Disabling Proxy in After Effects

Fixing Proxy and Refresh Disabled Issues

Proxies in After Effects help speed up editing by using lower-resolution versions of your footage. However, sometimes you may need to disable proxies to view the full-quality version or fix the “Refresh Disabled” error. Follow these steps to turn off proxies and resolve the issue.

Step 1: Check for Caps Lock

If you see the “Refresh Disabled” message, first check if the Caps Lock key is turned on. Press Caps Lock once to disable it. This issue occurs because After Effects stops refreshing the preview when Caps Lock is enabled to improve performance.Step 2: Locate the Proxy Indicator

In the Project Panel, look at the footage you want to disable the proxy for. If a proxy is active, you will see a colored square next to the footage name, indicating that a proxy is being used instead of the original file.Step 3: Disable Proxy for Individual Files

To turn off the proxy for a specific file, right-click on the footage in the Project Panel, go to Set Proxy > None. This will remove the proxy and restore the original high-quality footage.Step 4: Clear Cache if Needed

If your footage still appears low-quality after disabling proxies, clear the disk cache. On Windows, go to Edit > Purge > All Memory & Disk Cache. On Mac, navigate to After Effects > Settings > Media & Disk Cache, then click Empty Disk Cache. This process removes stored low-resolution previews and forces After Effects to load the original high-quality files.Step 5: Check Render Settings

Before rendering, ensure that proxies are disabled. In the Render Queue, click on the Best Settings option, and under the Use Proxies dropdown, select Use No Proxies. This will ensure that the final output uses the original high-resolution footage.Step 6: Preview and Render

Play back your composition to ensure everything looks correct. Then, go to Composition > Add to Render Queue, choose your output settings, and click Render to export your final video.Conclusion

Disabling proxies in After Effects is essential for viewing and exporting high-quality footage. By following these steps, you can easily turn off proxies, fix the “Refresh Disabled” error, and ensure your project is ready for final rendering.