After Effects error {unexpected match name searched for in group} ( 29 :: 0 )

[BigSandwich3]

Urgent help needed! This error is preventing me from using AE whatsoever. It first showed up after I made a new comp and attempted to use the text tool. The second I clicked to open a new text layer, the error message in the title popped up followed by a (26 :: 82) strange situation [0/1] message. I've tried what feels like everything: purged the media disc and cache, updated AE, restarted my computer. Nothing works.

As a test, I tried opening a new comp and creating a shape layer. Same issue, but this time the error message kept reopening every time I closed it, and I had to force quit AE. I'm completely stumped, and there doesn't seem to be much info about this specific error available. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Version: 23.5 then 23.6

Platform: PC

OS: Windows 10 Pro

[JohnColombo]

Hi @BigSandwich3,

Thank you for reporting this issue. Do you still see the error if you start After Effects in Safe Mode? Safe Mode is available in the Preferences under Startup & Repair.

If the error doesn't show up while you are in Safe Mode, try resetting the preferences with Reset All Preferences to Defaults... in the same Startup & Repair section.

Thanks again,

- John, After Effects Engineering Team

[Amir Stone]

Did you migrate your preferences from one version to the other?

Can you try starting in safe mode and seeing if the problem persists while in safe mode? If it does not, it could be that your preferences are causing problems.

If it does fix the problem, please don't delete those preferences, insted save them to a zip file so we can diagnose what the problem might be.

Any hints as to how to reproduce the problem would be helpful in diagnosing the problem.

[BigSandwich3]

Thank you for responding so quickly!

Starting in Safe Mode seemed to solve the issue at first. I opened a completely fresh project, and everything worked as expected. Then I tried going back to my actual work (still in Safe Mode), and the error message started showing up again. If it's something wrong with my project file, how should I go about fixing it?

Thanks again!

[JohnColombo]

@BigSandwich3, would you be able to share the project privately with us? That would better allow us to troubleshoot what might be going wrong in the project. A direct message with a link would be easiest.

Another troubleshooting option would be to close as many panels as possible e.g. open the Minimal workspace, and see if that avoids the error. If so, try opening panels one by one until the error shows up again, then let us know which panel causes the error.

Thanks again,

- John, After Effects Engineering Team 

[nishu_kush]

Are you still having the issue? Let us know.

I am moving this thread from Bugs to Discussions for now.

Thanks,

Nishu