Why cant I export iMovie?

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iMovie comes as a preinstalled video editing app by Apple Inc. and is specially designed for iPad OS, Mac OS, and iOS devices. Launched in 1999 as a Mac OS 8 app, it has gained more popularity than its peers. With over 5 million users worldwide, iMovie has ranked as the world’s most used video editing tool. It comes with a special design that allows it to turn your videos into Hollywood-like magic. Again, the iMovie is stuffed with (the first ever) FireWire-enabled iMac DV and a consumer Mac model.

But this app is not without annoying errors messages, the commonest being “iMovie export failed.” Others include Error -50, incorrect export parameter, HiError -50, etc. We have extensively discussed this iMovie “failure to export” error messages and the best way to go about it. Please read through.

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How to Fix iMovie Export Failed Issues

1. Check the File Name

By checking your file’s name, you are checking for special characters and symbols. The thing is, the iMovie app doesn’t support the use of special characters when exporting files. So, when messages like this surface, go back and verify if your file name has special characters included on it. Once you have removed those restricted characters, reinitiate the export command. It should be successful after that.

2. Try Exporting Another Project

But after performing the above-mentioned step, and it is still not working, try exporting another project. It is possible that you may be exporting the wrong file, e.g., a deleted file on your file library or an already corrupt file on your Mac computer, probably because of an error on the system. So, try to create another project, then repeat the same procedure; you’d be surprised it will pull through.

3. Check Export Settings

There are reasons to believe that you are having problems with H.264 codec of the iMovie at the time of export. You will need to tweak a few settings on your export preferences to fix it. Here is how:

Step 1

While on the iMovie, click the Share button.

Step 2

Next, export your video using QuickTime.

Step 3

Click on Options and Settings.

Step 4

Then adjust the following options: Compression Type: MPEG-4 Video, Key Frames: Auto, Date Rate: Auto, Compressor Quality: High.

When you are done, reinitiate the export video command, and see what happens. It is expected to go through.

My Export Settings in iMovie 10.1.2

4. Update your iMovie App

A lot of problems emanate when you don’t update your iMovie app. Working on an outdated app always displays faulty characteristics. When your iMovie app is obsolete, it can lead to a compatibility issue, an issue that could trigger a technical problem in the operating system hence, affect the app performance. So, to avoid this, you just have to get your iMovie app updated.

5. Update Mac OS

Just like an outdated iMovie app, an outdated Mac OS version can also cause an iMovie failed to export error message to appear. These problems cause incompatibility with installed applications, including the iMovie app. And note that even if your iMovie app is up to date but your Mac OS is not, you might still encounter the same problem. To fix the outdated Mac OS problem, follow these steps:

Step 1

Click on the Apple Logo (on your Mac) located at the top of the screen.

Step 2

Choose System Preferences, then click on the Software Update.

Step 3

Finally, click the “Update Now” button.

6. Restart Your Mac Computer

This is the easy part; an easy restart of your computer can save you a lot of trouble. When you restart your computer, your Mac OS restarts, especially when encountering a temporary glitch while in use. But before you do this, make sure all work-in-progress is saved because you could lose your work when it restarts. To do this:

Step 1

Click on the Apple logo located in the upper left-hand corner of the screen.

Wait till it finishes, then try to export your file again.

7. Boot in Safe Mode

Booting in safe mode is the easiest and safest way to help you solve the iMovie export failed error message. To do this:

Step 1

Switch off your Mac computer. Click the Apple menu, then click Shut Down.

Step 2

Switch your Mac back on, and quickly press-hold the Shift key while the system boots.

Step 3

Continue holding it until an Apple logo and the progress bar appears. You may need to log in a couple of times afterward.

Step 4

This time, your Mac is expected to enter the Safe Mode.

Step 5

While on Safe Mode, launch the iMovie app, and try to export your project one more time.

Step 6

If it worked, exist the Safe Mode, restart your Mac (normally).

8. Reset NVRAM or PRAM

To reset your NVRAM or PRAM, please follow this process:

Step 1

Switch off your Mac computer.

Step 2

Disconnections except for the mouse and keyboard.

Step 3

Switch your Mac computer back on, and immediately press-hold the Option, Command, P, and the R buttons together.

Step 4

Hold the keys for 20 seconds and release. Try Exporting Another Project; if it persists, you may want to call Apple customer care. Or better still, try FlexClip.

FlexClip is the world’s number one video editing online software used by thousands of video and image content makers to achieve the best outcome. It is also the best iMovie alternative, considering the designs, powerful editing tools, rich templates, and other useful resources it came with. Because it is online-based, you don’t have to worry about downloads; hence, no need to create special space for it in the CPU. In summary, FlexClip is just designed to impress, to make a strong impact. Give it a try if iMovie export failed issue persists.

Quick Tutorial on How to Create Videos Online with FlexClip

The Bottom Line

It is no doubt that the iMovie export failed error report can be so embarrassing, especially when you are in dire need of exporting these files. But if all the options listed in this article fail (which we doubt), then you might what to go for something better: FlexClip. Remember to give it a try!

Have you edited a video on iMovie only to be greeted by an error message saying “The Operation Couldn’t Be Completed” right after you export it?

iMovie is yet another application developed by Apple for its enthusiasts to enjoy. It is a video editing app that is available on macOS and iOS with lots of functionality that lets you create cinematic films on the go. 

While the app offers a lot of positives to its users, there have been reports from Apple Support Community regarding various issues with the app. One of these problems is when the videos that you have edited on the app simply refuse to be saved and export from your device.

Luckily, there is a dedicated page on Apple Support that tackles the issues regarding iMovie. In this guide, we are going to walk you through the different methods that you can try to fix the issue with iMovie won’t export the videos that you have created. 

Let’s get started. 

It may seem that a simple restart of your computer doesn’t do anything at all, but a simple restart of your computer would allow your operating system (macOS in this case) to reload all of its resources which may have encountered a temporary glitch during your use. 

Before doing this, make sure that you save all your progress on iMovie first to avoid losing your work. 

Now, to restart your Mac properly, check out the steps below:

1. On your computer, click on the Apple logo located at the upper-left corner of your screen. 
2. After that, click on Restart.

1. Lastly, wait for your Mac to finish restarting. 

On the other hand, you can also restart your Mac computer by holding the Power button until the options menu appears on your screen. Now, click on Restart or press the R key on your keyboard. 

Once your computer has restarted, go back to iMove and try to export the video that you want to see if the error would still occur. 

There are a lot of problems that can occur if you are running an outdated version of any application on your computer or other devices. An outdated version of iMovie may cause compatibility issues with your operating system that can affect the performance of the app. 

To fix this, make sure that you are running the latest version of iMovie before editing or exporting videos from the app. 

1. First, click on the Apple logo located at the top of your screen. 
2. Next, click on Apple Store. 

1. Inside the Apple Store, click on the Updates tab. 
2. Lastly, Apple Store would automatically scan for any update available to all the apps installed on your Mac. If available, press the Update button beside iMovie to install the update. 

After updating iMovie on your Mac, restart it and try to export the video on iMovie once again to see if the ‘won’t export’ error message would still occur on your computer. 

However, if you are still having issues with iMovie after the update, you can try doing the next method below to address the problem. 

As mentioned above, even outdated versions of operating systems can also cause incompatibility issues with iMovie and other applications. It is possible that there was a recent update with iMovie and it no longer supports the current version of macOS installed on your computer. 

To fix this, simply update your macOS to the latest version available. 

If you are using macOS Mojave or later, you can check for an update by doing the following. 

1. On your Mac, click on the Apple logo at the top of your screen and select System Preferences. 
2. Inside System Preferences, click on Software Update. 

1. Lastly, click on the Update Now button if available. 

For earlier versions of macOS, you can check for an update using the Apple Store, which is discussed in Method 2.

Once the update is installed, restart your Mac once again and try to export the video on iMovie to see if the error message saying ‘The Operation Couldn’t Be Completed’ is already fixed. 

Booting in Safe Mode on Mac allows your operating system to repair itself and clear system caches that may affect the performance of several applications on your computer, including iMovie. 

Try running iMovie while in Safe Mode to see if the error message would still appear while exporting a video. 

1. First, turn off your computer completely.
2. After that, press on the Shift key on your keyboard and hit the Power button. 
3. Continue holding the Shift key until your Mac boots up completely. 
4. Lastly, open iMovie and try to export the video. 

If you have exported the video successfully while in Safe Mode, restart your computer and exit Safe Mode. Now, try exporting another video to see if the error message would still occur. 

iMovie does not allow special characters and symbols on your export file. In this case, you can try verifying if there are any special symbols or characters included on the file name of your export and remove it. 

Once you have removed any unallowed characters on the export file, try to export it once again to see if it will be successful. 

Alternatively, if you still want to include special characters on the export file, you can just rename it after the export is done. 

For some unknown reasons, the H.264 codec of iMovie is having issues when you export using “Best Quality” multipass encoding. In this case, you can fix the issue by tweaking a few settings on your export preferences. 

Follow the guide below to know exactly what you need to change:

1. On iMovie, click on the Share button. 
2. After that, export the video using QuickTime. 

1. Next, click on Options, then Settings. 
2. Lastly, change the following options: 

Compression Type     : MPEG-4 Video

Key Frames                 : Auto

Date Rate                   : Auto

Compressor Quality  : High

Now, try to export the video that you are having problems with to see if the error message would still occur on iMovie. 

If you are still having issues exporting a specific project, it is possible that its library files got deleted or corrupted on your Mac which causes the error on your computer. 

To rule this out, try to create another project and add a short video in it and add a couple of effects. Once done, try to export the new project on your computer to see if it will go smoothly. 

If the new project has been exported successfully, this means that the problem is with the specific project that refuses to export. Try to check all the videos used in that project and make sure that none is missing or corrupted. 

However, if you are having problems exporting any project on iMovie, you can try doing the final method below to fix the issue on your computer. 

Resetting your NVRAM or PRAM would reset certain system preferences settings and configurations that you may have changed unknowingly which causes iMovie to malfunction and refuse to export any project on your computer. 

To reset your NVRAM check out the steps below:

1. First, turn off your Mac computer. 
2. Next, locate the Option + Command + P + R keys on your keyboard but don’t press it yet. 
3. Lastly, press the Power button on your Mac and immediately hold the Option + Command + P + R keys on your keyboard and continue holding it for 20 seconds.

Allow your computer to reboot normally afterwards and try to use iMovie in exporting a project once again to see if the error message is already fixed. 

This sums up our guide on how to fix iMovie won’t export any project on your Mac computer. If you find other solutions that may help others in dealing with this specific issue, kindly share it in the comment section below, and we would give you credit for the solution once we update this article. 

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂