P>Mac
Level 1 (4 points)
iLife

Q: iMovie crashed

My iMovie crashed , and wouldn't restore. I've deleted it and downloaded it again . Still no joy. I tried a safe start and now i have this on my desk top "VideoAppDiagnostics-iMovieApp-2016-07-10-091846.tar.gz". But still no iMovies . Any suggestions?

iMac, iOS 9.3.2

Posted on Jul 10, 2016 3:14 AM

by sarah_s1,Solvedanswer
sarah_s1 sarah_s1
Community Specialists
A:

Hey there P>Mac,

 

Welcome to the Apple Support Communities! It sounds like the iMovie app on your iMac crashed and you can't get it to re-open. This is despite deleting, reinstalling, and trying to open it in safe mode. I'll be glad to take a look at this with you so you can get back to enjoying the application.

 

To begin, let's have you try to perform an NVRAM reset and then test iMovie again. This will not impact any of your important data. Here's a link with the steps:

 

How to Reset NVRAM on your Mac

 

Next up, we'd want to have you create a test user account to see if the same issue persists. This is a really good step to isolate if the issue with iMovie is user-specific or system-wide. The following article walks you through this process:

 

How to test an issue in another user account on your Mac

 

This section provides more detailed information about what to do if the issue is only present in one user account, or if the issue happens in both accounts:

 

If an issue happens in only one user account

If performing the same steps in a test user account doesn't result in the same unexpected behavior, you most likely don't need to reinstall any apps or OS X.

  • If an issue only happens in one app, check the app's documentation or support website for instructions on troubleshooting specific preference or setting files.
  • If you need help with a specific alert message or issue, search the Apple Support website for the text of the alert message you're seeing.

If an issue happens in more than one user account

If the same unexpected behavior happens in more than one user account on your Mac, try checking for software or hardware issues.

 

It would also be beneficial to ensure that your Mac is up-to-date. Prior to updating your device, be sure that you have a recent backup available. I've included support articles on both of these steps:

 

Use Time Machine to back up or restore your Mac

 

Update the software on your Mac

 

Take care! 

Posted on Jul 13, 2016 12:05 AM

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P>Mac

Q: iMovie crashed

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  • Helpful answers

  • by sarah_s1,Solvedanswer

    sarah_s1 sarah_s1 Jul 13, 2016 12:05 AM in response to P>Mac
    Community Specialists
    Jul 13, 2016 12:05 AM in response to P>Mac

    Hey there P>Mac,

     

    Welcome to the Apple Support Communities! It sounds like the iMovie app on your iMac crashed and you can't get it to re-open. This is despite deleting, reinstalling, and trying to open it in safe mode. I'll be glad to take a look at this with you so you can get back to enjoying the application.

     

    To begin, let's have you try to perform an NVRAM reset and then test iMovie again. This will not impact any of your important data. Here's a link with the steps:

     

    How to Reset NVRAM on your Mac

     

    Next up, we'd want to have you create a test user account to see if the same issue persists. This is a really good step to isolate if the issue with iMovie is user-specific or system-wide. The following article walks you through this process:

     

    How to test an issue in another user account on your Mac

     

    This section provides more detailed information about what to do if the issue is only present in one user account, or if the issue happens in both accounts:

     

    If an issue happens in only one user account

    If performing the same steps in a test user account doesn't result in the same unexpected behavior, you most likely don't need to reinstall any apps or OS X.

    • If an issue only happens in one app, check the app's documentation or support website for instructions on troubleshooting specific preference or setting files.
    • If you need help with a specific alert message or issue, search the Apple Support website for the text of the alert message you're seeing.

    If an issue happens in more than one user account

    If the same unexpected behavior happens in more than one user account on your Mac, try checking for software or hardware issues.

     

    It would also be beneficial to ensure that your Mac is up-to-date. Prior to updating your device, be sure that you have a recent backup available. I've included support articles on both of these steps:

     

    Use Time Machine to back up or restore your Mac

     

    Update the software on your Mac

     

    Take care! 

  • by P>Mac,

    P>Mac P>Mac Jul 11, 2016 2:59 AM in response to P>Mac
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iLife
    Jul 11, 2016 2:59 AM in response to P>Mac

    i followed the perform an NVRAM reset which was a little nerve wracking . but it didn't do anything .Then i tried the test account and bingo iMovie worked, so i read through other discussions and read

    "One easy thing to try is to launch iMovie with the option key depressed.  this should bring up a window asking which library you want to open.  If you have more than one library try one that was NOT giving problems.  If you only have one choose "New" at the bottom to create a new library and see if you can crete a simple test project. This will help determine whether the problem lies with iMovie itself or with your old library."

    I had no library so i made one and off we go.

    many thanks for the help

  • by steven_a1,

    steven_a1 steven_a1 Jul 12, 2016 5:12 AM in response to P>Mac
    Community Specialists
    Jul 12, 2016 5:12 AM in response to P>Mac

    Hello P>Mac,

     

    Thanks for the follow up and glad to hear that you found a solution that worked. All the best!