Do I need to change the settings? Can I cut scenes without adding to the timeline?
Depends on your processor and how much free RAM you have.
Tell us all you can about your computer.
Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 4.0 GB
Total Physical Memory 3.57 GB
Available Physical Memory 1.42 GB
Total Virtual Memory 1.21 GB
Windows \system 32
Windows 10 Version 10.0.15063
Build 15063
System Type x64-based PC
Sorry, that only mentions RAM.
Though that you only have 1.42Gb of available memory is going to be a big problem for video editing.
Is it a laptop?
Which processor is used?
Which graphics chip? Or is it an APU?
Which AV are you using?
How many programs are running at boot?
Good chance you just have a low cost under powered computer which isn’t suitable for video editing.
Processor: AMD=E-1200. APU with radeon(7m)
HD Graphics, 1400 Logi
I hope I gave you all the information. Also I wanted to mention for the first three videos, I was able to edit. I saved them to the computer along with about five more. I am capturing VHS movies into digital format on my computer. Do you think I might be overloading my computer.
Yes indeed, that mobile processor has a clock speed of 1.4Ghz where the minimum requirements of Shotcut is 2Ghz. Also having much less than 4Gb of Ram available will also be a limiting factor on how much video can be loaded into memory for processing in any video editor.
If you can afford it, by a better system for video editing.
I am impressed that you are being so helpful!
This will be my last question: If I were to save my videos to an external hard drive instead of on my computer, would that free up enough memory so I could edit one video at a time and then save each edited movie to my hard drive?
That’s ‘storage’, not memory.
Memory is the RAM (Random Access Memory) installed in your laptop.
As you probably figured out, I don’t know much about computers, I just know how to use them. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions. I’m having a great time converting videos of my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. I was just hoping to be able to cut out the unnecessary scenes. Thanks for your help.