With 240 GB of free space on my hard drive, why can't I share movies I create to my files? I can download a video file from a thumb drive and save it, but after working with it in iMovie, I cannot share it to my download file, my desktop, or anywhere. What's up?
iMac 21.5″ 4K, macOS 11.2
Open iMovie in a newly created library. To do that, hold down the Option key while opening iMiovie, and choose to create a new library from the dialogue box that appears. Then create a test project in the new library and see if you can share it out.
If still no luck, try the following procedures:
Opening iMovie in a new user account
Create a new user account from System
Preferences/Users and Groups and try to open and use iMovie in the new account.
You can use the Guest account on your Mac for this purpose.
Safe Mode
You could also try booting up in Safe Mode (see Finder menu for instructions) and, after everything loads,
immediately shut down and reboot in normal mode. Then see if iMovie works properly.
Resetting the System Management Controller
Try resetting the System Management Controller (but no longer available for the new M1 computers:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201295
Resetting the NVRAM or PRAM
Try resetting the NVRAM or PRAM, although this issue would be fairly rare:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204063
Contact Apple Support
If none of the above resolve your issue, contact Apple Support. The techs there have the capability of remotely accessing your computer that we cannot do here. To contact apple support click on the Contact Support item in the upper right hand corner of this forum’s screen. Navigate to a place where you can enter your phone number.
-- Rich
Open iMovie in a newly created library. To do that, hold down the Option key while opening iMiovie, and choose to create a new library from the dialogue box that appears. Then create a test project in the new library and see if you can share it out.
If still no luck, try the following procedures:
Opening iMovie in a new user account
Create a new user account from System
Preferences/Users and Groups and try to open and use iMovie in the new account.
You can use the Guest account on your Mac for this purpose.
Safe Mode
You could also try booting up in Safe Mode (see Finder menu for instructions) and, after everything loads,
immediately shut down and reboot in normal mode. Then see if iMovie works properly.
Resetting the System Management Controller
Try resetting the System Management Controller (but no longer available for the new M1 computers:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201295
Resetting the NVRAM or PRAM
Try resetting the NVRAM or PRAM, although this issue would be fairly rare:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204063
Contact Apple Support
If none of the above resolve your issue, contact Apple Support. The techs there have the capability of remotely accessing your computer that we cannot do here. To contact apple support click on the Contact Support item in the upper right hand corner of this forum’s screen. Navigate to a place where you can enter your phone number.
-- Rich
After running all of the above procedures, another thing you can try before contacting Apple Support is to run the Apple Diagnostics program that is on your Mac. This is to rule out a hardware issue.
Here are instructions:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202731
-- Rich
Well, I've done each of the above steps to the best of my ability, to no avail. After deleting preferences, iMovie opened anew and found my projects by itself. Trying to share one of those projects to my hard drive resulted in failure and a Disk Full report (even though there is 322GB free), or to a thumb drive resulted in failure. I tried several times.
I relocated iMovie 10 to the trash, and tried to download iMovie from the app store, but it would not download. I tried several times.
I dragged my present iMovie app out of the trash and returned it to my Applications folder, and tried to share a video file to either the hard drive or to a thumb drive. Both share attempts failed several times.
Whoa. Aggravating.
Any more suggestions? And thank you for your help.
I could be a corrupt preference that is causing that.
Try deleting preferences and see if that solves it. Open iMovie while holding down the Option and Command keys and select to delete preferences in the box that appears. iMovie will open in a new library. Reopen your old library to get back to your projects. Deleting preferences is a safe procedure that will not cause data loss or disruption to your project.
If still no luck, try redownloading iMovie. To update/redownload iMovie 10, drag your iMovie 10 app from the Applications folder into the trash, but do not empty the trash. Sign in to the app store and open your purchases folder by clicking on your name at the bottom of the app store side bar. You will see your purchases displayed, including iMovie 10. Redownload/update iMovie from there. If not successful, drag your present iMovie app out of the trash and return it to the Applications folder. Now see if you can share out a movie.
-- Rich
I have opened iMovie in a Guest Account. I dragged in a 500MB video as a project, and was able to share it to my download file. However, I dragged into iMovie a 6.5GB mp4 file from a thumb drive that was converted from a Sony camera on a PC, and while I could work on it in iMovie, when I tried to share it to a file, I got the following message: iMovie cannot save changes to "iMovie Library." The storage location for one of more libraries is no longer available. The libraries will be closed so that no work is lost."
I closed the app, and after reopening it, found the appearance of the file, but with no video or audio.
I have not yet tried any other options.
When you are in the Guest account I believe that you cannot save to the iMovie library that is in your normal user account. So, make sure that you are saving to a new library in the Guest account.
Also, check that your Sony Mp4 is Mp4/AAC that is required for iMovie. AAC stands for Advanced Audio Coding.
-- Rich
Thank you, Rich.
I've tried the first option, but received the following: Failed to save. Unknown store type, format or version.
I'll try the next.
iMovie Question
