How to Recover a Deleted After Effects Project (.aep)

Updated on Oct 20, 2026 | by Qiling

Quick Navigation:

Check Auto-Save Before Scanning
Protect the Original Drive
Recover With Qiling Deep Data Recovery
Verify the Recovered Project
Frequently Asked Questions

An After Effects .aep stores compositions and editing decisions, while source footage can be linked from elsewhere. A recent Auto-Save may be more useful than a partial recovered project.

Check Auto-Save Before Scanning

Look beside the original project for the After Effects Auto-Save folder, if Auto-Save was enabled. Copy promising versions before opening them.

Record the AEP path and where footage, graphics and audio are stored. A project can open while reporting missing media if those paths changed.

After Effects Auto-Save normally begins after the project has been saved at least once, and its availability and location depend on preferences. If the AEP was never saved, a deleted-file scan cannot manufacture an AEP that was not written to disk.

The disk cache and rendered video are not substitutes for the editable project. When judging a recovered AEP, separate missing footage, unavailable plugins and version differences from genuine corruption of compositions or keyframes.

Protect the Original Drive

Close After Effects and pause renders or cache writes on the affected drive. Avoid creating a new project with the deleted filename.

Prepare another physical disk for candidates. Keep surviving footage untouched.

Recover With Qiling Deep Data Recovery

Qiling Deep Data Recovery provides a visual scan of storage that Windows can detect. In this case, scan the stable local disk that held the AEP; footage on another drive requires its own check. A listed file is only a candidate until you open and verify its recovered copy.

Step 1. Compare Auto-Save Versions

Find the newest valid Auto-Save copy and open a duplicate. Note which compositions and edits it contains.

Free Download
Windows 11/10/8/7, 100% Secure

Step 2. Choose a Deletion Scan

Use Fast Scan for a recent deleted AEP or Recycle Bin Scan after an emptied bin. Use Disk Scan if the project partition was lost.

Step 3. Select the Project Drive

Choose the physical disk where the AEP was stored by model and capacity. Keep the output destination separate.

Step 4. Review AEP Results

Filter by .aep and compare dates and sizes. A listed filename alone cannot prove that every composition is intact.

Step 5. Recover and Inspect a Copy

Save elsewhere, open a duplicate in After Effects, and check compositions, layers and linked footage.

Verify the Recovered Project

Relink source media from its original path when possible. Preserve the best Auto-Save and recovered versions while comparing them.

Back up project files and footage together to prevent another incomplete recovery.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are After Effects Auto-Save copies?

When enabled, an Auto-Save folder is commonly next to the saved project; settings can change its location.

Does an AEP include video footage?

It usually references footage rather than embedding every source file.

Can disk recovery restore changes after the last save?

Only if an Auto-Save or other written copy captured those changes.