Hi,

When you see “Video is no longer available” inside a project, it means CapCut can’t locate the original media files that your project was referencing. Let’s go through all possible causes and how to fix it (especially since you said it worked fine a month ago):

Why it happens?

1. Media moved or renamed
   CapCut doesn’t actually store your full video inside the project; it references the file from where it was originally located.
   → If you’ve moved, renamed, or deleted the original video file (for example, from Downloads to another folder, or renamed it), CapCut can’t find it.

2. External drive / SD card disconnected
   If the footage was stored on an external drive or removable storage, it must be connected to the exact same path as before.

3. Cloud sync or storage cleanup
   If OneDrive, Google Drive, iCloud, or another sync tool moved your videos online-only (not physically on your PC), CapCut can’t load them.

4. CapCut cache or update reset paths
   Occasionally, a CapCut update or cache clear can reset internal file paths, breaking links to your source files.

How to fix it?

Option 1: Relink the Missing Videos

Unfortunately, CapCut for PC doesn’t have an “auto relink” dialog like Premiere or Resolve, but here’s a workaround:

1. Locate the missing videos manually on your PC — same filenames as in your project.

2. Move them back to the exact folder path they were in when you first imported them.

   • Example: If it was in Downloads\Videos\MyClip.mp4, put it back there.

3. Reopen CapCut → Open the same project → Check if they load automatically.

Option 2: Replace Missing Clips

If relinking doesn’t work:

1. Find the missing clip section in the timeline (it’ll show the message).

2. Right-click → choose Replace or delete and re-import the video manually.

3. Position it exactly as before.

Option 3: Check CapCut’s Media Cache Folder

CapCut sometimes stores temporary copies:

1. Open CapCut.

2. Go to Settings → Cache File Location.

3. Check that folder on your system — sometimes your old clips are still there.

4. If you find them, re-import manually.

Option 4: Check if you used CapCut Cloud

If you had uploaded media to CapCut Cloud or synced projects across devices, log into the same CapCut account and go to:

• CapCut Cloud Projects → My Files
  or

• capcut.com → Cloud → Media

See if your videos exist there and re-download them.

Tips for your future projects:

• Always keep all imported media inside one folder (like CapCut Projects/ProjectName/Footage).

• Don’t move or rename files until you’ve exported the final video.

• If you back up your projects, copy both:

  • The .capcutproj file

  • The folder with all your original videos

Let’s go step by step and check where CapCut still have your project media cached depending on how you installed it (Microsoft Store or EXE version).

Step 1: Identify which version you are using

A. Microsoft Store Version (UWP app)

• You installed it from the Microsoft Store, and it opens in a sandboxed window (no normal EXE installer).

  • If you launch it from the Start menu and not a shortcut you manually made, you’re probably using this version.

B. EXE / Official Installer Version

• You downloaded it from CapCut’s official website (capcut.com) as an installer .exe.

  • This version stores data in standard Windows directories.

If you’re not sure, you can check this easily:
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc → Details tab → look for CapCut.exe.
If it shows CapCut.exe under a normal path (like C:\Program Files), it’s the EXE version.
If it shows something like WindowsApps\BytedancePte.Ltd.CapCut_..., it’s the Microsoft Store version.

Step 2: Locate the Cache and Project Files

For the EXE version (most common)

CapCut stores your project and cache data in:

C:\Users\<YOURUSERNAME>\AppData\Local\CapCut\User Data\Projects 
C:\Users\<YOURUSERNAME>\AppData\Local\CapCut\User Data\Cache

How to access it:

1. Press Windows + R

2. Type:

   %appdata%

3. Press Enter

4. Go one folder up to AppData\Local, then open CapCut.

Inside these folders:

• Projects → your saved project files (.capcutproj)

• Cache → sometimes stores video snippets, thumbnails, and temporary copies

You can open these folders and sort by “Date Modified” to find the newest cache.
Look for .mp4 or .mov files — sometimes CapCut saves clips here even if the original path was lost.

For the Microsoft Store version

The data path is more hidden:

C:\Users\<YOURUSERNAME>\AppData\Local\Packages\BytedancePte.Ltd.CapCut_*\LocalCache 
C:\Users\<YOURUSERNAME>\AppData\Local\Packages\BytedancePte.Ltd.CapCut_*\LocalState

Inside LocalCache or LocalState, you might find:

• Projects

• Cache

• Temp

• Possibly a media or videos folder

You can search inside those for .mp4, .mov, or .jpg to recover missing clips.

Step 3: Reimport or Relink

If you find your missing video files:

1. Copy them to a safe folder (like Desktop\RecoveredCapCutClips)

2. Open your CapCut project

3. Right-click the missing clip in the timeline → Replace

4. Choose the recovered file.

Optional Step: View Hidden AppData

If you don’t see the AppData folder:

• In File Explorer, click View → Show → Hidden items