. Click on Start button and type dxdiag in the Search programs and files box and press Enter key on the keyboard.
2. Click on the Display tab and you will see the driver details including the driver version.  If your video card driver seems outdated please go to the video card driver manufacturer and see if a newer version is available. 

Hope that helps.

Thanks,
Gerard G.