Error message Unable to set clip. GDI Status: GenericError while previewing the Timeline

[raj9314921]

Unstable releases- I am seriously considering not updating to new versions at least until 2 revisions.

[Ishan Y]

Hey Raj,

Welcome to the community, and sorry for the issue. Could you let us know what action triggers this error message? Let us know your current After Effects version (Here's how to check). We're here to help.

Thanks,

Ishan

[raj9314921]

Hi, it appears while playing the timeline(spacebar) and keeps on appearing instantly when closing it. The only way I found to escape this is to force close the app in the task manager. Here is the version.

[Ishan Y]

Do you see this issue with a specific project? I'm curious if a particular media file or effect is causing the error message to trigger. GPU drivers might cause similar issues as well. Let us know your system specifications (OS, OS version, CPU, GPU, RAM). 

[raj9314921]

Hi, I saw this error 4 or 5 times while working on a particular project and later it disappeared automatically. Not so sure whether I have seen this error while working on other projects. Here is my basic system configuration.
OS Microsoft Windows 11 Pro, Version 10.0.22621 Build 22621
Processor AMD Ryzen 9 7950X 16-Core Processor, 4501 Mhz, 16 Core(s), 32 Logical Processor(s)
RAM 64.0 GB DDR5
GPU NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, Driver Version 31.0.15.2756

Is the below warning a bug? please clarify.
There is a warning every time when I open AE about the disk cache. I have a dedicated drive for disk cache and I have allocated a good amount of space for AE. Still, it shows the below error all the time, even though the allocated space is not used fully. Please see the images.

[Ishan Y]

Thanks for sharing the info. The application checks to make sure that you have 10 GB free above what is set in Preferences > Media & Disk Cache. That shouldn't affect performance if you clear the cache before the disk gets close to full. Do you still see the error message? 

[raj9314921]

Based on the cache status in the images that I shared above, there is 116GB left to reach the set cache size of 750 GB. The warning message shows up every time when I start the application.

[Ishan Y]

Since you have set your Disk Cache Limit to 750 GB, After Effects will send a warning message if you have less than 760 GB of free storage space. Which, in your case, is 116 GB. To avoid seeing the warning message, reduce the Disk Cache size to 100GB. 

[CNOadvance]

Hey Ishanm

I don't think you understand what raj means. He has a disk drive purely for cache with 1TB of space. He has set AE to use a conservative maximum of 750 GB. AE is currently using most of that, but AE doesn't know that the program itself is the culprit of the drive beginning to become full. Raj is asking if it is a bug because it doesn't make sense that AE has to warn you that there isn't enough space, when the entire drive is set up for cache. Mine does the same and it is super annoying, but at least you can tell the warning to never appear again.

Cheers

[oOo Tomy oOo · Accepted solution]

Hi,

I find a solution who work for me.

It was an audio problem.

Go to your audio setting in Edit-> Preferences ->Audio Hardware and change your "Default Output".

[CNOadvance]

This is the correct answer. Happens everytime i switch headphone jack on my PC. Thank you Tomy!

[oOo Tomy oOo]

You're welcome!

[Totto5E63]

Hi! Do you have a suggestion to cases when there is "No Device Available" in this list?
(as I only use my headspeakers unregularely, and all other sound deviceses are deactivated by me)

[CNOadvance]

Hi, 

Assuming you mean you deactivated your sound devices in Windows Device Manager, maybe you can try and enable your default sound device again? Should be something like: Speakers (High Definition Audio Device)

Then, does it still happen if you select it as Default Output in After Effects?

[Totto5E63]

Yes i did as it was more convenient for my personal needs (I never use the built-in speakers of the laptop, only external ones and not all the time; including video editing as I rarely add any sound track to them).

If I activate them again or connect to external speakers, the issues ceases, but I.m getting back the original issue why I deactivated them 🙂 But after this point it might be way to specific to my case, the most important that there is a solution, too, even if not the most comfortable.

[CNOadvance]

I don't have built-in speakers and only use headphones. My output is set to "System Default - Speakers (High Definition Audio Device)", if it is not, i get the bug. I assume you need to have Speakers (High Definition Audio Device) enabled in device manager and that you should select either that or "System Default" in AE. Otherwise i believe you have disabled your primary sound device and AE doesn't know what to do with sound. I think you are mislead by the fact the driver is called "Speakers". It is also called speakers on my PC despite not having any.

[Rohan0120]

I experience the same issue from time to time. I know the solution to the problem, but I am unable to save the file when this error pops up as my preview is on loop, and after closing it, it immediately pops up again. How can I save my file?

[CNOadvance]

Mine stopped prompting eventually when I had just spammed the 'OK' button enough times. Hope that helps despite it being a silly solution...

[CNOadvance]

Also it seemed that a certaing element in the timeline triggered the loop. Maybe try and make sure the composition isn't still trying to play back that bit. Click to move the playhead or try and press space to stop it before the next prompt, maybe that works.

[Rohan0120]

Hey CNO, sorry about getting back to you this late. Thanks for your help. That's exactly what I do. I hold the Enter key (it keeps pressing the OK button) and ctrl+s to save the project. The problem is that if I don't do it immediately after the notification pops up, it doesn't work. Yeah, I haven't had a preview set to loop since then, but I hope this will be fixed!
Thanks anyway!

[CNOadvance]

No worries, did you set your Audio Hardware to default output as per Tomy's solution?

"Go to your audio setting in Edit-> Preferences ->Audio Hardware and change your "Default Output"."

If so, I don't think you need to worry anymore. I haven't had a problem since doing that.

[Rohan0120]

Hey, I always have it on Default, but if I get the error I have to switch manually to something else and then back to the Default Output.