Message when opening iMovie library located on networked external hard drive

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Message when opening iMovie library located on networked external hard drive

To save room on my new MacBook Pro and iMac, I have moved my iMovie libraries to an external hard drive. I am trying to open the library from my MacBook Pro, via a network connection to an external drive plugged into my iMac. When trying to open the library from my MacBook Pro, I click on Network, then select the external drive containing the library. When I double click on the library, I receive the following message:

Libraries cannot be saved at this location. The format of the selected hard disk or network volume is not supported. Select a different location.

Is this normal? Must I have the external drive plugged directly into my MacBook Pro to open the library?

MacBook Pro (M2 Pro, 2023)

Posted on May 15, 2023 1:10 PM

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Answer 1

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Rich839

Level 8

47,676 points

May 15, 2023 2:04 PM in response to myra0114

Yes, it is normal.

iMovie libraries can only be stored on an internal or external drive that is formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled) or APFS.

Take a look at this Apple bulleting regarding storage of iMovie libraries.

Move your iMovie for Mac library – Apple Support (AU)

As stated in the above link:

"You can store your library on an external storage device, such as a USB drive or Thunderbolt drive formatted as APFS or Mac OS Extended (Journalled). Apple doesn’t recommend storing iMovie libraries on storage devices

like SD cards, USB flash drives or drives shared on a network."

In addition, you should not store an iMovie library on a drive that is being used or has been used for a Time Machine backup. The permissions are different.

-- Rich

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