# Troubleshooting

> What to do when a file will not import, playback stutters, an AI tool will not run, an export fails, the sound is out of sync, or your work seems to be missing.

https://driftedit.app/manual/troubleshooting/

Start with the two things that fix the most: use the latest **Chrome** or **Edge**, and reload the page (`Ctrl+R`). When the top bar says **Saved**, a reload loses nothing; if it says **Not saved** or **Not stored**, save a project file first (**File**, **Save a project file**).

## Importing
**A video will not import, or shows as unreadable.**
The browser cannot decode its codec. HEVC (H.265) needs a device and browser that support it; some screen recorders and older cameras use codecs no browser reads. Convert the file to MP4 with H.264 video in another app, then import it again.

**An MKV plays without sound.**
Most MKV sound (including E-AC-3 from TV recordings) is supported. If one still plays silent, convert its sound to AAC.

**Import is slow.**
A long 4K video takes a moment to read and to make its lighter playback copy. You can edit while it works.

## Playback
**Playback stutters.**
Make sure **Proxy** is on under the viewer: playback then uses lighter copies of your videos. Close other heavy tabs. Many effects and VFX at once ask a lot of the graphics card; the export is never affected by stutter in the preview.

**The picture is black, or effects do not show.**
Reload. If it persists, the browser may have lost the graphics card (after the computer slept, for example): restart the browser. Check that hardware acceleration is on in the browser's settings.

## Sound
**The sound is out of sync.**
A video recorded with a variable frame rate (phones, screen recordings) can drift. Import it again; if it persists, convert it to a constant frame rate in another app.

**No sound at all.**
Check that the track is not muted (**M**), that another track is not on solo (**S**), the clip's **Volume** in the Audio tab, and the device's volume. Browsers only play sound after you have clicked on the page once.

## AI tools
What each model does, how big it is and when it downloads is in [AI models on your device](https://driftedit.app/manual/ai-models/).

**"The image model could not run."**
The model did not download completely, or the device could not run it.

- Check your connection and press the tool again: the files already downloaded are kept, and the rest come down.
- Close other tabs to free memory: the larger models need a few hundred megabytes.
- Update the browser and your graphics driver. DriftEdit runs a model in WebAssembly by itself when the graphics card refuses it, but a very old browser may not have what it needs.
- Try Chrome or Edge on a computer if you were on a phone.

**An AI tool is slow.**
Without a graphics card that WebGPU can use, the models run on the processor. They work, more slowly. The first use also includes the download.

**Captions from speech got words wrong.**
Choose the spoken language instead of letting it guess, and make sure the voice is clear: **Clean up the voice** first helps. Fix the rest under **Lines**.

## Auto mode
**The cuts are not on the beat.**
The tempo was read at half or double, or bar one is off. Under the song in the Auto panel, press **Half the tempo**, **Double the tempo** or **Bar one at the playhead**, then make the edit again. You can also drag kicks on the beats row to where they really are; the edit follows.

**It used footage you did not want.**
Switch that clip off in the Auto panel's footage list, or press **Choose parts** to pick only the good stretches.

**"The edit could not be applied to this sequence."**
A locked track, or a clip you placed by hand, is in the way. Unlock the track or move the clip, then make the edit again.

## Export
**The export is slow.**
Perfect quality (AI), Smooth motion and Enhance detail add work to every frame. Without them, an export is usually faster than real time on a computer with a graphics card.

**The export stopped or failed.**
Keep the tab open and visible, and the device awake and plugged in: the export happens in the tab. Free some disk space. Try a lower resolution, or turn off Perfect quality to see whether the device runs out of memory.

**The DriftEdit mark is on my video.**
The free plan adds a faint mark. Pro removes it.

## Projects and files
**My clips show as missing.**
The browser's data was cleared, or you opened the project on another device. Import the same files again: the clips come back.

**My project is locked.**
On the free plan, a project locks 48 hours after its last edit. It is kept with its media: Pro opens it. Exported videos never expire.

**"Not saved" in the top bar, with a red light.**
The device could not save: its storage is probably full. Remove videos you no longer need from the bin, delete old projects, or free space on the device. The next edit tries saving again.

**A project has a copy named "(other device)".**
It was changed on two devices before they could sync: both versions are kept. Keep the one you want and delete the other.

## Signing in and sync
**Sign-in does not work.**
Allow the sign-in window (it may open as a pop-up). With email, check your spam folder for the link, and open it in the same browser.

**My edits are not on my other device.**
Check that both devices are signed in to the same account, and that in **Profile and settings**, under **Your edits on every device**, the switch is on for both. Press **Sync now**. Remember that media is never synced: import the files on the other device.

## Still stuck?
Write to **info@driftedit.app** with what you did, what you expected and what happened, your browser and your device. A screenshot helps. If the browser's console (F12) shows a red message, include it.