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zachb65112750
Participant
August 22, 2026
Question

After Effects Exports freezes at one frame before 1 Second

  • August 22, 2026
  • 6 replies
  • 83 views

When I export any video in After Effects, regardless of the composition settings, frame rate, resolution, or quality, the render consistently freezes one frame before the 1-second mark. The only workaround I've found is exporting as an image sequence, but there is an additional issue with audio synchronization, and it is corrupted.

 

Standard video exports freeze every time, while renders sent through Adobe Media Encoder (AME) complete successfully. I've already tested different compositions, export settings, frame rates, and quality levels, but the issue remains the same.

 

Any assistance in diagnosing why After Effects stops rendering at the same point on every export would be greatly appreciated. PS: I’m using the latest version of After Effects on my Apple M4 Max with 48 GB of RAM.

    6 replies

    Sam_Beck8519
    Participant
    September 2, 2026

    Yes, that is the first thing i did and that was not the problem

    ToolfarmJP
    Community Expert
    ToolfarmJPCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    September 1, 2026

    Would you try to change the setting of Project Settings?

     

    Video Rendering and Effects tab:

    Mercury GPU > Mercury Software Only

    *It takes longer time to render it due to the change.

    Nishu Kushwaha
    Community Manager
    Nishu KushwahaCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    August 25, 2026

    Hi, thanks for the detailed report.

    A few things that would help narrow it down:

    1. Your exact AE version (Help > About) and macOS version.

    2. Does the freeze happen in a brand new empty project too? Try a new project > add a solid layer > export via Render Queue.

    3. Can you try running After Effects in Safe Mode and see if that helps? Here's how: https://adobe.ly/3U8fyXp

    AME as an interim workaround is worth using for critical deliveries while we sort this out. Let me know what you find with the fresh-project test. Moving this thread from Bugs to Questions for troubleshooting.


    Thanks,

    Nishu

    zachb65112750Author
    Participant
    August 27, 2026

    Hi Nishu, thanks for the response.

    Here are the details and results from the tests you suggested:

    1. I’m using Adobe After Effects Version 26.3.0 (Build 87) and macOS 26.5.2 (Build 25F84).

    2. Yes, the freeze also happens in a completely new, empty project. I created a brand-new composition with only a single solid layer, with no effects, plugins, or other assets, and exported it through the Render Queue. It still gets stuck.

    It also does not seem to matter which render settings I use. I’ve tested different composition settings and both CPU and GPU rendering, but the issue remains the same.

    1. I tested After Effects in Safe Mode, and there it actually renders correctly. However, outside of Safe Mode, even the simplest possible composition with just one solid layer and no effects still gets stuck.

    So far, the main difference I’ve found is that rendering works in Safe Mode but not during a normal startup. This makes me think something that loads during normal operation may be causing the issue.

    I’ll continue using AME as a workaround for critical deliveries, but hopefully these results help narrow down what is causing the Render Queue to freeze.

    Thanks!

    Nishu Kushwaha
    Community Manager
    Nishu KushwahaCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    August 31, 2026

    Thanks for testing, Zach. That's really useful diagnostic work. Rendering correctly in Safe Mode but not in normal mode narrows this down to either a third-party plugin conflict or corrupted preferences.

    A quick question first: when you started AE in Safe Mode, did you also select the option to disable third-party plug-ins?

    Here's how to isolate:

    1. Disable third-party plug-ins from within AE. Effect > Manage Effects. Disable all third-party effects there, restart AE, and test the export. If it renders successfully, one of your plugins is the culprit. Re-enable them one by one and test after each to identify the specific plugin.

    2. If disabling plug-ins doesn't help, reset your AE preferences. Hold Cmd + Option + Shift while launching AE. When the Startup Repair Options dialog appears, choose Reset Preferences. Then try the export again.

    Let me know what you find.


    Thanks,

    Nishu

    Nataliia_M
    Nataliia_M
    Inspiring
    August 24, 2026

    Hi ​@zachb65112750 
    I guess the team members can give you a more precise answer, but in the meantime, have you tried reinstalling both AE and Media Encoder? Maybe the Creative Cloud Cleaner tool could be useful if something went wrong deeply with the installation. You can find some info here: https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/apps/troubleshoot/diagnostics-repair-tools/prepare-to-run-creative-cloud-cleaner-tool.html

    Warmly, Nataliia
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