Advanced 3D crashes (even after clean reinstall) - NVIDIA RTX 4060 Laptop

Hello,

I'm experiencing a consistent crash when using 3D models in After Effects. Below is a detailed log of the troubleshooting steps I took with an AI assistant to try and solve this. I am posting the AI-generated text directly. I'm posting this here hoping to find a solution.

1. Post Title

Advanced 3D crashes (even after clean reinstall) - NVIDIA RTX 4060 Laptop

2. My Environment

• OS: Windows 11 Pro (Version 25H2 / OS Build 26200.6899)

• After Effects Version: Latest (25.5) and 25.3.2

• CPU: 13th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-13700H

• RAM: 32.0 GB

• Integrated GPU (GPU 0): Intel(R) Iris(R) Xe Graphics

• Dedicated GPU (GPU 1): NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU

• NVIDIA Driver: Studio Driver Version 581.57 (Before testing) / 581.29 (After testing)

3. Problem Summary

After Effects consistently crashes when I try to enable the "Advanced 3D" renderer. This happens when importing a 3D model or simply enabling the 3D layer switch on a shape layer. The error messages are either "After Effects can't continue: Advanced 3D plug-in generated an unexpected exception." or "Before quitting, you have one chance to save your project..."

4. Troubleshooting Steps Taken (All Failed)

[Initial Triage: Steps 1-7]

• Step 1: GPU Driver Clean Install

  • Installed the latest NVIDIA Studio Driver (581.57) using the "Custom installation" and "Perform a clean installation" options, followed by a PC restart.

  • Result: The symptom did not change.

• Step 2: Reset Preferences

  • Launched AE while holding Ctrl + Alt + Shift to delete and reset the preference files.

  • Result: The symptom did not change.

• Step 3: Triage (Test A - Shape Layer 3D)

  • To isolate the problem from 3D model files, I performed the following:

    1. Created a new composition.

    2. Changed the renderer to "Advanced 3D" in composition settings.

    3. Created a new shape layer and enabled its "3D Layer" switch.

  • Result: AE crashed the instant I enabled the 3D switch ("Before quitting...").

  • Finding: This proved the crash occurs when the "Advanced 3D" feature is enabled, regardless of any 3D model file.

• Step 4: Triage (Test B - Safe Mode Launch)

  • To rule out third-party plugin conflicts, I launched AE from the crash repair options using "Start in Safe Mode" and checking "Disable 3rd party plugins during session."

  • Result: Even with all plugins disabled in Safe Mode, the crash was identical to Step 3.

• Step 5: Clean Reinstallation of After Effects

  • Uninstalled AE via the Creative Cloud app, selecting the option to "Remove preferences" to ensure a full removal.

  • Reinstalled After Effects (and Cinema 4D by Maxon).

• Step 6: Launching in a Clean State

  • On the first launch after reinstalling, I selected "Do Not Migrate" on the "Migrate Settings & Restart After Effects" screen.

  • Result: This ensured AE started in a completely clean, factory-default state, carrying over no old settings.

• Step 7: Final Test (Reproducing in Clean State)

  • In this completely clean state, I repeated the test from Step 3 (enabling 3D on a shape layer).

  • Result: The application still crashed the instant the 3D switch was enabled.

[Advanced Hypothesis Testing: Steps 8-11 (Newly Added)]

Since Steps 1-7 proved the issue was not with AE preferences or plugins, I tested three core hypotheses: (I) Optimus conflict, (II) OS/Driver instability, (III) AE regression bug.

• Step 8: Hypothesis I (Optimus Conflict) Test → MUX Switch Check

  • To verify if the laptop's GPU switching tech (Optimus) was failing the handoff, I attempted to force a dGPU (NVIDIA) only mode.

  • Attempt A (Software): Checked the PC manufacturer's control software (e.g., Armoury Crate, Lenovo Vantage). It did not have any GPU mode switching feature (MUX switch).

  • Attempt B (BIOS): Restarted and entered the BIOS/UEFI setup. No items related to GPU switching (like "Hybrid Graphics" or "dGPU Mode") existed.

  • Result: Testing Hypothesis I via a MUX switch was "Not Possible" on this specific laptop hardware.

• Step 9: Hypothesis III (AE Regression Bug) Test → AE Downgrade

  • Suspecting a bug in the latest version (25.5), I installed a known-stable version, "After Effects 25.3.2," from the Creative Cloud app (this version reportedly fixed a similar Advanced 3D crash).

  • Test: Launched AE 25.3.2 and repeated the test from Step 3.

  • Result: It crashed with the exact same error message as the latest version (25.5).

  • Finding: The crash happens regardless of the AE version (25.5 or 25.3.2). This proves Hypothesis III (an AE 25.5 regression bug) is NOT the cause.

• Step 10: Hypothesis II (OS/Driver Instability) Test → DDU & Driver Rollback

  • To test if the specific combination of the latest driver (581.57) and OS (25H2) was unstable (Hypothesis II).

  • Action A (Full Removal): Restarted the PC in "Safe Mode" and used "Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU)" to completely remove both the NVIDIA and Intel GPU drivers (including registry keys and settings).

  • Action B (Rollback): Restarted in normal mode and clean-installed the stable "NVIDIA Studio Driver 581.29" (which includes Optimus-related fixes) instead of the problematic 581.57.

  • Test: With this new driver environment, I launched the latest "After Effects 25.5" and repeated the test from Step 3.

  • Result: It still crashed with the exact same error message.

  • Finding: The crash happens on both the latest driver (581.57) and the stable rollback driver (581.29). This proves a specific driver version (Hypothesis II) is NOT the sole cause.

• Step 11: Final Attempt (Combined Intervention for Hypotheses I+II+III)

  • To eliminate any possibility of these issues combining, I performed every software-based intervention simultaneously.

  • Environment Setup:

    1. Driver: "Stable Driver (581.29)" from Step 10.

    2. Application: "Stable AE (25.3.2)" from Step 9.

    3. Hardware (Forced): Disabled the "Intel Iris Xe Graphics (iGPU)" in Device Manager. This forcibly bypasses any Optimus switching failure (Hypothesis I).

  • Final Test: In this most stable environment possible (Intel disabled + Stable Driver + Stable AE), I launched AE 25.3.2 and repeated the test from Step 3.

  • Final Result: It STILL crashed with the exact same error message.

5. Conclusion (Updated)

After performing all 11 steps of this exhaustive troubleshooting process (preference resets, plugin disabling, clean AE reinstalls, AE downgrades, full DDU driver removal and rollbacks, and iGPU disabling), the crash was consistently reproduced in every single scenario.

This result strongly indicates that the cause of the problem is NOT user-level "settings," "plugins," "AE version bugs," or "NVIDIA driver versions."

The remaining possibilities are narrowed down to a much deeper level:

1. OS Incompatibility: A fundamental, OS-level incompatibility exists between the specific build of "Windows 11 Pro (Version 25H2)," Adobe's Advanced 3D engine, and the NVIDIA driver.

2. Hardware Incompatibility or Fault: The hardware itself (specifically the RTX 4060 Laptop GPU) is encountering a physical-level error when the specific API calls for Advanced 3D are made.

In any case, this is very likely a deep-seated issue that cannot be resolved by user-level configuration. It will likely require a fundamental fix from Adobe, NVIDIA, or Microsoft (or the PC manufacturer) via an OS or firmware update.