Cannot open an iMovie project file

I can no longer open an iMovie project file from my external hard drive. Other iMovie projects on the hard drive can be opened, but not my main project. I've transfered it back to my MacBook Pro and then tried importing it into a new project, but I get an error -43 message about Quicktime not able to 'parse' the file. I have also tried Lennart Thelander's "File Fixer" but this still does not open the file. File icon and file size (39.02GB) seem to be the same as when the file could be opened. Is there a way to recover this file?
Merci

iMovie doesn't support importing one iMovie project to another. When we try, we get exactly the error you quoted.
You can, however, import all the Timeline video and audio as a single clip to a new project. Or you can drag files from the Media folder of the project to the Timeline of a NEW project.
In the Finder, Control-click on the project icon and choose Show Package Contents from the popUp menu. You'll see the movie "Timeline Movie.mov" in the window that opens. You want to import that movie to a new project, or import selected files in the Media folder.
To import, drag the file to the Timeline of a NEW iMovie project. If importing the Timeline Movie, everything on the Timeline of the original project will arrive as a single clip in the new project.
If the project failed on the external drive, it may be because the disk does not use the disk format required by iMovie. Use Disk Utility to check the disk format, which must be "Mac OS Extended". If it's not that format, use Disk Utility to reformat the drive. (Which will erase all the files on the drive, so make backups.)
Karl

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I cannot open my imovie project

I just reinstalled leopard, before I formated my macbook pro, I copied my imovie project files and events to an external harddrive. My question is, how do I load them in imovie now? Which folder and files should I copy from my backup? Thanks Alex

You must move everything back to where it was on your internal drive, and then move it from within iMovie. If you are short on space, you can do this one Event at a time. Be sure iMovie is closed when you move it back, then restart iMovie so it will recognize it.
The reason you need to move your projects and events back relates to the architecture of iMovie. The video files are in the Event. The project consists of a text file of instructions that are executed when the project is shared. The project expects to find the Event file where it was when you created the project in iMovie. If you move the Event file from within iMovie, the Project file is updated with pointers to the new location. If you move the Event file in the Finder, iMovie has no way to know where the Event has gone.

Cannot open old iMovie project

I have an old iMovie project from 2008 that I cannot open.
If I double-click it, terminal opens.
Recommended applications are Textwrangler, Terminal.... not really the right thing to watch a movie.
Final Cut Pro X cannot read the file, because it's in the "bundle" format. Quicktime is also grayed out.
Is this some weird format that is no longer readable by anything? Or can I turn it into an .mp4 file?
Thanks.

iMovie doesn't support importing one iMovie project to another. When we try, we get exactly the error you quoted.
You can, however, import all the Timeline video and audio as a single clip to a new project. Or you can drag files from the Media folder of the project to the Timeline of a NEW project.
In the Finder, Control-click on the project icon and choose Show Package Contents from the popUp menu. You'll see the movie "Timeline Movie.mov" in the window that opens. You want to import that movie to a new project, or import selected files in the Media folder.
To import, drag the file to the Timeline of a NEW iMovie project. If importing the Timeline Movie, everything on the Timeline of the original project will arrive as a single clip in the new project.
If the project failed on the external drive, it may be because the disk does not use the disk format required by iMovie. Use Disk Utility to check the disk format, which must be "Mac OS Extended". If it's not that format, use Disk Utility to reformat the drive. (Which will erase all the files on the drive, so make backups.)
Karl

IMovie Project File Problem - Won't Play After HD Format

Hi everyone, I have a MacBook Pro (OSX 10.4.11) running iMovie 08 (7.1.4). A few months ago I created a slideshow in iMovie and it was saved in a folder on my laptop as an iMovie Project file (159MB). Whenever I wanted to show someone the slideshow, I just double-clicked the iMovie Project file and it opened automatically in iMovie and the slideshow played without any problems.
Earlier this week I had to format the HD of my MBP (I wanted to get rid of the Windows partition I had). Before I did this, I obviously backed-up all my files onto a portable HD and reinstalled them on my MBP. Today, when I attempted to open the iMovie Project file (again, by double-clicking on it in Finder) I ran into a problem: iMovie 08 opens, but the file will not play. It doesn't even appear anywhere in iMovie. Before, it would appear in iMovie and show all the individual frames, audio track, etc.
(Unsurprisingly) I also cannot open this iMovie Project file in any other program, such as Quicktime, etc...
Can anyone tell me how I can open this file in iMovie again and/or import it back into iMovie and watch/edit it there? It is quite important that I can open it again.
Thank you very much, Scott

AM1958, you are a lifesaver!! Thank you very much -- moving the .rcproject file to user>/Movies/iMovie Projects/ fixed my problem and I can now play my slideshow movie. I really appreciate the assistance. One more (small) thing: it seems to me that the quality of the movie has been somewhat compromised, in that I recall the images looking sharper and clearer before. This could be my mind playing tricks on me, but I am just wondering if this is possible... Or am I imagining this?

Moving an iMovie project file for editing on a different iMac

Does anyone know if an iMovie project file started on one iMac can be saved to a usb drive or dvd/cd to be opened on another iMac computer to continue editing? What I have done before is go to: movies>iMovie projects>selected file and save the selected file to a usb drive. I also save the pictures and voice overs/music files that I used with the iMovie project on the same usb drive. However, when I open the iMovie project file on another iMac all of the work that I had previously done is not there. I end up starting all over. I would like to start my project at home and do any finishing touches on the second iMac in order to decrease the time I have to spend at the second location. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

When you move files to your second iMac, they need to be in the EXACT location. If you have your videos and photos in a folder on your desktop named "Movie Stuff," and you just throw them into a folder in documents called "Stuff" on your second iMac, iMovie will not recognize the files. You need to create the same path as the first iMac. In this case, you would have to make a folder called "Movie Stuff" on your second iMac's desktop, and move the files there.
Hope this helped!

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.

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.

Cannot open ... because file's resource map is incorrect.

I need the ability to open QT files and FCP movies in QT 6.0.1 while booted to OS 9.2.2. However, even though the files open fine in OSX QT7 and FCP 5 (as well as FCP3) applications, I very often get an error message when trying to open them in OS9 with QT6:
Cannot open "<flename>" because a file's resource map was incorrect.
Is there a utility to fix this?
Thansk,
Cris

Possible $50 solution:
http://www.lacie.com/products/product.htm?pid=10498
LaCie FastCoder
Pocket-sized DV to MPEG transcoder
LaCie FastCoder
User Benefits:
* Pocket-sized DV to MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 hardware encoder
* Compact, silent and FireWire bus-powered
* Full support for QuickTime compatible files
* High-quality, real-time encoding on G3, G4 and G5 Macs with built-in FireWire ports
A unique real-time encoder, this compact, silent device allows you to quickly convert DV NTSC to MPEG-1 and/or MPEG-2 files using a FireWire bus. The LaCie FastCoder is compatible with Mac OS 9.2 and OS X 10.2.6 or greater. It comes bundled with the Capty FastCoder Utility for hardware encoding, Capty DVD/VCD 2.x (Full Version) for DVD and Video CD authoring, and SilverKeeper software for backing up your projects. This easy to use, portable encoder supports QuickTime full quality DV-compatible files exported from Apple’s Final Cut Pro, Final Cut Express, iMovie, or Adobe Premiere Pro.
specs...
MPEG-2
2 to 10Mbits/s (CBR/VBR)
2 to 6Mbits/s (VBR Elementary Stream)
(from B&H web site)
For $50, might as well give it a try!
--Cris

Can I open an imovie project from an external hard drive on a different computer than my own? If so how?

Can I open an imovie project from an external hard drive on a different computer other than my own? If so how?

If you used the Finder to move the files, iMovie will have lost track of them. iMovie holds the locations of the Event files, and Project files contain references to those locations. If you move the files, iMovie has no way of knowing where they are.
If you can, first move all the files back to their original locations. Plug in the external drive. Open iMovie and move the files in iMovie's interface (help explains how, but basically, just drag and drop in the event pane).
Then you can connect the drive to the new computer, and iMovie will see them.

I just upgraded to OS X Yosemite and now I cannot open an existing project in ibooks author

I just upgraded to OS X Yosemite and now I cannot open an existing project in ibooks author

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Can I open an imovie project in Final cut pro?

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Hi mattyme,
It sounds like this thread might be answered, but I thought I'd offer a successful test case as my two cents. I just opened an iMovie project that one of our clients dropped off in FCP 5.1.4.
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Hopefully this offers a little reassurance.
Regards,
-James-

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Not good.
Just opened my brand new Mac Book Pro, migrated all my data and now I cannot open:
iTunes & iMovie...Not Good..
Any suggestions

Thx Daddy,
When a started the new MBP, it asked if wanted files from another Mac and I did that. I have done this many times before.
I did check to see if any files needed update and it is now updating files and such. Will let you know what happens after that.
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Scan SSL in Privacy Control Settings. Turning it OFF solved the problem and all the PDF files that previously would not open now open just fine. This issue has been sent to Bitdefender for them to review. If you use a different antivirus program and are having this issue try locating the Scan SSL setting and see if turning it off solves the problem.

Logic crashes when trying to open a Garageband project file

Hey guys,
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Hey guys,
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It is really odd that it seems to be related to those guitar loops. So i was wondering if anyone has a fix, or if someone could spare a minute of their time and make a garageband project with a 'Southern Rock Guitar 2' software loop and try to open this project file in Logic - just to see if it is a problem with my logic, or if it is the same for everybody.
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Hello,
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Cannot open an iMovie project file

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