After Effects File Consistently Crashes on Startup, Fails to Save New Copy after Crash

[defaultj9aprsl96oql]

We have one file that is resisting all the regular troubleshooting steps to be able to be opened in After Effects.

Details >
- opens fine on Mac, crashes seem to be relegated to Windows computers (but not all windows computers)

- newest version of Ae on all related computers

- Windows are all running Win 11, Mac is running Sequia 15.0.1

- file begins to load, then crashes after AE starts up

- file dialog for saving a copy loads, but doesn't save new copy

Troubleshooting we've tried > 

- opening in safe mode
- clearing cache and opening

- loading into fresh after effects project
- saving new copy of file from computer it works on

- saving a 23.x copy of file from computer it works on

- closing Dropbox (what we use for file sharing and syncing) and opening file

- reducing project from computer it works on and opening

I'm attaching the logs from the last open, would super appreciate if anyone has any ideas of how to sort this out!

[jenkmeister]

Thanks for the log. I'm seeing the following:

Ticks = 12703      <20456> <MCCallback> <5> err_printf: Index is out of timeline range

Ticks = 12734      <20456> <MCCallback> <5> err_printf: PullIndexManager::get() called before index is ready

Ticks = 12922      <20456> <ALOG> <5> EGG PromptUserThenDie lastmesg="<20456> <MCCallback> <5> err_printf: PullIndexManager::get() called before index is ready

"
Ticks = 12922      <20456> <ALOG> <5> U U_Sev_PROBLEM After Effects error: Crash in progress. Last logged message was: <20456> <MCCallback> <5> err_printf: PullIndexManager::get() called before index is ready

However this is not code in AE. There is nothing defined that is named PullIndexManager.

So that sounds like some sort of plugin, not a rendering one, but a file loader or something that is Script Panel, that is trying to load something out of order.

Safe mode won't exclude file loading plugins or script panels at this time, so you will likely have to look to see what plugins are installed.