Avidemux Forum

Just noting...

I hadn't thought about it before, but in current /nightly/, while the avidemux.exe GUI no longer runs under Windows 7,
the command-line version, avidemux_cli.exe does still work in Windows 7 (at least the simple features I've tested, re-mux),
so a Windows 7 user might be able to pick up on recent updates that they may not have been able to use before.


Example:
:: CCOPY, but using Avidemux instead of ffmpeg - all extension types, version
:: SjB 01-28-2026 03-02-2026 03-15-2026

:: Avidemux has a command-line version, avidemux_cli.exe
:: by default, it stores, sets its settings in %appdata%
:: if you rename avidemux_cli.exe to avidemux_cli_portable.exe
:: it will store its settings in the "avidemux" directory, within /settings/

:: note:  this only works with video/video+audio files - NOT with audio only



@ECHO OFF

SET  avidemux_cli_portable="C:\WLIB\LeechFTP\VID\avidemux_2.8.2 r241212\avidemux_cli_portable.exe"
SET  OUTDIR=C:\OUT
:: SET  FORMAT=mp4
::  instead of forcing to a set EXT, default to using source EXT - so works with  mp4 flv avi...
::  note:  Avidemux only supports certain codecs in particular containers - so no AVC in .flv...
SET  FORMAT=%~x1
::  truncate the first char, i.e., ".MP4" becomes "MP4" - tis needed for --output-format (below)
SET  FORMAT=%FORMAT:~1%


ECHO Avidemux location:  %avidemux_cli_portable%
ECHO.

ECHO About to: avidemux_cli_portable.exe
ECHO   --load: %1
ECHO   --save: %OUTDIR%\out.%~n1.%FORMAT%
::             c:\out\<filename>.mp4
ECHO   ------: NOTE:   OUTPUT FILE IS   .OVERWRITTEN.   (by default, or otherwise)
ECHO.
PAUSE
ECHO.


:: output filename needs to be quoted if it contains <sp> !!!
%avidemux_cli_portable% --load %1 --video-codec Copy --audio-codec Copy --output-format %FORMAT% --save %OUTDIR%\out."%~n1".%FORMAT%  1>c:\out\avidemux_cli.log

grep -i "^[0-9]*:"                  c:\out\avidemux_cli.log
:: if "Cannot set", that is a FAIL condition, like trying to write .wmv1 to a WMV
grep -i "Cannot set that container" c:\out\avidemux_cli.log && ECHO Attempted ccopy FAILED !! FAIL !
:: if NOT found [saveCB], that means something went wrong & no output file was written
grep -i "\[saveCB\]"                c:\out\avidemux_cli.log
if %errorlevel% EQU 0  (ECHO Success!)  else  (ECHO Something went wrong. No output saved - FAIL!)
ECHO.
PAUSE

GOTO END:



:: avidemux_cli_portable.exe --load xxx.mp4 --save out.xxx.mp4
:: saves to .mkv (seemingly by default ?) otherwise this would work just as well
pause


:: avidemux_cli_portable.exe --load xxx.mp4 --video-codec copy --audio-codec copy --output-format mp4 --save out.xxx.mp4
:: accomplishes the same, but allows more leeway
pause


:: oh, this will do it, more succinctly <sp>
:: avidemux_cli_portable.exe --load xxx.mp4 --outputformat mp4 --save out.xxx.mp4


:: outputs can be redirected
:: 1> summary.log, is the short status; Saving ... AAC ... : MP4 ... Optimizing... - leaving un-redirected
:: 2>avidemux.log, is "detailed" log of what it did - most is just summary of loading libraries, followed by some notes of actual encoding (or otherwise)


:END

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]

C:\out\SALAMANDER\avidemux64>CCOPY.A C:\out\2007-Iphone.mp4
Avidemux location:  "C:\out\SALAMANDER\avidemux64\avidemux_cli_portable.exe"

About to: avidemux_cli_portable.exe
  --load: C:\out\2007-Iphone.mp4
  --save: C:\OUT\out.2007-Iphone.mp4
  ------: NOTE:   OUTPUT FILE IS   .OVERWRITTEN.   (by default, or otherwise)

Press any key to continue . . .

Encoding Phase        : Saving
Encoding Audio codec  : AAC
Encoding Container        : MP4
Encoding Phase        : Optimizing...
0: C:\out\SALAMANDER\avidemux64\avidemux_cli_portable.exe
1: --load
2: C:\out\2007-Iphone.mp4
3: --video-codec
4: Copy
5: --audio-codec
6: Copy
7: --output-format
8: mp4
9: --save
10: C:\OUT\out.2007-Iphone.mp4
   17:35:49-674 [saveCB] Updating last write folder with C:\OUT\out.2007-Iphone.
mp4
Success!

Press any key to continue . . .

C:\out\SALAMANDER\avidemux64>


In the ZIP version, as the  avidemux .exe is named, avidemux_portable.exe,
should avidemux_cli.exe likewise be named to, avidemux_cli_portable.exe ?

I did a fresh install of the latest nightly with the installer, renamed the executable to avidemux.exe. Started it once with admin rights, just to make sure. I see no problems running it without admin rights right now. Also the x264-folder on C: is no more, which is a good thing.  

I found a better work around:
installing into a different folder
avoided the need to access the Program Files folder,
so now it works fine.

I must have done something wrong when trying to authorize myself
to the Avidemux folder in Program Files. Sorry again.

I am quite happy now, since I do not need to run as Administrator
for it anymore.

Oops, sorry, I forgot to mention that I gave myself full authority,
but it didn't help.

Also, I have never used the portable zip files,
but the desktop shortcut points to
"C:\Program Files\Avidemux64\avidemux_portable.exe".
I looked for a file just called avidemux.exe,
but I did not find one.

I have not looked at the code,
but I suspect the setting save
is not checking for an error code.
Windows will sometimes provide an error code
if a request does not work.
No guarantee though.

Quote from: RocketJet on July 27, 2026, 10:24:03 AMRunning AviDemux as an Administrator

You should absolutely never do that, especially without a solid reason :-( Please re-read the explanation why the problem with current official nightly builds exists in the first place and follow the solution given in my previous reply.

I uninstalled the 2605 version ans installed the new nightly.
Windows, of course, tried to stop me running it,
but I found the "run anyway" button.

The new version did not fix the problem,
but I have found a work around:

Running AviDemux as an Administrator allowed it to set the new default settings.
Subsequent runs of Avidemux were able to pick up the new defaults,
without running as Administrator.

I just have to remember that if I want to change them again in the future, then I will need to run as Administrator for that session.

This is good enough for me. Thank you for your help.

A new cross-compiled official Avidemux nightly has been generated and uploaded. Upon a quick look at the ZIP-packaged variant (didn't try the installer-packaged one), I understand what might have posed a problem: please make sure the Avidemux executable is not named "avidemux_portable.exe" but simply "avidemux.exe" else it will try to save its configuration to install directory rather than to %appdata%. If the install directory is not user-writable, this will fail causing the problem you describe.

Alternatively, make the install directory read-write for your user.

Quote from: RocketJet on July 27, 2026, 12:36:16 AMI have very little experience with Linux,
it is rather beyond me to do a cross-compile.

Which is a pity as e.g. this official nightly lacks NVENC-based video encoders (which is a build environment configuration issue) which would be available in your own, local build.

I do have multiple versions of Avidemux installed,
so I renamed the Avidemux folder in %appdata%.
I also uninstalled all versions of Avidemux,
downloaded the latest current nightly of the ming64 version,
and reinstalled from that, and rebooted.

It did not fix the problem,
but I should now have a clean Avidemux install,
which is good.

TT don't use Mpeg-2 TS files anymore,
though I sometimes use AviDemux to
extract Mpeg-2 from MKV into an Mpeg-2 PS file.
I have not noticed any problems with that.

I have very little experience with Linux,
it is rather beyond me to do a cross-compile.
I can wait for the next nightly windows build, thanks.

I've updated MXE setup scripts and was able to test my own build off the latest git on Windows 11: "Save Current Settings as Default" works for me as it should.

If you have access to a somewhat powerful PC with a current Linux distribution (e.g. Fedora 44) and 10 GiB or more free storage space, I would recommend to cross-compile from source as described here (the description itself has not been updated but should work as-is).