Problem with CapCut on MSI devices

Hi,

It is a peculiar situation when CapCut behaves differently based on the laptop brand, especially when CapCut Pro features are missing only on MSI devices. Since you have observed this pattern across multiple MSI laptops, it strongly suggests a conflict or incompatibility specific to MSI's hardware configuration, drivers, or pre-installed software rather than a random CapCut bug.

Here is a breakdown of potential causes and troubleshooting steps:

1. Graphics Drivers (Most Likely Culprit):

   • The Issue: CapCut heavily relies on the GPU for rendering, effects (like AI features), and potentially even screen capture hooks. MSI often uses customized OEM versions of NVIDIA or AMD drivers. These might interact differently with CapCut compared to generic drivers or drivers from other manufacturers. There could be a conflict between the integrated GPU (Intel/AMD) and the dedicated GPU (NVIDIA/AMD) drivers, or a specific setting within the drivers causing issues.
   • MSI laptops often come with gaming-grade GPUs and custom drivers (like Dragon Center, MSI Center) that sometimes interfere with apps like CapCut.
   • Some CapCut features might rely on specific GPU functions or driver support, especially those involving AI (e.g., Straight Eyes).
   • Troubleshooting:
     • Clean Install Latest Drivers: Don't just update over the old ones. Use Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) in Safe Mode to completely remove all graphics drivers (both integrated and dedicated if applicable). Then, download the latest drivers directly from NVIDIA/AMD's website (try these first) or alternatively, the latest ones specifically listed for your laptop model on the MSI support website. Install them fresh.
     • Try MSI Recommended Drivers: If the latest generic drivers don't work, repeat the DDU process and install the specific version recommended on your MSI laptop's support page, even if it's slightly older.
     • Check GPU Settings: Go into the NVIDIA Control Panel or AMD Adrenalin Software. Ensure CapCut is set to use the High-Performance (dedicated) GPU. Look for any specific settings related to application performance or compatibility that might be interfering.

2. MSI Pre-installed Software / Utilities:

   • The Issue: MSI laptops come bundled with software like MSI Center (or older Dragon Center), Nahimic audio enhancements, MSI Afterburner (if installed), etc. These background services can sometimes interfere with other applications, especially those using overlays, system resources heavily, or specific hardware access (like audio/video capture). They might conflict with CapCut's hooks for screen capture or tax the system in a way that affects performance or feature availability.
   • Troubleshooting:
     • Temporarily Disable/Uninstall: Systematically disable these MSI utilities one by one. You can often stop their services via services.msc or prevent them from starting with Windows via the Task Manager's 'Startup' tab. For a cleaner test, temporarily uninstall MSI Center/Dragon Center and Nahimic. Reboot after each change and test CapCut. If functionality returns after disabling/uninstalling one, you've found the conflict.
     • Check for Updates: Ensure all your MSI utilities are fully updated, as sometimes updates fix compatibility issues.

3. Hardware Acceleration Conflicts:

   • The Issue: CapCut uses hardware acceleration (GPU) to speed up processing. There might be an incompatibility between how CapCut requests acceleration and how the MSI system (drivers/hardware) provides it.
   • Troubleshooting:
     • Toggle CapCut Setting: Look within CapCut's settings (often under 'Performance' or 'Advanced'). Find the option for 'Hardware Acceleration' (GPU acceleration for encoding/decoding, etc.) and try turning it OFF. Restart CapCut and see if the features appear and the freezing stops. While this might reduce performance, it helps isolate if GPU acceleration is the problem source.

4. Overlay Conflicts:

   • The Issue: Screen capture relies on overlay technology or specific system hooks. Other applications using overlays (like Discord overlay, NVIDIA GeForce Experience overlay, Xbox Game Bar, RivaTuner Statistics Server - often bundled with MSI Afterburner) could potentially conflict with CapCut's screen capture mechanism. The partial screen freeze might also be related to rendering conflicts caused by overlays.
   • Troubleshooting:
     • Disable Other Overlays: Temporarily disable all other known overlays before launching CapCut and attempting screen capture.
5. Windows Permissions / UAC / Screen Recording Restrictions
   • Screen Capture might not work if Windows permissions for screen capture, microphone, or camera are restricted.
   • MSI might ship with some default privacy restrictions.
   • Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen Capture / Microphone / Camera and make sure CapCut has permission.
   • Try running CapCut as Administrator.

6. System / Windows Issues:

   • The Issue: While less likely to be MSI-specific unless tied to specific drivers MSI installs, underlying Windows corruption could be a factor.
   • Troubleshooting:
     • Run System File Checker: Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run sfc /scannow. Let it check and repair system files.
     • Run DISM: In the same Admin Command Prompt, run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth.
     • Check Windows Updates: Ensure Windows is fully up-to-date.

7. CapCut Installation / Version:

   • The Issue: Perhaps a corrupted installation or a specific build has issues with MSI hardware.
   • Sometimes CapCut installs differently based on device capabilities (especially with features requiring AVX/AVX2 instruction sets in CPU).
   • Troubleshooting:
     • Clean Reinstall CapCut: Uninstall CapCut. Then, manually check common locations (like C:\Program Files, C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local, C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Roaming, C:\Program Files\CapCut) for any leftover CapCut folders and delete them. Reboot. Download the latest version directly from the CapCut website and install it fresh.
     • Check Account: Ensure you are logged into the correct CapCut Pro account on the MSI machines.
8. Display Settings / DPI Scaling:
   • The “partly freeze screen” could relate to high DPI settings, scaling, or GPU switch issues on MSI laptops.
   • Right-click CapCut > Properties > Compatibility > check “Disable display scaling on high DPI settings”.
   • Also test running it using the integrated GPU instead of the dedicated one (via NVIDIA Control Panel).

Where to Start:

1. Clean Graphics Driver Install (using DDU): This is often the most impactful step for visual/performance issues. Try both manufacturer (NVIDIA/AMD) and MSI-provided drivers.
2. Temporarily Disable MSI Utilities: Focus on MSI Center/Dragon Center and Nahimic first.
3. Toggle Hardware Acceleration in CapCut.
4. Try creating a new Windows user profile on the MSI device, then install CapCut fresh and see if the features show up. That helps isolate system-wide config problems vs. user-specific ones.

By systematically working through these potential conflict points, hopefully, you can isolate what specifically on the MSI systems is interfering with CapCut Pro's full functionality. Remember to test CapCut after each significant change.