Crashed Hard Drive Results in "Missing File" Error.

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Crashed Hard Drive Results in "Missing File" Error.

Recently, I've been editing a video using some footage on an external hard drive, however, just yesterday, the hard drive crashed resulting in the iMovie "Missing File" error (screenshot attached). I have the footage backed up on a separate computer so that is possible to recover. However, my problem occurs with allowing iMovie to recognize it as the original file. I've been trying to figure out any possible way to get iMovie to substitute the original file for one on my new external hard drive. Any help you can provide will be much appreciated.

iMac Pro

Posted on Jan 4, 2019 4:38 AM

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Answer 1

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Rich839

Level 8

48,168 points

Jan 4, 2019 8:44 AM in response to ljrseid

Hi,

You may have to reimport the files from your new external drive in order for iMovie to recognize them. It may mean starting over on your project.

However, you can check the iMovie Backups folder to see if by chance your library with the project in it was backed up before the crash. To get there, go to your desktop and, from the Finder menu follow this path: Go/Home/Library/Containers/com.apple.iMovieApp/Data/Library/Caches/iMovieBackups. (If the Library item doesn't appear when you click on Home, hold down the Option key while you are doing it and the Library item should appear.) When you get to the iMovie Backups folder you will see a list of previous backups of your library(ies). Double Click on the library that contained your project, bearing a date just before the crash occurred. iMovie will open in that library. Go to the Projects browser screen and open the project that you were working on. See if it is intact with all the clips displayed properly.

-- Rich

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