Recover Unsaved After Effects Project

[Guest]

Hi, last week, I've made an After Effects project, but I had forgotten to save it. Its not rendered yet so I couldn't get onto that project. I've spent nearly 3 hours working on it last week and now its all gone! I want to ask if there is a way to recover an unsaved After Effects CC project because i really need it.

Thank you for the help really.

btw Im using windows 8 and After Effects CC

[Roei Tzoref]

3 hours? count your blessings my friend! my sympathy goes for you buddy but if you did not save it, and if there isn't an auto-save folder in the project folder:

then there's nothing really to recover, right?

BTW you have to actually save the project for the first time for this folder to appear, and it has to be checked on in the preferences

make it a habit to first save when you start making a project, and work with auto save (easy for me to say - 12 years with the software and still sometimes I only remember to save it for the first time only after an hour or so)

if it's lost - take that as a lesson that you really really really did not pay so much to learn make it better than the first version I say!

[senthamizhanm1576227]

me also facing same problem frd...but i have saved my project after that only it crashed and file deleted....i tried data recovery software and its showing the deleted file....i can recover that

Note: i am note deleted the file its automatically deleted

[Boba5E2C]

Thats my promblem right now i saved my edit and ae kicked me out but now all my projects are gone.

[Rick Gerard]

If all your projects are gone then you are not using the proper file structure. The sample projects that come with After Effects are saved in a fairly well-hidden library folder. Sometimes a crash will delete that folder and a fresh install or an upgrade will override it. A lot of users just start saving projects in this hidden system folder. That is a big mistake.

Make sure the first thing you do when you start a new project is to save the project in a folder you have set up for that project. I have a main folder called Projects and inside that is a separate folder for every project organized by date, client, project, and version. I can find a project I worked on 9 years ago for Client A in about 10 seconds because I have a plan. Make sure auto-save is on, and then start working. Work more than the autosave time and your project can be recovered. It can always be recovered if you use proper file management. 

[defaulty6zcbztr2z5o]

If all your projects are gone then you are not using the proper file structure. The sample projects that come with After Effects are saved in a fairly well-hidden library folder. Sometimes a crash will delete that folder and a fresh install or an upgrade will override it. A lot of users just start saving projects in this hidden system folder. That is a big mistake.

Make sure the first thing you do when you start a new project is to save the project in a folder you have set up for that project. I have a main folder called Projects and inside that is a separate folder for every project organized by date, client, project, and version. I can find a project I worked on 9 years ago for Client A in about 10 seconds because I have a plan. Make sure auto-save is on, and then start working. Work more than the autosave time and your project can be recovered. It can always be recovered if you use proper file management. 

By @Rick Gerard

I am also having a similar problem I keep trying to save an AE project I worked on for 10 hours but when I try to save it says After effects warning error with the file. And auto-save stopped saving my work so I don't want to quit AE and have all my work deleted is there another way to save or a solution not involving quitting AE? 

An answer would really help.

[Ali Jaber]

Maybe you are saving in a location that you don't have the rights to access it, try to save it to another folder or drive, be sure you have the rights to save to that new location

[defaulty6zcbztr2z5o]

Thanks this is helpful information but I found out it was a problem to do with my storage.

Thanks 🙂

[Turt1eYT]

same it took me 8 hours of editing and after effects crashed and the file isnt in after effects auto save folder

[Obi28762256vrm1]

Most software will automatically save it as untitled project. why cant after effect be the same . adobe need to sit up ..  a similar thing happen to me. I have started using Davnci resolve trust me guyz it rocks 

[tony27000466ve5f]

exactly i think after using many other softwares after effect and adobe in general needs to take into consideration those things,capcut an awesome mobile app can keep all your projects saved without any effort done,ableton as well if the system crashed it will reopen again the project even if it is not saved