Recovering transferred "package content" files from iMovie Library

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Recovering transferred "package content" files from iMovie Library

I should have read the article on copying the iMovie Library to an external hard drive first. Instead, I opened the "package contents" of iMovie Library and copied those files to my external hard drive. Now I can't seem to transfer them back into iMovie to recognize the contents, even when I put them back in the iMovie Library. Are there any possibilities for recovering them and being able to work on them as projects again?

MacBook Air

Posted on Aug 14, 2020 6:28 AM

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Answer 1

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Rich839

Level 8

47,250 points

Aug 14, 2020 7:59 AM in response to akryguy1

Hi, akryguy1,

If you actually removed the files from your iMovie Library package contents, just move them back in again the same way that you transferred them out. What steps are you doing to try to transfer them back?

For more data: Did you copy the package contents files to your external drive, or did you transfer (move) them to your external drive? What is the format of your external drive? Where on your external drive did you put the files? In a Finder folder? In an iMovie library? At the root level of the drive (no folder)? Can you still access the package contents of your original library?

-- Rich

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Answer 2

akryguy1 Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 14, 2020 6:56 AM in response to akryguy1

I can add, I've looked back through my recent backups and the iMovie Library does not appear in my Movies folder. Theater is there but the Library is not. Is this stored in a different location that I might be able to access it through one of my backups?

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Answer 3

akryguy1 Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 17, 2020 1:55 AM in response to Rich839

Thanks Rich for the response. I had not copied all the files to my external hard drive and had left the temp folder and the "current version" and "settings" files, which I did not think were necessary. When I added the project folders into the new iMovie they would not open. Fortunately I still had the old iMovie Library (with the files I had not copied) and when I added the project folders back into there I was able to open the projects from that library. Now I will follow the directions and copy the entire iMovie library onto my external hard drive and not mess with the package contents any more ;)

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Answer 4

Rich839

Level 8

47,250 points

Aug 17, 2020 6:44 AM in response to akryguy1

You are welcome. :) Glad you got it working.

-- Rich

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Recovering transferred "package content" files from iMovie Library

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