How to Import a File into Windows Movie Maker (272363)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
This article was previously published under Q272363

SUMMARY

You should be able to import the following media file formats into Microsoft Windows Movie Maker:
  • Video Files: .asf, .avi, .wmv
  • Movie Files: .mpeg, .mpg, .mlv, .mp2, .mpa, .mpe
  • Audio Files: .wav, .snd., .au, .aif, .aifc, .aiff, .wma, .mp3
  • Windows Media Files: .asf, .wm, .wma, .wmv
  • Still Image Files: .bmp, .jpg, .jpeg, .jfif, .gif, .dib
Note: You may not be able to successfully import some files if they have been encoded using a non-standard codec.

MORE INFORMATION

There are several methods for importing a file into Movie Maker.

To import a file by using the Movie Maker user interface, follow these steps:
  1. On the File menu, click Import to open the Import dialog box.
  2. Browse to the folder containing the file that you want to import. Open the folder, and then click the file to be imported.

    Note: You can select multiple files by pressing the SHFT or CTRL keys while selecting the files.
  3. Click Open button. Movie Maker will begin importing the selected files into the Collections database.
To import media files by using Windows Explorer, follow these steps:
  1. Open Windows Explorer, and then browse to the folder containing the file that you want to import. Open the folder containing the media files to be imported.
  2. Click the file or files that you want to import.

    Note: You can select multiple files by pressing the SHFT or CTRL keys while selecting the files.
  3. Click, and then drag and drop the selected file or files to the Movie Maker interface. Movie Maker will begin importing the selected files into the Collections database.
Important Note on the Source File

When you import a file into Movie Maker, the file is imported into the Collections database. The file itself is unchanged. When you build a project, Movie Maker references the original source file. For this reason the source file should not be moved to a new location or the entry in the Collections database will be invalid.

For more information on importing a file into Movie Maker, see the Windows Movie Maker Help file.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:1/14/2006
Keywords:kbhowto KB272363
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