How to Cut Video in Windows Movie Maker? [3 Ways]

This part shares 3 different ways on how to trim videos on Windows Movie Maker. And the detailed steps for each method are shown below. Read on to check them out.

Preparation: Before starting trimming, you need to first launch Windows Movie Maker and click “Add videos and photos” or “File” > “Open Project” to import the video clip and wait for the importing process.

Way 1. Trim Video by Using the Trim Tool in the Edit tab

Step 1. Select the video and click “Edit” on the top menu bar of the WMM interface. Choose “Trim tool” to enter the trim panel.

Step 2. Enter the exact time of trimming in the Start point and End point boxes. Or you can also drag the sliders below the video preview window to set the video duration. Click “Set start point” and “Set end point”.

Step 3. After setting the desired video starting and ending points, click “Save trim” in the upper right corner to save the trimmed video as a new clip. Lastly, click the “Home” tab and press “Save Movie” to save the new video to your folder.

Way 2. Set Start and End Points on the Timeline to Trim the Video

Step 1. Preview the video and locate a specific frame of the video that you want to start cutting. You can also drag the black vertical line on the Storyboard Pane to the point you want to start.

Step 2. Right-click the clip on the Storyboard Pane and select “Set start point” to make this frame the new start point of the trimmed video. Repeat the process to select the end point of the video and click “Set end point".

Step 3. Preview the trimmed video and save the video by clicking “Save Movie” when you are sure about the video. (If you are not satisfied with the trimmed video, you can press “Ctrl + Z” to reset the start and end points.)

Way 3. Cut Video in Windows Movie Maker with the Split Tool

Step 1. Drag the vertical line on the Storyboard Pane to the desired starting point and click “Split” under the “Edit” tab to separate your video into two parts on either side of the vertical line.

Step 2. You can then repeat the splitting process to split the video into multiple clips. If you want to remove the unwanted part, you can right-click on the clip and choose "Remove” from the drop-down menu.

Step 3. Save the new trimmed video by clicking “Save Movie”.

Although Windows Movie Maker can help you edit videos with no effort, there are still some weaknesses that make this application not the best choice. It supports limited media file formats that you may not be able to import to Windows Movie Maker for editing. Moreover, large files usually take a long time to be imported and exported. So this post also offers a Windows Movie Maker alternative to help you trim video without format limitations!

If you want to cut videos for free, you should really give WonderFox Free HD Video Converter Factory a try. It has a self-explanatory interface and straightforward workflow that enable users at all levels to cut videos without issue. With it, you can easily edit videos by cutting, merging, cropping, etc. without losing quality. It also supports converting and compressing large videos with high-quality preserved.

The following content shares how to trim video in Windows Movie Maker alternative. Just downloaddownload the application and follow the steps below to start cutting now!

Step 1. Import Videos You Want to Trim

Launch Free HD Video Converter Factory and enter its “Converter” module. Hit the “+ Add Files” button or the center “+” button to import the video clips you want to trim. You can also drag the source files into the converter interface directly.

Step 2. Cut/Split Videos

Click the scissor-shaped icon on the video editing toolbar below each video to open the video cutting window. Now drag the two sliders on the timeline to your desired place and press “Trim” to cut a clip. You can also type in the exact start and end times to make the trimmed clip more accurate. There’s no limitation on the number of cutting clips, and you can repeat the process to split the video. Press “OK” to save the change.

Step 3. Choose the Output Format and Export Trimmed Videos

After cutting all the videos you imported, you can change the video format by clicking the format image on the right side of the interface. Feel free to choose a preferred format under the “Video” tab. Back to the main interface, tap the inverted triangle button at the bottom of the interface to specify an output folder for the exported files. Finally, press “Run” to start processing and exporting the files.

Hot Search: Trim Video with Handbrake | Shotcut Trim Video | Windows Media Player Cut Video | VLC Cut Video

1. What video formats does Windows Movie Maker support?

As stated previously, some video formats cannot be accepted by Windows Movie Maker. So here I list some video files that Windows Movie Maker supports.

Windows Movie Maker supports the following video formats:
.wmv, .asf, .wm, .m2ts, .mts, .m2t, .mov, .qt, .avi, .dvr-ms, .wtv, .mp4, .m4v, .3gp, .3g2, .k3g, .mpeg, .mpg, .mpe, .m1v, .mp2, .mpv2, .mod, .vob, .m2t, .m1v.

So video files like .mkv, .webm, etc. cannot be imported into Windows Movie Maker.

2. How can I cut my video on Windows 10/11?

You can download Free HD Video Converter Factory to cut videos on Windows 10/11 without issue. Or the Video Editor, which is built-in to the Microsoft Photos app on Windows 10 and Clipchamp on Windows 11 can also help you cut videos.

Windows Movie Maker is a handy free video trimmer for users to cut videos on Windows 8 and older versions. You can follow the steps listed above to trim video in Windows Movie Maker or try the recommended video cutter to cut videos and do more edits. Download it here if you’re interested in it.