How to store iMovies on an external hard drive instead of MAC drive

I purchased an external hard drive and did a time machine back up. I then clicked on iMovie folder and drug them to the Seagate external drive. They copied however they are still on the Mac hard drive? I would like to remove them from the Mac drive as they are taking up too much space. Also when I look at the storage space iMovie is taking up they are different on both drives? Help!

First, when you copy things from your internal to an external, they are copied - so the original is still there. As long as you are sure that the copy on the external works, simply delete the internals (throw in trash and empty).
Second, you can move your iMovie library to an external - that keeps all of your projects files on an external:
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH2302
Doing that will allow you working on a project in iMovie and have the files on the external.
If you have complete movies - not projects (exported from iMovie in a .mov format) - you can simply establish a folder on an external drive and drag 'n drop your movies there. You can delete the original and throw it in the trash. Remember though that this will result in only one copy = no backup. If the drive goes, so do the movies.

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How to store iMovie files on external drive?

I'd like to store large video files on an external drive, but iMovie seems to automatically import everything onto my internal hard drive.
1) Can I set it to automatically import to an eternal drive?
2) If not, which files can I safely move to an external to free up space on the internal drive?
3) Should I move the raw files to an external before I edit them, or after?
4) In any case, my general question is how to conserve space on my internal drive by using an external drive for iMovie files?

Get an external drive and make sure it is formatted as HFS+ (journalled) or MacOS Extended (journaled) (two ways of saying the same thing. If the external drive is formatted as FAT32, iMovie will not recognize it.
You can reformat if necessary using the Disk Utility.
When you import from your videcamera, you can select your External Drive as the target of the import.
If you have Event Files that are already on your internal drive, you can move them to the external drive, but you must do this from within iMovie. If you move the events using the Finder, your projects that link to these events will be broken.
To move the Events from within iMovie, select VIEW/EVENTS BY VOLUME.
In your Events Source Pane, you should see all your Events and also an icon for your external drive. Drag an Event icon to the hard drive icon, and it will move the Event to the hard drive, and automatically place it into the proper folder on the external drive so that iMovie can recognize it.
Leave Projects on your internal drive. If you upgrade to iMovie 09, it allows projects to be on the external drive, too. Project files are generally pretty small, though. Your video footage is in the events.

How to use iMovie with an External Hard DIsk

This seems to be a common question for the obvious reason that Movie folders rapidly become too large for the main HD, especially on a laptop, or if you want to use the same Movies folder on two Macs (eg iMac and MBP). Searching Apple Support and the forum comes up with some rather complicated answers. I think I have found a very simple one, which seems to work. So I'm posting this as an answer rather than a question, but any comments/problems humbly accepted.
Copy your movies folder from your home folder to the external drive (and preferably, for back-up reasons, to another drive too), then delete the movies folder in your home folder.
Make an alias of the new Movies folder, and copy it back to your home folder. If you were now to try to open iMovie, it wouldn't work, so now comes the important bit that I discovered by trial and error. Quit iMovie (if open), and rename the alias from "Movies alias" to just "Movies". Re-open iMovie, and bingo, all your events and projects appear!
I've tried it and created a new project and it all seems to work.
One word of caution - if you are relying on Time Machine as your sole backup, I don't think TM will automatically back up the contents of the aliased folder, so you need to set it up to do so, or make other arrangements for backing up.
Is it really this easy?

You can use an external by creating the exact folders called "iMovie Events" and "iMovie Projects". They must be on the top directory ( ie, WD500/iMovie Events/) in order for iMovie to find them.
Be warned. I believe Time Machine is messing with the source path names. If you use Time Machine, it may cause you to lose linkage to source clips.

How do I transfer an imovie from an external hard drive to my macbook pro iMovie 9

How do I transfer an iMovie from an external hard drive to my macbook pro iMovie 11?

The easiest way would be to just attach the external drive to the MacBook Pro. iMovie should see it next time you open iMovie.
If you are going for portability, you can attach the external drive to the MacBook Pro. Then open iMovie.
Then click VIEW/EVENTS BY DISK. You should see your external drive listed in the Project Library and the Event Library.
To make a COPY just drag the icon for your project to the icon for the external drive in the Project Library List.
To MOVE it, hold down the command key while you drag.
If you want to edit the project, you will also want any Events, Photos, or Music referenced in the Project. To get those, click on the Project to select it (it is now on the MacBook Pro) and click FILE/CONSOLIDATE MEDIA.

Can anyone help me figure out how to use my new LaCie external hard drive to import movies from my camcorder into imovie '09? I ran into so many problems last night!! Was up way past my bedtime!

Can anyone help me figure out how to use my new LaCie external hard drive to import movies from my camcorder into imovie '09? I ran into so many problems last night!! Was up way past my bedtime!

I'll stay in this chat ... I answered in the other one ... I have a Sony digital Handycam ... from years ago. I just got the LaCie and I think I formatted it for only to be used on my Mac ... how should I go about reformatting it to be HFS Extended like you said?

How do i back up my imovies on an external hard disk?

Hello
i am trying to back up my imovies on a external hard disk
, i follow the instructions but everything is still in my computer!!
and now when i open updates project ,they are empty!....

Command + R for OS X Recovery is for restoring from a backup.
You need to repair the startup disk.
Startup your Mac while holding down the Command + R keys.
From there you can access the builit in utilities to repair the disk.
About OS X Recovery

IMovie Project from External Hard Drive not Opening?

Please help!!
Fairly new to MACs, iMovie and iDVD, I didn't have a clear understanding of how saving iMovie projects worked. Reading various tutorials, I thought I had a clear understanding of how they work. Apparently not with my recent frustration with iMovie.
I created several iMovie Projects but needed more space in order to make more projects for my internship thus I did what I thought was common sense -- get an external hard drive.
I exported iMovie projects into my user account and from there, dragged the saved projects into an external hard drive and then deleted the iMovie projects from my user account.
However, when I needed to retrieve these projects, I simply turned on my hard drive and clicked on them to open. However, whenever I tried opening them, they wouldn't open. Is it because I didn't export them to the hard drive in the first place?
What I don't understand is why iMovie is not opening or recognizing the saved iMovie projects from the external hard drive when the size and kind clearly indicate that it should open with iMovie automatically.
What is the proper way of saving my iMovie projects and events so that I can always have access to whenever I need to open up an old project or simply edit?

Freeing up space on your Mac hard drive in iMovies ’08.
The application iMovie ‘08 has two main libraries displayed in the iMovie window: Events and Projects. Events are the main imports from your video camera, say. These files are big and you have the option to save them on an external hard drive and so iMovie knows to find them there. Projects are your editing instructions like what clips you want and where. The files are small and you save them on your Mac hard drive. They are NOT the clips only signposts where to find them (in Events on your external hard drive). You can move Projects to your external hard drive as back-up but iMovie will not find them there. If you then delete Projects from your Mac, iMovie can no longer make use of them unless you manually export them back into iMovie from your external hard drive. See Apple Article HT1026 iMovie '08: Moving iMovie footage to another drive (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1026). Here the external hard disk is used for moving Projects from one computer to another and, by implication, back to the source computer.
Sharing the projects to iTunes for syncing with Apple TV creates (publishes) movies that take up the same amount of space on your Mac as the source Projects. You can still burn DVDs in iDVD using the iTunes Movies as your Media so provided you have iMovie Projects backed up on your external hard drive you can delete them from your Mac and just use the iTunes Movies (for Apple TV and iDVD). In addition, publishing iMovie Projects in iTunes for syncing to Apple TV results in these files being duplicated in both Movies/iMovies Sharing/iTunes AND in iTunes/iTunes Music/Movies so delete them from here and get even more GBs back! Tell iTunes in Advanced not to save these iTunes published movies anymore in order to stop further duplication ocurring.

How do i import to a external hard drive

Hi in I movie how to i import to a external hard drive from my video camera as i find it takes to much room on my imac. thanks

Hello there foxcub 6,
It sounds like you want to be able to import your video to an external drive rather than your internal drive to save space.
First, you'll need to create an iMovie library on your external hard drive. Take a look at the "Create a new library" section here: http://help.apple.com/imovie/mac/10.0/#mov3fa25bae7
After you've created the library, you can import media directly to it, and copy existing projects and events to it as well. You can learn more about importing here:
http://help.apple.com/imovie/mac/10.0/#movbc953953e
Step 6 outlines how to Import to a different library specifically:
Do one of the following:
To choose an existing event to contain the imported clips: Choose the event from the “Import to” pop-up menu at the top of the Import window.
To create a new event to contain the imported clips: Choose New Event from the “Import to” pop-up menu, type a name for the new event, and press Return.
To learn more about events, see Organize your events and projects.
The Import To dropdown is at the top of the Import window that opens when you click File > Import.
Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.
Cheers,Sterling

HT1660 How do I run itunes from external Hard drive?

How do I run itunes from external hard drive. I only have ssd on PC and media is too large to fit

You do not.
iTunes, like all programs is installed on the C drive.
You can store the media on another drive.
Assuming you are moving an existing library from another computer:
Move or Copy the ENTIRE iTunes folder from the old computer to the new computer and put it where you want it.
Install iTunes using the default options.
Hold <SHIFT> while launching iTunes. It will prompt to create a new library or locate an existing library.
Select the option to locate an existing library.
Point iTunes to the iTunesLibrary.itl file in the iTunes folder that was moved from the old computer.

How do I import photos from external hard drive to iCloud library?

I have saved many photos to an external hard drive for security. I would like to store at least some of them in iCloud so I have direct access from Photos. Is this possible please?

how do I import photos from external hard drive to iCloud library?
Just like you'd do it with iPhoto. Drag the photos or folder of photos into the open Photos Library window or onto the Photos icon in the Dock.
If you have the iCloud Photo Library activated in Photos the new photos will be copied to the online iCloud Photo Library along with the rest of the photos in your library. Remember, with the iCloud Photo Liberty it's all the photos or none. You may have to purchase additional iCloud space to store all of your photos.

I moved an event in imovie to an external hard drive but I don't see it on the external hard drive now

I followed the directions on Apple's website on how to move iMovie footage from the internal hard drive to an external hard drive. I moved 3 events over and I don't see those events in the external hard drive. Can anyone help?

Hi
Then it's not my advice.
There are two very important things about this.
• NEVER - move or alter any folder named iMovie Events or iMovie Projects on DeskTop/Finder - at all !
All changes must take place inside the iMovie Application - else connections break ! and iMovie can't find them.
Move Events and Projects back and hope that they will be found.
• The external hard disk - MUST BE - Mac OS Extended (hfs) formatted - UNIX/DOS/FAT32/Mac OS Exchange works for most BUT NOT FOR VIDEO - not for iMovie nor FinalCut.
Yours Bengt W

Transfer iMovie project to external hard drive

I have a huge video project in my iMovie08 that is too large to even put in the browser. I've tried to transfer it all to an external disk, so I can work on it in pieces from there, but it doesn't seem to transfer or even copy it to the hard drive. The project shows up on the hard drive, but it just opens the one that's on my computer. There's plenty of space on the external drive. How do I go about transferring it properly - I really don't want to lose it as it was very time-consuming to get it on my machine in the first place. Thanks in advance for any help.

Hi
Moving Event's and Project's
Connection - Either connect one Mac in Target mode to the other via FireWire. Or use an external hard disk !
(Target-Mode - Start one Mac e.g. laptop - BUT keep T-key down during full up-start - Now a FW-symbol is jumping around the screen and it will work as an external hard disk when connected to the other Mac)
A. The External Hard Disk - MUST BE - Mac OS Extended (hfs) formatted to work for Video. UNIX/DOS/FAT32/Mac OS Exchange works for most other things but not for Video whatever program is used (iMovie or FinalCut)
B. Should be a FireWire one as USB/USB2 performs badly to me and especially when filling up
C. Do never Move or Alter any folder named
• iMovie Event's - or -
• iMovie Project's
on DeskTop/Finder - as this will result in iMovie losing connections to them and repair can be anything from hard to impossibly
D. Moving and Copying must be done within iMovie application and Events to Events - and - Project's to Project's.
E. Moving Project's to Event's - Do not work for me - I have to export project as a QuickTime movie then Import this intoEvents.
Event's window can show two faces
Like this
or like this
from one hard disk Event - You can move it to the other hard disk
You can not (at least not me) move Event to Project or other way around only
Event to Event and Project to Project
Yours Bengt W

Since I upgraded to 10.9.5, my macbook no longer recognizes my external hard drive. How do I fix this? External hard drive is a 1TB Toshiba formatted for mac. Worked fine until latest upgrade.

Since I upgraded to 10.9.5, my macbook no longer recognizes my external hard drive. How do I fix this? External hard drive is a 1TB Toshiba formatted for mac. Worked fine until latest upgrade.

Solved the problem by dumping my external HD onto another computer. Re-formatting and re-installing the data. Not what I wanted to do but it solved the problem.

I perviously transfered all my iTunes music to an external hard drive. But now when I connect the external hard drive and try to play a song, I get an error message saying that I need to "locate" my music. I don't how to find it on my external hard drive.

I perviously transfered all my iTunes music to an external hard drive. But now when I connect the external hard drive and try to play a song, I get an error message saying that I need to "locate" my music. I don't how to find it on my external hard drive. Please help for I am not that computer savy and don't want to mess anything up.
Thanks!

I called Apple Support and they walked me through it. They told me to basically copy and paste my music to the external hard drive. (I think.) Or maybe it was they had me transfer a folder to the EHD. I don't exactally remember it was a few years back. But I tried to plug in the EHD before starting and...nothing. Still says same thing, "locate file."

How do I restore a failed external hard drive using Time Machine?

I have an external hard drive connected to my iMac that is being backed up with Time Machine. I just realized that should it one day fail and no longer appear as a connected device, I'm not sure how to restore its data to another external drive. When I disconnected the external hard drive (to mimic a drive crash) and entered Time Machine to see if I could verify that the external hard drive was, in fact, being backed up - I didn't know where to find it. Under the Today (Now) information, I didn't expect to see it there as it was no longer connected to the machine. But when I went back a few days, I expected to see its backup appear in the Sidebar. But no!
So - how do I restore a failed external hard drive using Time Machine?
Searches for this information on Google yielded "iffy" results. I'm hoping someone here is able to offer some clear steps to follow. Perhaps I'm missing something silly. Thank you very much!

I came across this discussion after encountering the same problem. Since my internal HD was cose to full I added an additional external HD to my setup. I moved my iPhoto files to an external HD and backed both this external HD and my internal HD up with Time Machine to another external HD. So far the theory. When I wanted to test if this setup worked I noticed that I could only see my iPhoto libraries on the external HD in Time Machine when the external HD was connected to my computer, but not if I turned it off. This led me to search for a solution on the Apple Support Communities discussion board.
The suggestions made Kappy seem right, at least in my experience, in that my Time Machine simply did not back up the external HD until I followed the steps he suggested above. These were the following:
"So, if you want it backed up then here's what you need to do:
1. In Time Machine preferences remove the external drive from the Exclude list.
2. Verify that it is now included with your other drive in the backup list.
3. Do a Backup Now to create a new backup of the external drive."
After doing this, my external HD showed up in the Backups.backupd as a seperate folder. I could clearly see the Time Machine back-up for my internal HD and my external HD. In addition, in Time Machine itself I was able to find the external harddrive by clicking on my own computers name under "Devices". I hope my experience helps to resolve your issue as this discussion board has helped me resolve mine (which I believe to be very similar).
Cheers!

How to store iMovies on an external hard drive instead of MAC drive

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