Everything has been working great (iMovie included)... but now iMovie will not launch or open... small white line underneath icon but will not open.
I have used disk utility but to no avail.
Hi
What I would try (just to isolate the problem) is to
• Create a New User Account
• Log out
• Log into this New User
• Test iMovie
Does it now work - then the problem most probably is in iMovie pref file or cashes.
Yours Bengt W
I did and it works from a different account, but not from mine....
I did and it works from a different account, but not from mine....
Then I would proceed by
• going back to original account
• localize the USER LIBRARY
This is hidden if using Mac OS X.7 or X,8 or Maveric X.9
Keep alt-key down then go up to top row menu (with an Apple in the top left hand corner) here select GO - and down in this menu to Library
There are at least two Libraries - one when You open the Start-Up (Macintosh HD) hard disk - this is the Root Library (and the wrong one) the other is hidden in Your User Account folder (it is normally invisible).
If You find the right one then in this Library there is a folder named: Preferences
In this Preference folder You find
com.apple.iMovie.plist (or very close to this) - drag this or if many - all of them to DeskTop/Finder (WHEN iMovie is NOT RUNNNG)
Now first - Start iMovie
Does it now work OK ?
Yours Bengt W
Bengt,
I just tried and it didn't work...
I really appreciate your help!
Did You really find the right LIBRARY.
Most often thi is the problem.
Yours Bengt W
May be You could try this: (from an old note - most still OK)
Help iMovie
iMovie
Not knowing the origin to Your problem - General approach when in trouble is as follows.
Free space on internal (start-up) hard disk if it is less than 10Gb should rather have 25Gb (or even 100Gb if HD-material is used)
Delete iMovie pref. file
iMovie pref. file resides.
Mac Hard Disk (start-up HD)/Users/"Your account"/Library/Preferences
and is named. (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
and find
com.apple.iApps.plist
While iMovie is NOT RUNNING - move this/these file/s out on to desk-top.
Now restart iMovie.
If You run Mac OS X.7 or more - then the Library in the User-account folder is invisibly and need to be set to be viewable. IT IS NOT in the Library on Root level (when opening MacintoshHD - first window = root level)
( It can be done like this: Open Terminal, then enter:
chflags nohidden ~/Library
Press return, then restart, and it will always be visible until the next major update, when you do the same thing again. )
or - do like this.
On the Finder window at the top left of the screen,
Hold down the Option key and clicked on Go.
This allowed You to see the Library folder and select it.
Then keep the Option button pressed down in order to see and select the Library folder.
Once found it, You are able to navigate to the iMovie preferences file and move it to the trash. iMovie then start’s up fine!
Hard disk is untidy. Repair Permissions, Repair Hard disk (Apple’s Disk Utilities application)
Disconnect all external hard disks and try - FireWire, USB/2, AirPort or Net-work connected.
To work OK I prefer FireWire AND it must be Mac OS Extended formatted - UNIX/DOS/FAT32/Mac OS Exchange - WILL NOT DO for video - neither for iMovie or FinalCut or iDVD any version ! This also includes any USB-memory sticks.
Garageband-fix. Start it, Play a note and Close it. Re-try (Corrects an audio problem that hinders iMovie)
Screen must be set to Million-colors
Turn off Mac and disconnect Mains/Power for 20-30 minutes - will at least re-set FW-port
Third party plug-ins that doesn't work OK (not relevant for iMovie’08 or 09 or 11)
Problems in iPhoto Library can affect iMovie to crash on start-up. Re-build this first then try to re-start iMovie.
This You do by
First - close iPhoto
Secondly - on start up of iPhoto - Keep {cmd and alt-keys down}
Thirdy - now select all five options presented
THEN - WAIT a long long time
iMovie updated ?
QuickTime updated ?
Mac OS version ?
Program miss-match. iMovie 4 - will not work under Leopard
Program miss-match. iMovie 5.0.2, up to Mac OS X.4.11 AND QuickTime 7.4.1 - is OK
Program miss-match. iMovie 6.0.3 or 6.0.4, Mac OS X.4.11 AND QuickTime 7.4.1 - is OK (will work under Leopard and Snow-Leopard)
Program miss-match. iMovie’08 v. 7.1.4, Mac OS X.4.11 AND QuickTime 7.5.5 - is OK (will work under Leopard and Snow-Leopard)
Program miss-match. iMovie’09 v. 8.0.6, Mac OS X.5.8 AND QuickTime 7.6.4 - is OK (will work under Leopard and Snow-Leopard)
From LKN 1935:
(in this case = iMovie HD (5), I tried it all, but nothing worked.
Your answer (above) has been helpful insofar as all the different trials led to the conclusion that
there was something wrong with my iMovie software. I therefore threw everything away and reinstalled
iMovie from the HD. After that the exportation of DV videos (there has not been any problem with HDV videos)
to my Sony camcorders worked properly as it did before.
Lennart Thelander
I run "Cache Out X", clear out all caches and restarts the Mac.
constant crash
Ok, so I somehow fixed it.
I moved com.apple.imovieAPP.plist to trash again and this time I also moved com.apple.iapps.plist and about 4 other files that started with that same filename into the trash as well.
After I did that, everything seems to work perfectly. I've succesfully imported all the video files into a new Event and no crashes.
Hope this helps someone.
Dr. Les
Sometimes iMovie Projects become corrupted and can cause iMovie to crash. This is what worked for me after months of frustration without any solution.
First: Copy the iMovie Projects folder to the desktop. To avoid confusion rename this folder Desktop iMovie Projects. Do not delete these projects from the Desktop iMovie Projects folder.
Secondly: Then delete all projects from the original iMovie Projects folder for iMovie - found Mac HD > Users > (Your home folder) > Movies > iMovie Projects.
Thirdly: Either create a simple test movie project in iMovie
Fourth: or take, from Desktop iMovie Projects folder, one of the projects that you know was successfully exported in the past and copy from the Desktop iMovie Projects folder into the original iMovie Projects folder.
Fifth: Try launching iMovie again.
Sixth: In turn take, from Desktop iMovie Projects folder, another of the projects and copy from the Desktop iMovie Projects folder into the original iMovie Projects folder.
Seventh: In transferring one project at a time you can isolate the corrupted project(s)
First: see if Imovie works without the possibly corrupted project. So clear it from iMovie Projects by moving the project to desktop in case you want to go back to it.
Secondly: With the Imovie projects empty, try launching iMovie again.
Thirdly: Now create a simple test movie project in iMovie and see if it works
WiseHacker
While I was getting different error, I had the same symptoms (iMovie would load and crash on the main Window).
I found that I had a NFS share mount but the server in questions was off line.
I went to the Disk Utilities and removed the share mount (for those wondering, it is for Xgrid).
With the share mount gone, iMovie loads fine for me.
My guess is iMovie is not very intelligent when it comes to detecting absent share mounts.
Yours Bengt W
My iMovie will not open on my Macbook Pro
