After Effects 25.3 will no longer open projects/allow me to create new ones.

[Benj_Braman]

After installing the 25.3 update After Effects will crash on trying to open projects. I have tried creating new projects, saving them and opening those also causes After Effects to crash. I have tried rolling back to 25.22 and the problem still persists. I have also tried completely reinstalling the entire Creative Suite and it didn't resolve the issue. In event Viewer the General Application Hang summary states "The program AfterFX.exe version 25.3.0.71 stopped interacting with Windows and was closed. To see if more information about the problem is available, check the problem history in the Security and Maintenance control panel."

The details state - 

APPName AfterFX.exe

AppVersion 25.3.0.71

ProcessID 0x70e4

StartTime 0x1dbe166abcb23d6

TerminationTime 269

ExeFileName C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects 2025\Support Files\AfterFX.exe

ReportId 3fed1eaf-b201-bc7d-028b477b5791

HangType Unknown

I am running Windows 11 Pro - Version 10.0.26100 Build 26100

My machine is a Dell Latitude 5550 Laptop with 32GB of RAM, 500 GB HD

The IT dept is trying their best to help me but they are stumped as well. Any help would be amazing. Thanks in advance. 

[nishu_kush]

Sorry that you're experiencing crash, Benj_Braman.

Are there any crash reports? Can you try running After Effects in Safe Mode with third-party plug-ins disabled?

Let me know how it goes. Moving this thread from Bugs to Discussions for troubleshooting.

Thanks,
Nishu

[zboat]

I'm having the same issue. All my existing project files won't open and it causes After Effects to hang over and over again. I've done EVERY SINGLE recommended step from the forums and every person who has had ANY idea on how to fix this. I don't know what they did in version 25.3 but it has absolutely broken my system and I can't open client project files that I've been working on for months. This is incredibly frustrating and there is no path to a solution. This is absolutely a bug. Something is legit wrong.

[Benj_Braman]

I found a semi-solution. After uninstalling the entire creative suite, I started by installing each app one at a time - starting with After Effects. With After Effects installed solo it worked, once I installed the newest version of Premiere however it stopped working. I uninstalled premiere, and then rolled back the install of Premiere to 25.2.3 and now it's working ok. Projects still take an absurd amount of time to open though. 

[Davidcgc]

I've also had this issue. It seems to be particular to larger AE project files for me, but smaller ones might only have worked after I did troubleshooting steps (disabling all plugins, resetting preferences); before I began troubleshooting, After Effects would hang just trying to open the program's preferences window. The critical point of it persisting even after After Effects was reverted to a version that had been working is present. There was also a substantial amount of processor activity, which could go for hours if I didn't Force Quit the program.

@Benj_Braman's solution of downgrading Premiere back a version also worked for me, so I'm able to continue working on the file in question.

[EchoOut]

Yep, Ben's right. It's Premiere causing the issue. Almost stopped me dead in my tracks on a huge project.

[Benj_Braman]

The problem still persists in the latest update 23.1 to AE as well. 

[zboat]

I followed some of the suggestions here and I have resolved the issue for myself. I had to fully uninstall After Effects, Premiere, and Media Encoder. Reboot. Then install After Effects version 25.2.2, Premiere version 25.2.1, and Media Encoder version 25.2. Reboot again. I can now open existing AE project files and everything is working normal. I also confirmed that auto-update on these apps is turned off. This is the ONLY way I could get my project files to open. This is a real problem and Adobe really blew it with these latest updates. 

[HELBER BIMBO]

same here! (windows 11 i7 13700K 64ram ddr5 rtx 3080)

in AE 25.3 the projects do not open, it freezes at 99% - if you click crashes the app

the solution (remove, reboot, install older versions - reboot) worked for me.. wait for new versions to come out and keep testing...