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can't eject media with fcpx open

I'm using fcpx on a late 2009 13" mbp (8g ram, events and projects going to an external fw800 drive) to edit dSLR video captured on SD cards. I insert a card and do an 'import', initially set to 'optimize media' and 'analyze people', then trying it without transcoding to optimize. The media transfers OK, taking quite a while but completing - the background tasks show 100%, all tasks idle, and all the clips are in the event browser - but I can't eject the SD card; the finder indicates it's still in use by final cut ("The disk "" couldn't be ejected because "Final Cut Pro" is using it").

I'm pretty sure I've been able to eject media with it running at some point - after letting it sit for days on a few short clips - but that's unacceptable - I don't have days to import media. I can quit final cut, eject the card, then restart it, but starting fc takes quite a while to restart (>5 minutes - or much longer; at least once I've had to reboot to get FC restarted). Is there a recommended technique to get fc to 'let go' of a media card, or do I need to use the finder to copy the media to a local drive first, THEN tell fc to do the import from there?

thanks,

13" MacBook Pro

Posted on Sep 6, 2011 7:08 AM

66 replies

Oct 21, 2015 1:34 PM in response to David Bogie Chq-1

I can't believe this is still a thing. I've been dealing with this annoyance for YEARS and it bugs me everytime. I have to shut down FCPX to eject any drives or cards.

I've been doing some test with the new a7sii so I don't care about backup and i'm throwing in the SD card and importing the footage and FCPX asks me if I want to eject the card... to which I say I do and it does its thing. Then I see the SD card still in the OS Finder and I try to eject it but it won't let me because it says FCPX is using it (even though FCPX has ejected it!). I'm just pulling the card out and getting the Disk not ejected properly message because i'm tried to having to quit FCPX everytime I want to safely eject a card. I don't get it.

Oct 21, 2015 1:59 PM in response to brianwpetersen

brianwpetersen wrote:

I can't believe this is still a thing. I'm just pulling the card out and getting the Disk not ejected properly message because i'm tried to having to quit FCPX everytime I want to safely eject a card.

If the card and all of its files are closed and you're sure no app is using any of the files, pulling the card is a suitable, if ill advised,

solution. Some card readers will power down when the card is properly ejected and this prevents an accidental short. Please note: The yanking of cards is not a recommended practice, you DID NOT hear it suggested or sanctioned by me. No way. jUst saying, yeah, I've done it. Lots.

Jul 13, 2017 9:05 AM in response to David Bogie Chq-1

Still a problem in 10.1.3. Disgusting.

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,052 points

Jul 13, 2017 9:20 AM in response to chenderson22

10.1.3? Really?

Nov 15, 2017 1:45 AM in response to chris_the_very_unique_username

November 2017 and this is still a problem for me... It could be such a nice feature to have final cut eject the card when it's done importing but nooooo, that would be too easy...

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,052 points

Nov 15, 2017 3:17 AM in response to Dom24seven

You can’t eject from the Impprt window? Why not? Processing complete? Maybe it’s how it’s mounted and other applications accessing it? Photos likes to grab onto camera cards.

can't eject media with fcpx open