Troubleshooting MOV Files Not Working in Premiere Pro on Windows

If you're a video editor using Adobe Premiere Pro on a Windows computer, you may have encountered an issue where MOV files are not importing properly or are causing errors when you try to edit them. This can be a frustrating and time-consuming problem, especially if you have a deadline to meet and your workflow is disrupted by technical problems. In this post, we'll go over some common causes of MOV files not working in Premiere Pro on Windows, and provide some troubleshooting tips you can take to fix them.

Adobe Premiere Pro supports a wide range of video formats and codecs, but not all of them. You know what, MOV are always encoded with various video compression formats like HEVC, Cinepak, M-JPEG, Apple ProRes, CineForm, etc. If the .mov file you're trying to import is not a supported format standard, it may not work properly in the program, such as Premiere Pro only importing audio, HEVC not working in PR, etc. Fortunately, the problem can be simply fixed by video transcoding. Given this, I strongly recommend WonderFox HD Video Converter Factory Pro that can get the job done in a breeze.

Free downloadFree download this novice-oriented app, let's see how it works to fix MOV files not working in Premiere Pro.

Step 1. Run HD Video Converter Factory Pro and open "Converter" module.

Step 2. Drag and drop the MOV files that won't open in Premiere Pro into the interface.

Step 3. Press the Format Profile image on the right side to unfold a full list of 500+ configured presets. Choose a Premiere-compatible format like MP4 (H.264/AAC) based on the Premiere Pro Supported Video Formats published from Adobe Official.

Optional. MOV files glitching in Premiere Pro can also be caused by variable frame rates (VFR) or excessive video bit rates. You're able to open "Parameter settings" windows to change VFR to CFR and lower the video bit rates. Click OK to return.

Step 4. Press "Down Arrow" icon to specify a destination folder. Finally, hit "Run" button to convert MOV to Premiere Pro friendly format.

Note. BTW, it also works to fix other video import failure problems in PR, such as MTS/M2TS not working, MP4 won't open, The Importer Reported a Generic error, and more.

The version of Premiere Pro you're using may be outdated. If you're using an older version of Premiere Pro, it may not be able to properly handle newer .mov files encoded with some tough codecs. In this case, updating to the latest version of the software inside the app itself or with Creative Cloud may solve the MOV file not working in Premiere Pro issue because the new update may add timely support for that.

Premiere not importing mov files is likely to be fixed by installing the Media Feature Pack if you're running Windows 10 Pro N edition. A user from Adobe Support Community has confirmed the practice. Check more details from the Microsoft Official Page.

Some users have reported that turning off hardware acceleration in Premiere Pro can help resolve MOV file import issues. To do this, go to File > Project Settings > General > Video Rendering and Playback, set the Renderer to Mercury Playback Engine Software Only.

H264/HEVC hardware acceleration in Premiere Pro will be enabled by default if your CPU or GPU is qualified. To disable it, go to Preferences > Media > Uncheck H264/HEVC hardware accelerated encoding (requires restart).

Some people responded that clearing media caches in Premiere Pro was also helpful to fix MOV files not working in Premiere Pro issue. Just go to Edit > Preferences > Media Cache > Remove Media Cache Files > Delete > Delete all media cache files from the system > OK. Restart Premiere Pro and see if it works.

It doesn't seem to make sense, but many people have confirmed that it sometimes works to fix MOV files not working in Premiere Pro by renaming the file extension from .mov to .mp4. If the file extension is hidden on your Windows 10/11, here's the guide to show it: open File Explorer > navigate to View tab > check "File name extensions" option.

If the .mov file is corrupt or damaged, it may not be able to be opened or played in Premiere Pro. This could be due to a variety of reasons, such as a faulty hard drive, unexpected interruption in power supply, improper handling, malware infection or transfer error. If so, you can try using a MOV video repair tool to fix it, such as Wondershare Repairit, Stellar Repair for Video, etc. If the file is damaged beyond repair, you may need to try and obtain a new copy.

The MOV files may be encrypted by the third-party manufacturers. If you don't have permission to access the MOV files, Premiere Pro will not be able to import them. In most case, the manufacturer will provide an executable file or license to the end-users. Make sure that you have the correct permissions to access the files on your computer.

The update-to-date version of Premiere Pro always needs a higher PC requirement. If your computer configuration is not powerful enough to deal with those 4K HDR 60/120FPS MOV footage, you’ll inevitably run into MOV files glitching in Premiere Pro. In this case, you have to make some upgrades to improve your PC performance.

Also Read: This file has no audio or video streams | The file has an unsupported compression type | Error Compiling Movie Premiere Pro

That's all about the troubleshooting tips. If you're having issues with .mov files not working in Premiere Pro on a Windows computer, by following the solutions above, you may be able to successfully import and edit your .mov files in Premiere Pro. Hopefully, this guide is of some help to you. But if you are unlucky that none of these steps help, you may need to consult Adobe support or the Premiere Pro user community for further assistance. Thanks for reading!