Stop iMovie File Import

Could anyone advise how to stop an iMovie file import once it has started generating thumbnails?

The only thing I can think of is to type the command key and the period key at the same time. Many applications see that as signal to stop what it is doing.

I'll be surprised if it works because iMovie has already done half the job of importing the content.

Thanks..... thought that would work too but no effect. Had to force quit the program. When I reopened iMovie it blacked out the thumbnails on the last import-not the one canceled, which was gone, but the one before. The video is still there when you run the cursor over the strip but the thumbnails are grayed out.

i might be able to help

if you go to the apple logo button in the menu, and click the 'force quit' option, it will bring up a box. click iMovie and then force quit. it will exit the program.

Stopping iMovie with ForceQuit is not a real solution

Yes, ForceQuit will shut just about anything down, but that's not the problem. The problem (at least the one I'm having) is as soon as you open iMovie, it starts automatically loading one of my videos (I assume from a particular designated folder) into its database, and turning it into thumbnails. Other than force quit, I have no way of stopping it apparently. Nor do I have a choice (it seems), of telling it WHICH video to load and turn into thumbnails. I do want it to load a video and start turning it into thumbnails, I just want to be able to tell it which one instead of it automatically picking one, especially when it's not the one that I want. And once it starts, as I'd said, it seems like there is no way of stopping it (aside from force quit). This is why force quit is not a solution, because I don't want it to shut down, I want to keep it open, but I just want to be able to tell it which vid to load, and when.

You can select "manual only" in iMovie preferences which will only import selected video clips you have designated for import....you control everything....

Thanks codda, I looked for that but for some reason a bunch of my pull-down menu options were greyed out. Once iMovie pulled, loaded and thumbnailed a couple of videos on its own (it stopped on its own after pulling 2 in), most of my menus now appear in black again. When I click on Preferences, there is no "manual" option that appears on my Preferences window. I've attached a preferences menu grab in a pdf.

After doing a few searches for iMovie and "won't let me select videos", it appears that at least a few people have complained about iMovie being somewhat limited prior to Snow Leopard, on 10.5.8 which is what I'm running on my Macbook. I'm spooked about upgrading the OS as I've heard nightmare stories too many times. But I may just do it following cultofmac's recommendations on wiping the drive and starting fresh, so as to be able to use the latest compatible version of iMovie.

Unless someone out there can tell me where that "manual" option is in my version, and/or why it's not appearing in my preferences menu and how to get it to appear or a workaround.

View attachment Preferences menu grab.pdf

Well, I'm running iMovie 09 on Snow Leopard and don't see Manual mode. I too can't see an option to stop this annoyance.

When I first open iMovie, it asks permission to create thumbnails from video in my iPhoto library. I just click Later and continue on. See attached image.

The OP needs to read the second paragraph of that iMovie dialog box above.