Convert a WLMP file to MP4 without Movie Maker
A .wlmp file is a project from Windows Live Movie Maker, the 2011 and 2012 versions. Unlike a Photo Story .wp3, it holds no pictures, video or music at all. It is a short text file that lists your media by its full path on the computer that made it, plus how long each item shows, where clips are trimmed, the transitions, titles and music.
So a video can only be rebuilt from a .wlmp when the original files are still around somewhere. The free check below tells you which files the project needs and whether you still have them. Nothing is uploaded; the page reads the project and the folder names on your computer only.
Drop a .wlmp file here
Find the files
Choose the folder that holds the photos, videos and music (a parent folder is fine; subfolders are searched too). Files are matched by name, so it does not matter that the drive letter or user name has changed. The browser will ask to let the page see the folder; it reads file names and sizes, nothing is sent anywhere.
| File | Kind | Used | Status |
|---|
Turning it into an MP4
The MP4 export for .wlmp projects is the next thing I am building. It will use the same files this check finds, and buyers of the Photo Story export get it at no extra cost. If you would like a note when it works, email jonathonwager@plaugstudios.com and I will write once, when it ships.
Until then, if Movie Maker 2012 still runs on your PC, it can save the project as an MP4 directly: open the .wlmp, fix any missing items, then choose Save movie. If it does not run, collect the files this check lists into one folder now, so they are together when the export is ready.
"Movie Maker says media is missing"
Movie Maker looks for each file at the exact path it was added from, such as C:\Users\Ana\Pictures\Trip\IMG_0412.JPG. A new computer, a different user name, a renamed folder or an external drive with a new letter all break that path, and the project shows a warning triangle on every item it cannot find. The files themselves are usually fine. Point the check above at the folder where they live now and it will show which ones are still missing for real.
What is inside a .wlmp
The file is XML. A MediaItems list names every source file with its full path, its type (video, photo or audio) and its length. The Extents section holds the clips: an ImageClip shows a photo for a set number of seconds, a VideoClip plays part of a video from inTime to outTime, an AudioClip places music, and a TitleClip holds a title card with its text, font and animation. Separate tracks for the main video, the soundtrack, narration and captions tie the clips together in order.