Export stuck at 0% encoding

Hi everyone,

I know there are a few posts on this topic already, but I checked those and it didn't help me.

So, whenever I try to export the sequence I'm currently working on, the encoding process is stuck right at 0% and nothing else happens.

However, I tried exporting one of the earlier cuts (that is another, older sequence within this same project) and the export works fine. What's even more curious, the last sequence I exported without any issues about a week ago (also within the same project), now also freezes at 0% encoding too. Other projects I'm working on (separate Premiere project) do not have this issue.

I've checked the sequence that does export and compared it to the one that freezes at 0%, and I can't see any difference other than the latter having more audio tracks. And like I said, it was working fine with a week ago, with all of the same content.

I tried CUDA and Software only. I tried exporting through Media Encoder, that doesn't work either (same issue: doesn't even start the encoding process).

Adobe Premiere Pro v14.0, version 14.0.1

Intel Core i7 7500U CPU @ 2.70GHz 2.90GHz

NVIDIA GeForce940MX

16GB RAM

Windows 10 Home, version 1903

working on external harddrive G-drive 10TB (around 40% still available space)

I'm not using any third party plugins (at least that I'm aware of, I haven't installed anything)

Also, I gave my editing partner - who uses a mac and a different external hard drive, obviously with the same source media on it - the project file, and she has the exact same issue.

Any ideas?? Help would be greatly appreciated, this has been driving me nuts for the past 48hrs.

Thanks!