How To Fix Display Acceleration Disabled In After Effects

To resolve the "Display Acceleration Disabled" issue in After Effects, synchronize your graphics drivers with After Effects updates and enable GPU acceleration within the software. Regularly clean up your system to optimize performance and consider rolling back to a previous version of After Effects if problems persist.

October 7, 2023
How To Fix Display Acceleration Disabled In After Effects
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After Effects Display Acceleration Disabled Meaning

When working in After Effects, you might occasionally encounter a notification saying "Display Acceleration Disabled". This essentially means that After Effects isn't leveraging the full power of your graphics card, which can slow down your workflow. Let's delve deeper into the causes and solutions.

Causes:

1. Mismatch Between Graphics Drivers and After Effects Updates

Explanation:After Effects and your computer's graphics drivers need to be in harmony for optimal performance. Think of it like a dance duo; if one partner changes their steps without informing the other, they'll be out of sync. Similarly, if you update After Effects but not your graphics drivers (or vice versa), they might not work well together.

2. Outdated Graphics Card Driver

Explanation:Your graphics card driver is like the brain behind your graphics card. If it's outdated, it might not recognize newer versions of After Effects, leading to the "Display Acceleration Disabled" message.

3. System Clutter

Explanation:Imagine your computer as a workspace. If it's cluttered with unnecessary files, it becomes harder to work efficiently. Similarly, accumulated unwanted files on your computer can slow down After Effects.

Solutions:

1. Sync Graphics Drivers with After Effects Updates

Step-by-Step Procedure:a. Open After Effects: Start by launching After Effects. You'll find its icon on your desktop or within your computer's program list.b. Navigate to Help: On the top menu bar, you'll see a "Help" option. Click on it.c. Check for Updates: Within the dropdown, there's an option labeled "Check for Updates". Clicking this will let After Effects scan for any available updates.d. Update Graphics Drivers: Depending on your graphics card, you'll have a specific application to update its drivers. For NVIDIA cards, it's the GeForce Experience. Open the application, navigate to the "Drivers" tab, and click on "Download" to get the latest update.

It's like ensuring both your phone's software and its apps are updated. If one is outdated, they might not work seamlessly together.

2. Enable GPU Acceleration

Step-by-Step Procedure:a. Open After Effects: Launch the program from your desktop or program list.b. Navigate to File: On the top-left corner, you'll see the "File" option. Click on it.c. Select Project Settings: A dropdown menu will appear. From there, select "Project Settings".d. Adjust Video Rendering Settings: In the window that pops up, ensure the "Video Rendering and Effects" option is set to "Mercury GPU Acceleration (CUDA)".

3. Clean Up Your System

Step-by-Step Procedure:a. Access Temporary Files: On your keyboard, press the Windows key + R. This will open the "Run" dialog. Type "%temp%" and press Enter.b. Delete Unwanted Files: A folder will open with many files. These are temporary files. Select all (Ctrl + A) and delete them. Some might not delete as they're in use, which is normal.c. Empty Recycle Bin: Finally, right-click on your desktop's Recycle Bin and select "Empty Recycle Bin".