Importer returned bad result. Error code: 5

[BigManOnCampus]

I'm editing a project off of an SSD drive (the project file and all of its source files are on that same drive). I've been editing this project on and off for about a year now with no problem. A few weeks ago, I opened the project and tried to render the timeline so that editing is smoother (as I've always done before) and was met with this error code.

It starts off rendering as usual at first but then abruptly stops at the same point in the timeline and yields this code. I've tried rendering another sequence within the project and got the same error code just at another timecode on the timeline. I also have been getting multiple 'Error retriving frame...' and 'Substituted frame...' error mesages upon initially opening the project. I've tried completely uninstalling and reinstalling premiere multiple times, but that hasn't solved the problem. I even selected 'Delete Preferences' when uninstalling premiere, then reinstalling it to no avail.

The weird thing is, I tried plugging that drive into another PC and didn't receive that error message and was able to successfully render the full timeline. However, when I edit off of my machine, it's been giving that error message consistently. 

[Peru Bob]

See if something here helps:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/premiere-pro-discussions/faq-fix-error-compiling-movie-errors-in-prem...

[Peru Bob]

What is on the timeline at the timecode listed in the message?

[Carlos Ziade]

try to delete render files from sequence, and render again.

[Ann Bens]

Try a different preview codec such as Prores 422 LT.

[Andrew Wyton]

Did you ever resslove this? I am experience the exact same issue.
I left a project for 3 weeks, shut down my PC. There are like 25 sequences in my project. I came to a sequence I recently edited and exported without issues before, and it will no longer Render. Error code 5. If I delete the clip at the time they say, nothing happens. Worse yet, after I get the error and click OK the entire software begins to be laggy/not play anything back. I too have tried deleting it and reinstalling.

Ive tried uninstalling my graphics driver and reinstalling, nothing.

If I check some other timelines, we will render out, while 3 or 4 refuse to render andf give me this error.

What am i to do!

[BigManOnCampus]

The fix was something I found here. I don't remember exactly which of these solutions I did but I'm pretty sure it was deleting my cache, deleting my previews and render files, and setting the renderer to Software Only.

FAQ: Fix Error Compiling Movie errors in Premiere ... - Adobe Community - 12757295