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what does "error in user parameter list" mean? how do i fix it?

Can't burn my movies to iDVD because this message keeps showing up "Unable to prepare project for publishing". The project could not be prepared for publishing because an error occurred. Error in user parameter list. Please tell me how to fix this.

Can't burn my movies to iDVD becaus

Posted on Feb 21, 2012 11:19 AM

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Posted on Feb 21, 2012 11:25 AM

Hi


May be this can help ?


Error -50


Error -50 paramErr Error in user parameter list

Can there be any external hard disks - if so How are it/they formatted ? Must be Mac OS Extended (hfs) if used for Video. UNIX/DOS/FAT32/Mac OS Exchange - works for most but not for VIDEO.


What this means in Your situation is above me.

• free space on internal boot hard disk? How much ?


Pictures

• in what format ? .jpg, .bmp, .tif, else ?


Audio

• from where/what format ? iTunes, .avi, .mp3, .aiff, else ?


The "com.apple.iMovie.plist" file


Many users has not observed that there are TWO libraries.

• Library - at root level

• Library - in user/account folder - THIS IS THE ONE to look into


from Luke Burns


I fixed the problem.. but it was very, very strange. I had a very long section for credits and set the line spacing to 1.0.. for some reason this caused it. I removed it, and it worked fine. I put it back, and I couldn't preview or play the video.


I don't know why that could cause that big of a problem, but it did..


Yours Bengt W

9 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Feb 21, 2012 11:25 AM in response to BlueDevil1997

Hi


May be this can help ?


Error -50


Error -50 paramErr Error in user parameter list

Can there be any external hard disks - if so How are it/they formatted ? Must be Mac OS Extended (hfs) if used for Video. UNIX/DOS/FAT32/Mac OS Exchange - works for most but not for VIDEO.


What this means in Your situation is above me.

• free space on internal boot hard disk? How much ?


Pictures

• in what format ? .jpg, .bmp, .tif, else ?


Audio

• from where/what format ? iTunes, .avi, .mp3, .aiff, else ?


The "com.apple.iMovie.plist" file


Many users has not observed that there are TWO libraries.

• Library - at root level

• Library - in user/account folder - THIS IS THE ONE to look into


from Luke Burns


I fixed the problem.. but it was very, very strange. I had a very long section for credits and set the line spacing to 1.0.. for some reason this caused it. I removed it, and it worked fine. I put it back, and I couldn't preview or play the video.


I don't know why that could cause that big of a problem, but it did..


Yours Bengt W

Mar 15, 2013 12:14 PM in response to donfromoh

The first thing I test to do when iMovie doesn't behave as it should is to trash the preference file.


It's a very common way to try to solve problems with Applications that has problems.


Reg iMovie that file is named as one or more of these


com.apple.iMovie.plist

com.apple.iMovie3.plist

com.apple.iMovie7.plist

com.apple.iMovie8.plist

com.apple.iMovie9.plist

com.apple.iMovieApp.plist


Not always all of them are present - but many can be


I also trash


com.apple.iApps.plist


and clean out the Cache folder


All of them are in a folder named Library - BUT as there are more than one - most people chose the wrong one.


The obvious one is Library on Root level - first window that opens when You open Your Start-Up Hard Disk.


AND - that is the wrong one


The one to find is the one in Your User Account folder - and in Mac OS X.7 and so on - it is HIDDEN.


Easiest way to find the correct one is to go up to the top row Menu (Apple symbol to the top Left hand corner of screen) and here go to the right to GO and keep Option-key DOWN and it will Show You the correct Library.


Now - here find the folder Preferences to move out the com.apple.xxxxxx files to the desktop WHEN APPLICATION IS NOT RUNNING ! IMPORTANT !


then find the folder named Caches - here too - try to identify the cache files that are connected to the application - and move them too to desktop.


Now try to run Your application e.g. iMovie


There is an easier way to test if this is the real problem by

• Goto Apple menu and down to System preferences

• Select Accounts

• Click on the Plus sign and create a new user e.g. test1

• Apple menu - and down to Log out

• Now log into the new user test1

• Now see if application runs as intended


If so - then the problem to 99% is in the Pref or Cache files.


Yours Bengt W

Nov 25, 2013 11:22 AM in response to BlueDevil1997

This comment is is response to the error "Unable to prepare project for publishing.

The project could not be prepared for publishing because an error occurred. (Error in user parameter list.) OK"


SOLUTION - Close iMovie. Go to Finder, Select Go, Hold down Option and Library will appear. Select it. Close iMovie! (I know I said this already but it is important) Then find Preferences. Move all com.apple.xxxxxx files to a backup folder. Don't copy but Move instead.

This is exactly what Apple support will tell you. I just confirmed it with them. Someone in the iMovie queue.


This fixed the problem for me on a 1080P .MOV export that ended up 4.36GB and about 30 minutes long. Naturally, with a project this size, I was not about to try some of the other troubleshooting tips such as delete a single clip, try to publish, get error, repeat.

I've used that approach on smaller projects but no way could I spend that many days trying it this way.

Couple more factoids from my call today.

Finalize Project is a waste of your time and your machine's resources. Unless you need to ready your project for every quality output format that exists, you can skip that step. The option is not even available on the next version of iMovie.

Also, the next Mac OS is called Maverick. My rep said I should consider upgrading and then get the newer iMovie. Then the OS and iMovie will both be 64-bit.


If this helped, LIKE this so it will be easier for others to find. I have spent a LONG time looking for what I just typed. Thanks everyone.

Mar 10, 2014 5:14 PM in response to FabienneMC

FabienneMC wrote:


HI. I get this error code (-50) when I try to copy my iPhoto Library from my old Hard Disk to my new one. My old Hard Disk needs repair and restoring and is old.. I just want to save my photos however i have to keep clicking ok for the error code for it to continue copying on the other hard disk... Any solutions?

I had same issue trying to copy my iTunes music folder to my NAS drive as a backup. Not had this problem in the past - weird, wonder if something's changed in Mavericks. Anyway, I managed to get around it using the terminal cp command as described here

what does "error in user parameter list" mean? how do i fix it?

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