Can't transfer iMovie project to external drive

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Level 1

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Can't transfer iMovie project to external drive

Hi there - I'm currently running iMovie '11 on MacOS Sierra 10.12.5 (outdated, I know) and trying to run/store an iMovie project on a USB. I've read that the way to do this is to open iMovie, set the Events Library to "Group Events by Disk," then command-click and drag the project over.

However, my external drive appears in the Events Library with a small yellow error sign, and won't let me drag the project over:

Anyone know what the problem is? The USB has over 20GB of space left (far larger than the project itself, so that shouldn't be the problem) and I believe it should be a USB 3.0.

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 10.12

Posted on Sep 8, 2021 2:09 AM

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Answer 1

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Rich839

Level 8

47,322 points

Sep 8, 2021 5:37 PM in response to cemcgill

An iMovie project can only exist in an iMovie library. You can move the library that contains the drive to an external drive that is formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled) or APFS. Apple recommends storing an iMovie library on a USB flash drive. A Thunderbolt drive is O.K.

Another way is to create a new library on a properly formatted external drive, and then move your project to it. To move it, open both libraries, and then pass your cursor over the project’s icon in the projects browser (where your projects are displayed as icons) to reveal a circle with dots on it to the right of the title. Click on the drop down menu that appears and you will have the option to move the project to your selected library.

— Rich

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Can't transfer iMovie project to external drive

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