No files show up on external drive in iMovie

Try this.

I have copy pasted this from the FCP forum but it should still apply for iMovie.

When you read below , replace FCP with iMovie .

FCP requires "Full Disk Access". Go to System Preferences->Security & Privacy->Privacy, click Full Disk Access and add Final Cut Pro to the list if it is not there yet. Make sure that the box next to it is checked:

Try deleting preferences. To delete preferences, 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. Now see if the files show up in the import window.

If no luck, as a workaround you can drag the files from the external drive into iMovie, or drag the files to your desktop and from there into iMovie.

-- Rich

Permission problems are a pain. Confirm from the Get Info box that iMovie has read and write permissions enabled. Other than that, I don't have any more ideas about how to get iMovie to read and import from the external drive. I suggest that you 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

If the suggestion by thesurreyfriends doesn't solve it, try these two procedures:

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:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204063

-- Rich

Rich

Can't say I know a lot about this , but I think that this came in ( for FCP at least) with Catalina security features , so thought that it might also apply to iMovie .

Several similar posts over recent months on the FCP forum have been solved by doing this, but of course this may not solve the OPs problem with iMovie. Would be nice if it did.

For Surferdude012 ...Depending on the OS, the Security and Privacy could look like this instead of what I show above.

Try control-clicking on the external drive's icon, and then clicking on Get Info. At the very bottom of the get info box, put a check in the the box that says "Ignore Ownership on this Volume." See if that solves your issue.

-- Rich

thesurreyfriends,

Interesting idea to give iMovie full disc access. I wonder if it will work to reveal the OP's files on the external drive.

I'm running Mojave with iMovie 10.1.12. In checking my Security and Privacy Full Disc Access pane, I don't see iMovie listed, and yet it's working fine. So, go figure.

-- Rich