Start with what you can observe: missing files, no sound, black video, uneven playback or an export that stops. Then find the first stage where it happens. The source file, the sequence and the completed export give you different places to investigate.
Choose the symptom below for a focused guide. Keep the project and original media safe while narrowing the problem; a generic reset is a poor first move when you have not yet identified what failed.
Use finding and reconnecting offline media when a project has lost access to its files. Establish whether the original still exists and where it belongs before changing file paths or replacing media. A known missing file needs a different route from a file that imports but displays incorrectly.
Open the no-audio diagnosis and identify the first silent stage: original file, source viewer, sequence or completed export. Check whether sound is missing from the edit itself or only from what you hear through the current output.
Follow diagnosing black video in Lightworks. Compare the original, imported source, sequence and finished file to locate the first loss of picture. Record whether it affects one clip or the wider sequence before treating every black frame as the same fault.
The slow-playback guide separates dropped frames from slowed picture and sound. Use that distinction to choose the next check. Keep a note of what changes the symptom rather than changing proxies, effects, storage and audio output together.
Start with the export-failure guide and the actual task message. Identify whether the job fails to finish, the resulting local file is wrong or the problem appears only during playback or upload. Each outcome points to a different next step.
Note the installed version, the exact message and the point where the symptom appears. Preserve a known copy of the work before a move or cleanup; the project backup and restore guide covers that separate task. These details help you follow a focused diagnosis and describe the problem if you need further support.
Choose the full diagnosis below. Read the conditions before applying a remedy, and use the checkpoints to see which branch fits the problem in your project.
Identify whether Lightworks is dropping frames or playing at the wrong speed, then compare proxies, background work, effects, storage and audio output without changing everything at once.
Read the guide
Diagnose black video in Lightworks by comparing the source file, source viewer, timeline, effects, local export, and playback application.
Read the guide
Read the actual export task, check originals and destination, compare a repeatable range safely, and keep player or upload failures separate.
Read the guide
Find why Lightworks media is offline, restore storage access, and check relink filename matches while preserving the existing edit.
Read the guide
Locate the first silent stage in Lightworks across source, viewer, timeline, mixer, output device, and local export before changing audio settings.
Read the guide