iMovie - Import window/function 'broken'

When iMovie doesn't work as intended this can be due to a lot of reasons

• iMovie Pref files got corrupted - trash it/they and iMovie makes new and error free one's

• problem in iMovie Cache folder - trash Cache.mov and Cache.plist

• Creating a new User-Account and log into this
- forces iMovie to create all pref. and cache files new and error free

• Event or Project got corrupted - try to make a copy and repair

• a Codec is used that doesn't work

• version miss match of QuickTime Player / iMovie / iDVD

• preferences are wrong - Repair Preferences

• other hard disk problem - Repair Hard Disk (Disk Util tool - but start Mac from ext HD or DVD)

• External hard disks - MUST BE - Mac OS Extended (hfs) formatted to work with Video

( UNIX/DOS/FAT32/Mac OS Exchange - works for most other things - but not for Video )

• USB-flash-memories - usually do not work

• Net-work connected hard disks - usually do not work (most often not fast enough and WRONGLY FORMATTES as DOS etc

• iPhoto Library got problems - let iPhoto select another one or repair it. Re-build this first then try to re-start iMovie.

This You do by

- close iPhoto

- on start up of iPhoto - Keep {cmd and alt-keys down}

- now select all five options presented

- WAIT a long long time (>20 hours are not strange)

• free space on Start-Up (Mac OS) hard disk to low (<1Gb) - I never go under 25Gb free space for SD-Video (4-5 times more for HD)

• external devices interferes - turn off Mac - disconnect all of them and - Start up again and re-try

• GarageBand fix - start GB - play a few notes - Close it again and now try iMovie

• Screen must be set to million-colors

• Third-party plug-ins doesn't work OK

• Run "Cache Out X", clear out all caches and restarts the Mac

• Let Your Mac be turned on during one night. At about midnight there is a set of maintenance programs that runs and tidying up. This might help

• Turn off Your Mac - and disconnect Mains - for about 20-30 minutes - at least this resets the FireWire port.

• In QuickTime - DivX, 3ivx codec, Flip4Mac, Perian etc - might be problematic - temporarily move them out and re-try

(I deleted the file "3ivxVideoCodec.component" located in Mac HD/Library/Quicktime and this resolved my issue.)

buenrodri wrote

I solved the problem by removing the file: 3ivxVideoCodec.component. after that, up-dated iMovie runs ok.

Last resort: Trash all of iMovie and re-install it

Yours Bengt W