Home / Knowledge Base / Crash on startup ("Crash in progress")

Crash / Critical

Crash on startup ("Crash in progress")

The error

AE closes immediately on launch, sometimes offering to save before quitting. "After Effects error: Crash in progress. Last logged message was: <...>"

Why this happens

Corrupt preferences, an incompatible plugin, a GPU driver fault, or bad permissions on Adobe folders.

How to fix it

1. Hold Ctrl+Alt+Shift (Win) / Cmd+Option+Shift (Mac) while launching to reset preferences.
2. Edit > Preferences > Startup and Repair: disable the Home Screen if it still crashes.
3. Move third-party plugins out of the Plug-ins folder, then update GPU drivers.

Source: Compass research report · "Crash on startup" · id 1

AE Doctor's free Smart Knowledge Base matches your exact error text against 100+ documented fixes like this one — Pro applies the fix directly, no manual steps. See how it works · Browse more Knowledge Base articles