iMovie 10.0.8 does not open older iMovie .rcproject files

Question

Level 1

20 points

iMovie 10.0.8 does not open older iMovie .rcproject files

I have tried to "Update Projects and Events" and also tried to "Import Media", but remain unable to open projects in iMovie 10.0.8 with file extension .rcproject that were created with iMovie 9.0 and identified as "iMovie Project" files in the Finder. They are dimmed whenever I try to use iMovie 10.0.8 to open them.

In the process of trying to move back to iMovie 9.0, I can open iMovie 9.0 and while the projects appear on the list of Projects, they are not apparently incomplete and "Source clip is missing" message appears where the viewing screen should show the video. They will not play in 9.0, and therefore no editing is possible.

Did I read that once "converted" to iMovie 10.0.8 that files would no longer be recognizable by the older iMovie?

I have numerous projects created with iMovie 9 that seem to be somewhere in limbo:

Neither iMovie 9.0 nor 10.0.8 will open them.

iMac, OS X Yosemite (10.10.3), 21.5-inch, Late 2009

Posted on Apr 27, 2015 12:25 PM

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Answer 1

jghammer Author

Level 1

20 points

May 3, 2015 4:23 PM in response to jghammer

Can it be true that Apple and the many free (to Apple) experts don't have a solution for the apparent fact that iMovie 10.0.8 will not open iMovie projects created in version 9?

Apparently the only program (app) that opens the iMovie projects with the extension .rcproject is the original iMovie that created it - iMovie 9.0.

Are the .rcproject files to be abandoned?

It makes one want to be a Luddite when creative works are sent to the dustbin.

I might take up painting with oils.

Or writing with a pencil.

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Answer 2

GeeD

Level 6

9,173 points

May 4, 2015 5:11 AM in response to jghammer

According to version 10.0.8 help it is (like earlier versions of iMovie 10) able to update projects from earlier versions of iMovie. See:

http://help.apple.com/imovie/mac/10.0.8/#/mov902ad0c31

Existing iMovie 9 projects should still work with IMovie 9 but any editing done in iMovie 10 won't be visible in iMovie 9.

I think you need to use iMovie version 9.0.9. Earlier ones may be problematic. The 9.0.9 update is available here: iMovie 9.0.9

Geoff.

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Answer 3

jghammer Author

Level 1

20 points

May 4, 2015 8:36 AM in response to GeeD

Thank you GeeD. I'm still stymied.

I have moved the Event and Project Folders to the "top-layer of the drive" as the instructions state, right alongside the System Folder, Users Folder and Applications Folders.

When I open iMovie 10.0.8, the Events and Projects Folders are empty:

When I select File/Update Projects and Events, I get an alert box that says iMovie couldn't find any:

Not knowing exactly what is meant by the "top layer" in the instructions, I moved the Events and Project folders back inside the "Movies" folder where I found them (but then not where I would call the "top" layer, but rather "iMac/Users/Home/Movies/iMovieProjects". Then I tried to "Update Projects and Events" and received the same alert: "iMovie could not find any projects or events to update."

Then I tried to update iMovie 9.0 (iMovie '11 version 9.0 (1073)) to version 9.0.9 .

[As an aside, the nomenclature of iMovie drives me nuts. The latest version is 10.0.8, which us newer than iMovie '11.]

Back to the update of version 9.0 to 9.0.9.

Presumably because I have version 10.0.8 installed, I got this alert box:

So, I cannot update version 9.0

and I cannot "Update" the Events and Projects created in version 9.0.

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Answer 4

GeeD

Level 6

9,173 points

May 4, 2015 9:58 AM in response to jghammer

"I moved the Events and Project folders back inside the "Movies" folder where I found them" No. The Movies folder is the correct location for these folders on the startup drive. On external drives they have to be at the top level.

To update version 9 it seems you will have to move iMovie 10 from the Applications folder to the trash so the updater 'thinks' its not installed. You can move it back again afterwards. However, this will not solve your 'source clip missing problem and that may be the reason iMovie 10 won't update the projects.

Can you find your missing clips in the Events folder? It should contain a folder for each event and these should contain your clips as well as folders labelled "iMovie Thumbnails", "iMovie Movie Cache" etc.

Geoff.

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Answer 5

Telisha

Level 2

189 points

Jun 23, 2015 2:44 PM in response to GeeD

I am having the same issue and the missing clips are not in the Events folder. Some are, some are not. The ones that are not were movies imported from iPhoto. Seems to be an issue linking the movies from an older iPhoto library. Any idea how to fix the missing files?

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Answer 6

GeeD

Level 6

9,173 points

Jun 23, 2015 3:10 PM in response to Telisha

Correct, files from iPhoto are not copied to the event folder but put as links to the originals in the iPhotos library. I think you will have to import them again.

Geoff.

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