How to Fix Premiere Pro Not Responding and Freezing

On Windows, Premiere Pro can go grey and show "not responding" every few clicks after an update. In one reported case, the freezing started with version 26.2.2 and stopped after switching to version 25.6.5. Installing an older, stable version from the Creative Cloud desktop app is the fix that worked.

Roll Back Premiere Pro to an Older Version

1. Open the Creative Cloud desktop app and sign in with the account that has your Premiere Pro license.
2. Click Apps in the left sidebar.
3. Find Premiere Pro in the list and click the three dots (...) next to its button.
4. Click Other versions.
5. Choose 25.6.5 from the list and click Install.
6. When the install finishes, open that version and work in the timeline and menus for a few minutes to confirm the freezing is gone.

This is a workaround, not a permanent fix. Stay on the older version until a newer release is confirmed stable, and save a backup of your project before you switch versions.

What Didn't Fix It

Before you roll back, it helps to know what the same problem survived. In the reported case, the project was moved to an internal SSD, proxies were created, the RAM limit was raised to 29 GB, and the media cache was cleared. The freezing kept happening after each change.

The footage wasn't the cause either. The freezing happened with any media, not just one format or one drive. CPU load stayed under 15% and RAM use stayed below 50%, so the hardware wasn't maxed out when Premiere Pro locked up.

If the app still freezes after you roll back, check your Windows updates and your graphics driver next, since those were the other suspects in the report.

FAQ