Reference
Troubleshooting
Common symptoms and their fixes: install, agents, media, Local AI and export.
#Install and updates
| Symptom | Fix |
|---|
| Updates never install | Move Formats Studio into Applications; updates only install into that copy |
| Formats Studio is already open from Applications | Quit that copy, then open the new one again to replace it |
| The update service could not be reached | Check your connection, then choose Check for Updates… from the app menu |
#Your agent
| Symptom | Fix |
|---|
| Claude Code or GitHub Copilot is not listed | Install Claude Code 2.1.259 or later, or GitHub Copilot CLI 1.0.81 or later, then reopen the agent picker |
| The agent asks you to sign in | Finish sign-in once in the agent's own flow; Formats never stores those credentials |
| An edit shows Timeline changed | The timeline moved on since the agent proposed it. Ask again and it works from the current state |
| Your own skills are ignored | Personal and project skills load with Full access; the built-in skills load in every mode |
| Symptom | Fix |
|---|
| Missing Media | Relink with Locate, Locate Folder or Browse Another Folder |
| Import failed or unsupported codec | Try another format, or transcode the file first |
| Import from URL fails | Make sure the link points at the media file itself, not a page that embeds it |
| Stale previews or waveforms | Regenerate thumbnails or proxies, or clear the project cache in Storage settings |
#Local AI
| Symptom | Fix |
|---|
| A model download is slow or fails | Retry on a stable connection, and clear the Local AI Model Cache if a download is corrupt |
| Memory runs low during AI work | Use Unload Local Models to release it |
| Scene search only matches keywords | Download Local AI; searching by meaning and by what the footage shows needs it |
#Export
| Symptom | Fix |
|---|
| A codec is unavailable in the checks | Choose another codec or format, or lower the resolution or quality |
| A large export is slow | Export a shorter in/out range, lower the resolution or quality, and free disk space first |
| Export will not start | Clear any blocking check, then try a short range to confirm everything works |