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Activity Forums Adobe After Effects Error: Making File Reference

  • Error: Making File Reference

    Posted by Scottieb on July 25, 2006 at 6:33 pm

    I have a strange problem with AE. Whenever I try to open a recent project from the file menu (File—>Open Recent) I get the following error: “After Effects error: Making File reference — file not found (-43). (3 :: 159)”

    If I navigate to the project file from File—>Open it works fine (the project has NOT moved its location, and this happens with all of my files).

    Additionally, when I try to render to my second internal hard drive (not my system drive) I get the following error every time: “The directory originally specified in the selected output module no longer exists.” This ONLY happens when I try to render to my second internal drive, and ONLY After Effects has this problem using that drive. I am forced to render all comps to my system drive, which is less than ideal. Anyone have any ideas?

    I’m on a Mac Quad G5, 8GB RAM, OS 10.4.7, AE 7 Pro (7.0.0.244, dva:1.0.0.45903), Quicktime 7.1.2

    Thanks,
    Scott

    Paul Dougherty replied 15 years, 3 months ago 5 Members · 5 Replies
  • 5 Replies
  • Scott Bush

    December 12, 2007 at 5:02 pm

    Time to dig this post up…

    Over a year later, new version of AE, fresh install of OS and all apps, and I STILL have this problem. In fact, it now happens randomly while working – no rendering or opening files necessary. I’ll be working along and get that error message “Error making file reference – file not found.” It happens every few minutes or so.

    Could this have something to do with the way my drives are named? It is the only thing I can think of – why else would this persist after a fresh install of the OS and a new version of AE (CS3)?

    please help this is driving me nuts!

  • Eric Hartmann

    February 9, 2009 at 2:52 pm

    I get this error all the time and I know exactly why it happens (at least on my system). Do you have two external (or internal) hard drives named EXACTLY the same? I have two externals named exactly the same since I was planning on doing a sync’d backup…but then I needed the extra space, so I use both now. When having both drives turned on I get the error all the time. It’s because they’re named the same so After Effects doesn’t know which drive you’re talking about.

    I hope that helps.

  • Alex Vietmeier

    May 23, 2009 at 1:58 pm

    Eric, thanks so much! That just saved me hours (years?) of trouble!

    -alex

  • Eric Hartmann

    May 26, 2009 at 3:33 am

    No problem Alex. Glad I could help!

  • Paul Dougherty

    January 25, 2011 at 1:52 pm

    I got this error, it seemed to be the result of renaming the Western Digital drive the project lived on. Never would have figured it out but for this post on an Adobe forum & someone else pointing to a renamed WD drive.

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