Have a a problem with comp/work area settings. Can't edit my video from the beginning. Help!

[Nube101]

Hello guys.

Tired, tried everything I can still unable to fix the problem.

I have a 2020 AE. I was finishing editing the video trimming the comp area at the end and accidentally triggered this problem. The video only plays from halfway although the earlier pre-comps (those I can't see and edit in full video duration) seem to be intact, there are playable and editable if I click on them.

I had this problem before and somehow fixed it and now I don't remember how. I tried many different things and namely trying to set a composition set to start on 00.. and end on 10. 05 minutes (video duration) but no matter what I do it always starts from 4:30 somethings minutes and plays fully to the end. Please help. Here is the screenshot, if it helps. Thanks a lot. I remember once Rick helped me greatly.

[Jose Panadero]

Enter into composition settings, change the duration and move all the layers to the right. I think this is the easiest way to bring back your trimmed layers.

[Nube101]

Hi Jose.

Thank you for replying when I do this (please see the screenshot) it stretches the timeline to the right not to the left where it firmly stays on 4:35. But it gives me extra empty useless minutes after the video stops showing the picture on the right side of the timeline. 

[Jose Panadero]

But you can also change the Start Time to 0 in the compositions settings. Change duration and start time. After will always stretches the timeline to the right but you have to move your layer manually. You can move you trimmed layers till 00:04:35:03 to bring back the dissapeared items.

Also, you can try to open an autosaved version. In the same folder where you have stored your AE project file, you will find an auto-save folder. Probably you have a previous version where your timeline is complete.

[Nube101]

Please check the second screenshot, Jose. It's the one tried on your initial directions. Is that where you want me to change start time and duration (which is changed to the beginning and the end of the movie) or there is some other place where I can do this? Thanks!

[Jose Panadero]

Yes in that composition settings window is where you have to change the duration and the start time. There is no other place where you can change both things. When you change the duration of your composition, layers remain at the begining of your composition.

Other thing you can try is to start a new composition, copy all the layers of the previous comp and paste it into the new one using the shortcut CTRL+ALT+V (not CTRL+V). Layers will be pasted at the start time.

[Nube101]

Thank you, Jose. I fixed it.

[Nube101]

I really want to understand how to fix this problem apart form auto-saved version, it's a nasty one and I would have to do a lot of work on fixing it to the clean version I had before it broke.