Skip to main content
dshaaaaa
dshaaaaa
Participant
April 7, 2026

I can't play the video even if I press the space bar

  • April 7, 2026
  • 1 reply
  • 8 views

I'm new to After Effects 2026. I pressed the space bar to check the image to produce a simple video, but it won't play. I looked up the shortcut bar and configuration settings, but I can't find an answer. After searching, people said that this was a bug. Please give me a solution to this situation. I only have three days.

    1 reply

    nishu_kush
    nishu_kush
    Legend
    April 7, 2026

    Thanks for reporting this. Does this happen in a new blank project, or only in a specific comp/project? What are your system specifications (CPU, GPU, RAM, OS version)? When you press the space bar, do you see the playhead (the blue line in the Timeline) move, or does it not move at all? That’ll help us narrow down whether it’s a settings issue or something project-specific

    A few quick things to check:

    • Go to Preferences > Audio Hardware and make sure the correct output is selected (this can sometimes stop preview from playing)

    • Try Edit > Purge > All Memory & Disk Cache and restart AE

    • Check if spacebar is correctly mapped in Keyboard Shortcuts (Preview → Play Current Preview)

    • Does it work if you press 0 on the numpad (RAM Preview) instead?

    Looking forward to your response.


    Thanks,

    Nishu

    Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
    Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices