Video Files in RAW, how to convert ?

I have recently started using a Go-Pro Hero for flying videos etc. All was well, I started doing some editing in iMovie, all was well.

Posted a couple of movies on YouTube without a problem.

This week, I come to review some of my files, try to open them in iPhoto and all I get is a large triangle with an exclamation mark in it and the file won't play.

So I 'get info' and the files have changed from H.246 to RAW.

This has affected all my video files within iPhoto apart from the stuff shot in the last month. That is quite a few files !!!!!!

I am unaware of doing anything within iMovie recently to format or reformat anything.

The files contain data, however, I can't play them and iMovie no longer recognises them as I build the available movies to edit from.

I have Time Capsule - I haven't looked back to find the date that it happened yet but will do in the next couple of days.

I am on Lion with the latest updates.

Any help appreciated.

200 plus views and no suggestions................


I was hoping for something by now.

Hmm, interesting... were these files that you modified before or are these original copies?

All the files were just sat in iPhoto.

I don't know whether this is an iMovie or an iPhoto problem.

I have the same problem, found a fix yet?

At last, I think I have a solution.....

http://www.macworld.com/article/161877/2011/08/lion_time_machine_iphoto.html

It should bring up a Macworld article.

So......

Follow the instructions - ish.

When you find the Masters folder, start from the earliest date, copy into a folder on the desktop by month, year, whatever is convenient.

Then drag back into iPhoto, delete the old, RAW files, delete the copies, re title and you should be OK..

Then go for a beer !

Let me know if there is a quicker way

Further to last.

I moved 665 videos last night, they are in large groups now in iPhoto, the RAW files are gone. What I need to do now is move them back into position and I should be back to normal.

Still don't know what caused it, I suspect me following advice in an iMovie manual to speed things up.

Moral - don't clean your own disc - use third party software that knows what it is doing and always check after any event. Much quicker to system restore at that point than a month down the road.