Help! Movie files missing in iMovie '11!

Hi Everyone!

I am trying to load my home movie files into iMovie '11. When I go to import, it is taking the time optimize, create bookmarks, etc but then sometimes the file just disappears and doesn't get loaded into my events folder. I did some research on it and it said to go into Library and delete the "com.apple.imovieapp.plist" file (I left the "com.apple.imovieapp.plist.lockfile" file there). After I moved it to trash and emptied the trash, I re-opened iMovie and tried it again. Once again, some (but not all) of the files wouldn't stay saved in my events, and when I went to go back and look at the library director, that dreaded "com.apple.imovieapp.plist" file was back again! Any ideas what I can do? In addition, when I load the movie to my event file, am I required to "optimize." Will it make a difference if I don't?

Thanks!

I really need help here, guys and gals! Come on, over 500 people have viewed this thread and nobody has replied .

The problem is as follows:

- I import movies from my external hard drive into iMovie '11 (I am on Lion).
- Files are optimizing, and show up in my events folder. When the file is done optimizing, it disappears from the events folder.
- I tried deleting the com.apple.imovieapp.plist file, shut down the computer and then restarted iMovie. The file showed up again in the preferences file
- I tried moving the file to my desktop and, once again, it shows up in my preferences file.

Can anyone help? I have 70 hours of home movies that I want to consolidate into a 30 minute home movie for my wife who is about to go into the hospital for a major surgery.

Thanks!!!!

First of all, a lot of the "views" have probably come from bots and search engine spiders, which obviously can't reply.

iMovie can't operate without the com.apple.imovieapp.plist file. When it's not there it will ALWAYS generate a new one. The advice you got would have helped if something were wrong with that file, but evidently that's not the problem.

As for what IS the problem, how much free disk space do you have?

thanks for responding! I don't think it is a space issue as I am trying to save these files to a Seagate 2TB hard drive, of which 1.7TB is still open.