Cannot open my own iMovie library

Question

Cannot open my own iMovie library

I had been successfully using iMovie on my MacBook Pro for a while, but it died so I bought an iMac. I copied the library from the rescued disk from my MacBook onto my new Mac, but double-clicking it gives me a dialogue telling me the Library cannot be opened, because “iMovie Library” is already in use by “admin” on “Admin’s MacBook Pro”. As my laptop is currently in the bin, this is clearly not really the case. Likewise, launching iMovie and attempting to open my old Library is denied, because of my apparently insufficient permissions.

When I Get Info on the Library, I have Read & Write permissions, "staff" has read only, and "everyone" has read only. I am unable to change these permissions as it seems I don't have permission to change these permissions on my own files. Likewise, the + and – and cogwheel icons at the bottom of the Get Info window are greyed out.

This is particularly frustrating, as my Library is over 360Gb in size and I desperately need to delete some projects to reclaim some much-need space!

PLEASE HELP!!

iMac 27″, macOS 10.14

Posted on Aug 5, 2020 8:45 AM

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Answer 1

Rich839

Level 8

48,156 points

Aug 5, 2020 9:16 AM in response to WillinWalesland

You may have a slightly different user name or administrator name on the new iMac. If so, you might try conforming them to the same names as on your MacBook Pro. I don't know what ramifications that that might have so do so at your own risk.

Also, give "everyone" read and write permissions.

Also, if your iMovie library is on an external drive, you might try doing a Get Info on the drive and, down at the bottom of the Get Info box, check the box that says "Ignore ownership of this volume".

If still no luck, try contacting Apple Support and discussing the issue with the savvy techs there. They have the capability of remotely accessing your computer. To contact support click on the Contact Support item in the upper right hand corner of this forum's screen and navigate to a place where you can input your phone number.

-- Rich

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Answer 2

Rich839

Level 8

48,156 points

Aug 5, 2020 9:58 AM in response to WillinWalesland

I'm pretty sure that Apple Support deals with all iMovie issues. Wouldn't hurt to call them and find out.

If you don't have an extra 360 GB of free space on your internal drive, do you have an external drive handy, formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled), that has 360 GB of free space? What I am thinking is that you can create a new library on the external drive and then Copy and paste the Show Package Contents of your old library into the Show Package Contents folder of the new library and see if iMovie will open in the new library. You open the Show Package Contents by control clicking on the library's icon. You want to copy, not move, the Show Package Contents of the old library. Don't otherwise change anything in the Show Package Contents folder of the old library or you would risk corrupting the library. Copying is O.K.

-- Rich

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Answer 3

Rich839

Level 8

48,156 points

Sep 1, 2020 11:17 AM in response to Rich839

I'll repeat here my earlier suggestion of contacting Apple Support. These

permissions issues are quite thorny and can drive you nuts. You need somebody

on the phone, who can remotely access your compute and walk you through this.

-- Rich

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Answer 4

Rich839

Level 8

48,156 points

Sep 1, 2020 9:43 AM in response to aaronjbecker

You don't need to open the existing library, but just Control-click on it and then click on Show Package Contents to reveal the projects and events in the library. You can't play them there, and you should not move or modify the Show Package Contents, but you can copy (not move) the projects and events in there.

--Rich

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Answer 5

Sep 2, 2020 2:29 AM in response to Rich839

Oh my goodness! I just this minute tried — just on the off-chance — to delete the library by simply moving it to the trash and emptying it. And it worked!

I have absdilutely no idea why it worked this time but failed on all previous occasions. I did nothing to the file in the meantime — it just seemed to get the message that it was no longer welcome on my system (perhaps the fact that I have started using Premiere Pro gave it the hump!) Anyway, thank you Rich for persistently trying to help me with your suggestions — I do appreciate that.

Cheers,

Will

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Answer 6

Aug 5, 2020 9:23 AM in response to Rich839

Thanks for the speedy response, Rich, but I don't think any of that helps me:

I'm wary of changing my admin name on my present Mac — as you imply, there may well be far-reaching ramifications from doing this and I don't want to risk it. And in any case, I'm not 100% certain what my name was on the dead MacBook Pro.
I can't change permissions — as explained in my original question, all controls for doing that are greyed out for me.
My iMovie Library isn't on an external drive — if it was, it might not be quite so much of a leaden weight, but the fact it's on my internal drive, taking up over 360Gb(!) makes it really important to me to reduce in size. Which iMovie won't let me do. Because it won't let me open it. Harumph!

Do Apple Support help people who have bought a second-hand Mac? I don't have any kind of deal with Apple, as I would get if I had bought new kit.

Thanks again for trying to help out.

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Answer 7

Sep 1, 2020 9:38 AM in response to WillinWalesland

How do I open imovie library

when diagnostic is "permission denied “1988 .imovielibrary” is already in use by “helenbecker” on “Aaron’s iMac”.

Unable to open "sharing and permissions" from "get info" screen to change to "everyone read and write"

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Answer 8

Sep 2, 2020 6:00 AM in response to Ian R. Brown

Thanks for your interest, but please read my earlier comments:

[a] I know about accessing the media;

[b] accessing the media is not my problem, but deleting the library because of its inflated size;

[c] the problem seems to have spontaneously gone away, as I have now been able to delete it, thus saving around 360Gb I can use more usefully for something else.

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Answer 9

Rich839

Level 8

48,156 points

Sep 2, 2020 9:15 AM in response to WillinWalesland

Hi,

Glad you were able to accomplish your goal. I thought that you just wanted to delete some projects and didn't realize that you were fine with deleting the whole library since you had decided to bring it over from your older Mac. But that certainly works to get back your space.

Cheers.

-- Rich

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Answer 10

Sep 2, 2020 2:05 AM in response to Rich839

Thanks, Rich, but that doesn't help. I ultimately want to delete this library as it's taking up 350Gb of space on my drive. I'll probably have to resort to contacting Apple Support.

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Answer 11

Sep 2, 2020 9:39 AM in response to Rich839

No worries. Glad to have you on my case!

All the best,

Will

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Answer 12

Sep 2, 2020 5:56 AM in response to WillinWalesland

You should be able to get at the media etc. by control-clicking the Library and selecting "Show Package Contents".

This will open in a window displaying all the folders belonging to the Library so you can access the media files.

It might be worth posting your problem on the Final Cut forum as both apps are very similar in structure.

There may be something you can do with the .flexolibrary which a number of FCP users know about (not me!)

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Answer 13

Sep 2, 2020 6:01 AM in response to Ian R. Brown

Sorry Rich I didn't see you had mentioned "Show Package Contents".

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Cannot open my own iMovie library

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