How to Find Missing Files in Adobe After Effects?

Updated on January 04, 2023

Most users make use Adobe After Effects to create digital visual effects. If you are looking for an immediate solution to recover missing or lost files in adobe after effects, just download SFWare Data Recovery software and recover your files for free.

About Adobe After Effects:

Adobe After Effects is a motion graphics and visual effects developed by Adobe systems. It also helps you combine visual elements from several sources into single images and that creates illusion on screen. The application is majorly used in film making, video gaming, animation and chroma keying where 2 different photos are layered to being a single image on screen using color hues.

It becomes impossible to recreate it if any of these files are missed as it consumes most of your time and energy to work on them again. Here are a few scenarios where the files could be missing in adobe after effects.

What Causes Adobe After Effects Files Go Missing Error?

Generally, when files are imported to Adobe After Effects, it doesn’t keep the original file. But, it creates a link to the original file saved somewhere on the hard drive. If you’re wondering where you could see the link, it can be found under project panel.

If this file saved on your drive is moved or renamed, the link does not work and creates a problem. When you open such a file, you may encounter an error-

Error: After Effects warning: Files are missing since you last saved this project

How to Fix Adobe After Effects File Missing Error?

The missing files is nothing but a broken link to the original file. You can easily fix the issue by relinking Files. to find the missing files:

  1. Close the warning prompt by clicking Ok
  2. Search and click on one of the missing footage items from Project panel. They will be easy to identify by the Color Bar icon to the left of the footage name.
  3. (The multi-color bars shown in the preview indicate that there are missing files that are required by the composition.)

  4. From the menu, Right-click on any missing footage item and click on Replace Footage > File
  5. Navigate to the folder that contains the missing file that corresponds to this footage item when the Replace Footage File dialog box appears.
  6. The name of the file should be visible in the dialog box’s title bar.

  7. Highlight the missing file and click Open. Your computer may take a while to respond after analysing the folder content and relinks the missing files it finds here.

After a brief pause a confirmation dialog will appear informing you that previously missing files have been found. If the missing files have different names or saved in different folders than the time it was imported, you might have to repeat the process for those missing files. If the locations have not changed and they have same names, you can restore missing files in one shot using the above method.

However, if the original files have been deleted or lost, it is out of scope for recovery in After Effects. In such conditions, you will have to rely on backups to restore them. If you don’t have backup, the only way to recover missing files from Adobe After Effects is by using an efficient Photo recovery software.

3 Simple Steps to Recover Missing Files from Adobe After Effects Using SFWare:

SFWare is designed to make data recovery easy for all technical and non-technical users. Download the SFWare Photo Recovery Software and install the software on your computer. Double click on the icon created to run the application. Select Recover Photos from main screen

You will get 2 options – Recover Deleted Photos and Recover Lost Photos. Select the one appropriate for your needs

recover lost and deleted photos after effect

Once this is done, select the drive to recover data. If recovery is from an external hard drive, select that drive

select drive to recover lost photos after editing

Then allow the software to complete scanning process. Once this is done, you can save the required files.

preview of recovered photos to restore back

Note: You are given a Preview option to view the recovered file before saving. Double click on the file to Preview. If you’re happy with the result, go ahead and purchase the software to save your file.

About SFWare Software

You don’t have to worry about damage to your files that you worked hard to create. Use the software without worry! This software works on a read only mode, so the original file is not altered in any manner; they are the same as your actual file.

Where SFWare can be used?

Frequently Asked Question

How to easily find missing footage, fonts, and effects?

To find missing footages or font or files after effects, open your file in After Effects. Go to the Project, in the Project window type missing in search bar. Click on Missing Footage, Missing Fonts, or Missing Effects. Select and click the missing items to relink. Now download and install any missing fonts.

How do I extract files in After Effects?

The easiest way to extract files in after Effects, go to the File menu in After Effects, Click on File option on tab, scroll down to Export and select Add to Render Queue.

How do I restore missing files in After Effects?

With SFWare Data recovery software, you can restore any missing files in After effects. All you must do is, download and install the software on your computer where you have After Effects and follow the instructions.


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