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master_vibrancyc497
Participant
September 22, 2026
Question

My After Effects 26.5 won't start and will close on it's own while scanning folders

  • September 22, 2026
  • 6 replies
  • 59 views

After Effects 26.5 does not start, it crashes on the splash screen or the loading screen when I press open After Effects, and deleting the microsoft.ai.machinelearning.dll file located in: C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Plug-Ins\CC\File Formats did not fix the problem.

    6 replies

    Nishu Kushwaha
    Community Manager
    Nishu KushwahaCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    September 22, 2026

    Hi, sorry to hear about the crash.

     

    To help narrow it down, could you share:

    1. Your exact AE version and OS.

    2. Your system specs (CPU, GPU, RAM).

    3. Your GPU driver version.

    4. Any error messages or crash reporter dialog? If a crash reporter appears, please include your email address before submitting.

    5. Have you tried launching AE in Safe Mode with third-party plug-ins disabled? https://adobe.ly/4ypsAPO

    Let me know what you find.


    Thanks,
    Nishu

      master_vibrancyc497Author
      Participant
      September 23, 2026

      I use After Effcts 26.5 version(the most recent one) and I use Windows I have 32 gb of RAM, Intel(R) Core(TM) Ultra 7 265 for CPU, and for my GPU I use NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060. My GPU driver version is 32.0.16.1692, no error messages and even though I start it with safe mode or I try to disable my plugins, it can’t load and closes when it says “Cleaning up SuperComp Helper” I hope this can figure out what is wrong with my After Effects!

        Nishu Kushwaha
        Community Manager
        Nishu KushwahaCommunity Manager
        Community Manager
        September 24, 2026

        Thanks for the details. The "Cleaning up SuperComp Helper" line is a clue. Can you try the following:

        1. Navigate to this folder: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Common\Plug-ins\7.0\MediaCore

        2. Move everything inside that folder (except dummy.txt) to a temporary folder on your Desktop — all files and folders.

        3. Launch AE.

        With no third-party plug-ins available to load at all, AE should launch cleanly. If it does, move the plug-ins back in batches (half at a time), relaunching AE and testing after each batch, to narrow down which specific plug-in is the culprit.

        Let me know how it goes.


        Thanks,
        Nishu

        brilliant_character628e
        Participant
        September 22, 2026

        Hello, ​@master_vibrancyc497 

         

        If After Effects 26.5 is crashing while scanning folders or on the splash/loading screen, deleting microsoft.ai.machinelearning.dll may not be enough.

        Try these steps:

        Reset After Effects preferences
        Hold Ctrl + Alt + Shift while launching After Effects and confirm the preference reset.

        Disable third-party plug-ins
        Temporarily move third-party plug-ins from:
        C:\Program Files\Adobe\Common\Plug-ins\7.0\MediaCore
        to another folder, then try launching After Effects again.

        Check the MediaCore plug-ins
        If AE starts after moving the plug-ins, add them back one at a time to identify the plug-in causing the crash.

        Try disabling third-party effects during startup
        Hold Shift while launching After Effects to prevent third-party plug-ins from loading.

        Update/reinstall the GPU driver
        Install the latest Studio/official driver for your NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel GPU, then restart Windows.

        Repair the Adobe installation
        In the Creative Cloud desktop app, check After Effects for an available update or use the reinstall option.

         

        Best Regard,
        James

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