mmlosey
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Q: downgrade iMovie 10.1 to 10.0.6 after having opened 10.1

I just starting using iMovie 10.1 after upgrading to El Capitan 10.11 and I can't work more than 5 minutes without it crashing on me.  There seems no logic to when it crashes.  It just freezes up and won't even let me Force Quit.  I don't like the new changes that were done with 10.1 anyways so started down the path of trying to figure out how I can get rid of iMovie 10.1 and go back to using 10.0.6?  I did read that iMovie 10.0.6 is compatible with El Capitan so that is progress in the right direction for me.  I have iMovie 10.0.6 on my external hard drive that I backed up before converting to El Capitan.  So, I copied it to my desktop and tried to open my existing library.  However, I get a pop up screen that basically says there are files/events/projects created with a newer version of iMovie and those files will be ignored.  When I click okay, it won't open at all (instead of opening and ignoring the files as indicated).  I went back to the new movie I tried to start creating in iMovie 10.1 and deleted it, but I still got the same error message when trying to open my existing library in the iMovie 10.0.6 that I copied onto my desktop.  I can open iMovie 10.0.6 if I create a new library.  And that lets me work just fine for newly created stuff (without crashing!).  But I can't figure out how to access my previous projects/movies/events on my previous library anymore in the iMovie 10.0.6 version.  I'm scared to uninstall iMovie 10.1 in case that will erase all my previous libraries since I can't seem to access those previous libraries on the 10.0.6 version that I copied.  Ultimately, I wish I never contaminated my computer with iMovie 10.1 but now I have and I'm trying to figure out how to go back in time to before I got it and opened it.  Any suggestions?

iMovie 10, OS X El Capitan (10.11), .mp3 file

Posted on Dec 12, 2015 5:35 PM

by GeeD,Solvedanswer
GeeD GeeD
Level 5 (7,676 points)
Video
A:

I think your Time Machine backup volume is protected from writing to other than by the TimeMachine application.  Copy the 10.0.6 library back to where it was when you were using 10.0.6.  You should then be able to open it from iMovie 10.0.6.

 

Geoff.

Posted on Dec 21, 2015 2:35 AM

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mmlosey

Q: downgrade iMovie 10.1 to 10.0.6 after having opened 10.1

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  • by GeeD,Helpful

    GeeD GeeD Dec 24, 2015 10:30 AM in response to mmlosey
    Level 5 (7,676 points)
    Video
    Dec 24, 2015 10:30 AM in response to mmlosey

    Deleting an iMovie application does not delete libraries. 

    The problem is that  iMovie 10.1 changes the format of libraries created in previous versions and these will no longer open in earlier versions and cannot be converted back.  You would have to use the earlier iMovie version with a backup or your library taken before it was opened in 10.1. 

    I think it would be better try reinstalling iMovie 10.1.  since there is obviously something wrong with your setup - 10.1 is stable for most people.

     

    Geoff.

  • by mmlosey,

    mmlosey mmlosey Dec 20, 2015 9:22 PM in response to GeeD
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 20, 2015 9:22 PM in response to GeeD

    Since I don't like most of the changes in 10.1, I'm trying your first suggestion.  I copied my iMovie 10.0.6 from my last back up saved via Time Machine to my external hard drive and placed it on my desktop.  Upon opening, it asks me which library I want to open so I "Search" for the library also on my external hard drive from my last saved Time Machine back-up.  I get this pop-up message.  When I click OK, iMovie just goes away - won't open at all.  What am I doing wrong to try and open my previous iMovie 10.0.6 and corresponding library?Screen Shot 2015-12-20 at 11.11.55 PM.png

  • by GeeD,Solvedanswer

    GeeD GeeD Dec 21, 2015 2:35 AM in response to mmlosey
    Level 5 (7,676 points)
    Video
    Dec 21, 2015 2:35 AM in response to mmlosey

    I think your Time Machine backup volume is protected from writing to other than by the TimeMachine application.  Copy the 10.0.6 library back to where it was when you were using 10.0.6.  You should then be able to open it from iMovie 10.0.6.

     

    Geoff.

  • by mmlosey,

    mmlosey mmlosey Dec 24, 2015 10:29 AM in response to GeeD
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 24, 2015 10:29 AM in response to GeeD

    I couldn't copy the 10.0.6 library onto my Mac HD as there wasn't enough space.  So....I copied the 10.0.6 library and 10.0.6 iMovie to a 4TB HD and all opened and seems to be functioning fine.  So, thank you for your help. 

     

    I had an ah hah moment then when I noticed that many projects I had worked on were not in the 10.0.6 library even though I had worked on them prior to the date of my last back up.  What I realized is that I had moved to working off a 2TB HD as I had run out of space on my Mac HD.  When I do my Time Machine back-ups, it only backs up my Mac HD.  Therefore, I had never been backing up the work that I've actually been working off of, on the 2TB HD.  So, the library that I unfortunately opened with 10.1 and "corrupted" was the only one in existence.  So, based on your prior comment, there is no way for me to get the work from that library back into my 10.0.6 library?  Could I manually copy the timeline contents from the 10.1 project and paste into a new project in 10.0.6?  If not, hopefully I won't want to use those projects in future works and I'll just remember that I'll have to work in 10.1 if I do want to access them. 

     

    I removed 10.1 via CleanMyMac so hopefully that wiped it clean.  I will try reinstalling it the next couple days as you suggested and hopefully that may fix the constant freezing up.  However, I still do not like the changes that came with it so regardless want to go back to using 10.0.6 as I don't see that I lose anything by utilizing that version.  My plan, if successful, will be to put the 10.1 iMovie and "corrupted" library onto the 4GB HD that I rarely use.  Leave the 10.0.6 iMovie on my Mac HD and 2TB HD that I usually work from so that will be the default version that opens and I don't have to worry about accidentally opening 10.1 and "corrupting" my library again.  Doesn't seem that there's too much concern with having multiple libraries so I'll just start a new one again to use in 10.0.6 going forward or use the recovered one that is missing projects from this year.  And I'll remember going forward to back up my library on the 2GB HD when I do my Mac HD back ups so I don't find myself vulnerable again to only one version of my library in existence. 

     

    Thank you, Geoff, for the time you spend on this forum providing feedback and trying to help folks.  I somehow signed up for all posts to go to my email so have been trying to read them all.  I'm learning quite a bit from your responses to others and am saving some for later that I think could apply to me in the future. I'm a relatively new Mac user so have plenty to learn!

  • by GeeD,

    GeeD GeeD Dec 24, 2015 11:09 AM in response to mmlosey
    Level 5 (7,676 points)
    Video
    Dec 24, 2015 11:09 AM in response to mmlosey

    "the library that I unfortunately opened with 10.1 and "corrupted""     The problem may be your iMovie 10.1 application and the library may be OK. 

    "Could I manually copy the timeline contents from the 10.1 project and paste into a new project in 10.0.6?"   I don't think so.  You would have to have both 10.1 and 10.0.6 running at the same time. 

    "I removed 10.1 via CleanMyMac"   It would have been sufficient just to delete the application.  Some 3rd party apps (MacKeeper was a notorious example) are known to cause problems with iMovie. 

    " I will try reinstalling it the next couple days"   Don't forget that it will overwrite 10.0.6 so make sure you save a copy of 10.0.6 on another drive that you can reinstate.  And, of course, don't allow it to update your 10.0.6 library (it will ask you). 

    "Doesn't seem that there's too much concern with having multiple libraries"  You can have as many libraries as you like.  Its a good way of organising stuff (and avoiding having 'all your eggs in one basket')

     

    Geoff.

  • by mmlosey,

    mmlosey mmlosey Dec 24, 2015 12:00 PM in response to GeeD
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 24, 2015 12:00 PM in response to GeeD

    So, now I can't figure out how to reinstall 10.1.  iMovie is listed under the purchased tab of the app store but after I deleted 10.1, it shows as "open" on the app store instead of download.  When I hit "open" it opens 10.0.6.  I figured out that I still had the recovered 10.0.6 version on my desktop so I deleted it, thinking that it was opening that version.  The app store still shows "open" instead of "download".  This time when I hit open it opens 9.0.9, which I've never even seen before as I got my Mac after v10 was created so that's all I've known and used.  I don't even know where to go to try and find this 9.0.9 version to try and delete it in an attempt to get "download" to show up next to iMovie in the purchased tab of the app store.  When I just search for iMovie in the app store everything is talking about 10.1 but my only option on the pull down is "open" and it opens 9.0.9 again.  How do I get to a 10.1 version to reinstall?  I know I don't want to use it but without it I have a whole library of work that I can do nothing with so want to at least have it as a back-up in case I need access to that library.

  • by mmlosey,

    mmlosey mmlosey Dec 24, 2015 12:10 PM in response to mmlosey
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 24, 2015 12:10 PM in response to mmlosey

    So, I found the 9.0.9 version hiding on my computer...never even knew it existed.  So, I deleted it.  Still didn't change the button in the purchased apps on the apps store from something other than open.  And when I hit open, it opened the 9.0.9 version although I don't know how or why b/c I thought I deleted it, even emptied the trash bin.  When all else fails, restart.  So, after restarting the computer, now the button next to iMovies in the purchased app section says install.  So that is now what I'm doing although I'm not sure which version is installing - I presume 10.1.  Will see.  The saga continues....

  • by WebVeteran,

    WebVeteran WebVeteran Sep 9, 2016 11:35 AM in response to mmlosey
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 9, 2016 11:35 AM in response to mmlosey

    Find the file called "UpdatedToiMovie10" inside of your "iMovie Projects" folder. Delete that. When you launch the older version again, it will import/update the projects.

    I was able to do this to go from 10.1.2 back to 10.0.8 (latest version that I know of with the wrapping timeline).