Guides

What I have learned about getting old slideshows and home movies out of Photo Story 3 and Windows Movie Maker. Each one starts with the ways that need no purchase, including putting the old program back where that still works.

Photo Story 3 (.wp3)

• How to open a WP3 fileFour ways in on Windows 10, Windows 11, a Mac or a Chromebook, with or without Photo Story.
• Photo Story 3 on Windows 11Microsoft's signed installer, the crash a renamed file fixes, and videos that will not play.
• Get the photos out of a Photo Story projectEvery picture and narration file back as ordinary files, free.
• What is inside a .wp3 fileThe cabinet archive, project.xml, and how slides, pan and zoom and captions are stored.

Movie Maker 2011 and 2012 (.wlmp)

• A .wlmp file won't open because Movie Maker is goneGetting Movie Maker 2012 back on Windows 10 or 11, and the errors people hit.
• Movie Maker project to MP4 without Movie MakerGathering the files a project points to, then three ways to get the video.
• My Movie Maker project says media is missingWhy the links break and how to put the files back where Movie Maker looks.
• Open a .wlmp file on a MacWhat the file is, what else you need, and rebuilding the movie on a Mac.
• Convert a WLMP file to MP4The converter itself, with notes on what it rebuilds and what it needs from you.

Movie Maker on Windows XP and Vista (.mswmm)

• What to do with an .mswmm fileWhat is inside one, listing the files it used, the old Movie Maker that opens it, and opening it without.

Any of them

• Recover the photos and music from an old slideshow projectUnpacking a .wp3, and tracking down the files a Movie Maker project only points to.
• Have me make the video for youSend the project, get the MP4 back within one business day of payment. US$39 for one project.