Q: Cannot export movie files from iPhoto 11 (9.5)

I did some testing and have a library that I cann't export videos out of.  I get the same message that you do.  However, when I create a new library, import those same videos and try to export it's successful.

The only fix that worked was to rebuild the library using the paid version of  iPhoto Library Manager as follows:

Using iPhoto Library Manager  to Rebuild Your iPhoto Library

1. Download iPhoto Library Manager and launch.
2. Click on the Add Library button,

                            

   and select the library you want to add from those in the selection window.

    

3. Now that the library is listed in the left hand pane of iPLM, click on your library and go to the Library ➙ Rebuild Library menu option

1. In the next  window name the new library and select the location you want it to be placed.
2. Click on the Create button.

Note 1: This creates a new library based on the LIbraryData.xml file in the library and will recover Events, Albums, keywords, titles and comments. However, books, calendars, cards and slideshows will be lost.

Note 2:  Your current library will be left untouched for further attempts at a fix if so desired.

Hi Larry,

I have the exact same issue as lsixecho

iPhoto seems to think it should try to export from the /Previews location, instead of /Masters where the original file is... Any solution?

Did you read my post directly above yours?  I had the same error message and that was fixed with iPhoto Library Manager.

Yes, Thanks. I tried it, but while exporting it still gives me an error for all the .MOV files.

I think I will manually copy-paste all videos. Any idea how to do this efficiently?

That's what I have been doing. I have been selecting the files I want to export and dragging and dropping them in the place I want them to be. They all copy over just fine, and seem to be the original size and dimensions.

I tried to do the rebuild with the iPhoto Library Manager, and this is what happens to those videos:

There are tons of videos that it leaves out almost every event it tries to restore. And it won't go to the next event until I click OK on the unreadable files message. I should point out that when I go to where it says these videos are, they work just fine, play just fine, aren't reference files, etc. It just can't discover them for some reason. Same exact files that don't export btw.

Had exactly the same issue! I created a smart album with all videos and manually moved them to the target directories...

Same thing:

In an iPhoto library, I have about 20 videos, all taken on an iPhone 5. They were imported via iTunes.

Fourteen are .mov files. Only two of these will export. The rest of these .mov file, iPhoto says there was an error preparing the file for export.

The other six are mp4 files. All exported fine,

as did all photos.

In a previous (up to 02/2013) iPhoto library I successfully exported  some 250 videos, all .move files, no error messages.

All exporting is to a folder on Mac, with the format set to Original.

Any ideas why some won't export, and why iPhone sometimes takes mov, sometimes mp4 files?

Mac OS X Mavericks, MBP and iMac.

Okay, I opened the problem iPhoto library in Aperture and successfully exported all 20 videos. When I reopened it in iPhoto, six of the unexportable videos now exported.

Solution: use Aperture.

At least to export.

I completed the rebuild and am now missing 1,682 videos. Obviously the rebuild is of no use to me with that many missing videos. Here's a screenshot of the completion message.

I have no idea why those video files are suddenly personna non gratis. As I reported previously I had a couple of video files that would not export and the iPLM rebuild fixed the problem.

I can think of several work arounds that might work but would involve lots of serching and moving of video files.  If you're intereted post back an I'll run them by you.

One is to locate one of the video files in the old library and copy it to the desktop.  Then import it into the iPLM rebuild library.  If it imports in OK and can be exported successfully you could repeat the process for all of the video files.  Of course a batch search and copy would be the way to go rather than one by one.

I have the same error message.

Unfortunately, iPhoto Library Manager rebuild, iPhoto rebuild... are not the answer for me.

Then by all means let us know what your answer is.

Give this a try:

Starting over from scratch with new library

Start over with a new library and import the Originals (iPhoto 09 and earlier) or the Masters (iPhoto 11) folder from your original library as follows:

1. Open the library package like this.

2. Launch iPhoto with the Option key held down and, when asked, select the option to create a new library.

3. Drag the subfolders of the Originals (iPhoto 09 and earlier) or the Masters (iPhoto 11) folder from the open iPhoto Library package into the open iPhoto window a few at a time.

This will create a new library with the same Events (but not necessarily the same Event names) as the original library but will not keep the metadata, albums, books slideshows and other projects.

Note:  your current library will be left untouched for further attempts at a fix if so desired.

Thanks. Although I got the few contrary videos in th one problem library exported via Aperture, I may try this.

I'm most concerned why some videos wouldn't export from my current library, and will it happen again. But it may be worth it to rebuild all the albums, etc. if the library may be corrupt.

It's also a reason to have Masters backups outside the Library.