Model reference is unavailable

Troubleshoot model files errors using the traceback and your ComfyUI environment.

Start with the exact filename and loader

A model-list validation error and a filesystem exception are different failures. If the log says a selected value is not in the loader list, compare that exact value with the current dropdown. If it says FileNotFoundError, inspect the path in the traceback. A file may be absent, renamed, stored in a different folder or unavailable through the current model search paths.

Work through these checks in order

  1. Save the original workflow. Copy the node ID, loader class and filename from the first relevant error.
  2. Open that loader in your running ComfyUI instance. If the requested filename is absent, identify the correct model type before moving or downloading anything.
  3. Use the project's documented model-folder configuration. Checkpoints, diffusion models, text encoders and VAEs are separate components; a similarly named file is not an interchangeable replacement.
  4. If your browser renamed a download with a suffix such as (1), compare the actual file name. Confirm its source and identity before changing the workflow selection.
  5. Refresh the loader list using your installation's supported method and run a small verification job.

What OnBeg can establish

The dependency report extracts references from saved nodes and can compare them with the inventory you supply. It does not inspect your disk. An unlisted file may reflect an incomplete inventory or folder alias. A workflow can reference an unused loader, so inspect its connection to the intended output before deciding it must be downloaded.

When this checklist is insufficient

If the filename is accepted but loading fails, investigate corruption, incompatible architecture, permissions or an incomplete download instead. Do not repeatedly download the same model without understanding the failing stage.

Continue with local diagnostics

Check the workflow · Inspect the log

References: ComfyUI troubleshooting · Custom-node installation.