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iMovie not enough disk space in selected location - previous fixes NOT WORKING

Hello!

I've been browsing previous solutions for this problem, and I tried removing and re-installing iMovie and I'm still getting this error message even though I have over 2TB of storage in the location I'm trying to use. I'm trying to re-import clips where the link was broken as I moved projects from one location to another. Is there a new/other fix for this error message in 2022?

Thanks,

Jill

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 12.0

Posted on Jul 3, 2022 9:42 AM

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Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Jul 3, 2022 10:35 AM

Before moving projects or libraries, it is good practice first to do a File/Consolidate Project Media in the case of moving a project, and a File/Consolidate Library media.in the case of moving a library. That will ensure that all of the media transports with the project or library. You might try those procedures now and see if that restores the link to the media.


Possibly moving the project back to its original location in the originating library might restore the link on its own. Then you can move it back after doing a File/Consolidate Project Media.


Another possibility is to restore the project with Time Machine to an earlier point in time before you made the move.


Here's another thing that might work. iMovie automatically backs up the iMovie library that is in use and saves the version to the iMovie Backups folder on your hard drive. So, you might look in the iMovie Backups folder to see if you can open iMovie in an earlier saved version of your library and retrieve your project from there with the links intact.


To get to the iMovie Backups folder, follow this file path from the Finder menu:


Go/Home/Library/Containers/com.apple.iMovieApp/Data/Library/Caches/iMovieBackups


When you get there you will see a list of previous backups of your iMovie library.  Click on one dated just before your issue started.  iMovie will open in that library.   Navigate to your projects browser (where your projects are displayed as icons) and see if your project is there with its links intact.


-- Rich


4 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Jul 3, 2022 10:35 AM in response to fenskelynch

Before moving projects or libraries, it is good practice first to do a File/Consolidate Project Media in the case of moving a project, and a File/Consolidate Library media.in the case of moving a library. That will ensure that all of the media transports with the project or library. You might try those procedures now and see if that restores the link to the media.


Possibly moving the project back to its original location in the originating library might restore the link on its own. Then you can move it back after doing a File/Consolidate Project Media.


Another possibility is to restore the project with Time Machine to an earlier point in time before you made the move.


Here's another thing that might work. iMovie automatically backs up the iMovie library that is in use and saves the version to the iMovie Backups folder on your hard drive. So, you might look in the iMovie Backups folder to see if you can open iMovie in an earlier saved version of your library and retrieve your project from there with the links intact.


To get to the iMovie Backups folder, follow this file path from the Finder menu:


Go/Home/Library/Containers/com.apple.iMovieApp/Data/Library/Caches/iMovieBackups


When you get there you will see a list of previous backups of your iMovie library.  Click on one dated just before your issue started.  iMovie will open in that library.   Navigate to your projects browser (where your projects are displayed as icons) and see if your project is there with its links intact.


-- Rich


Jul 3, 2022 9:50 AM in response to fenskelynch

I may have solved my own problem here...I tried creating a NEW library in the same location and re-importing the media there. Even though the new library is in the SAME location as where iMovie was telling me there was not enough space, the import seems to be working now. It's going to be a pain to re-import for all the projects that WERE in that library, but at least I hadn't gotten around to editing those projects yet so I'm not losing tons of hours of work - just tons of hours of import time. When I'm done rebuilding the library, I will delete the old damaged one.

Hope this helps someone.

Jul 3, 2022 1:57 PM in response to Rich839

Thanks, Rich. This library is already from a recovery that I had - my external hard drive failed and I recovered my backup library from Backblaze. The media files are all there, but the links were broken.

In future, when moving projects from one library to another I will definitely use this "consolidate media" option - thank you SO MUCH for the tip.

😊🙏

iMovie not enough disk space in selected location - previous fixes NOT WORKING

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