Windows Service pack 4 Problems

[natty]

Guys
thought i'd let peolpe know about 3DS Max and service pack 4.
just installed the service pack on one pc, doing some work on a project and needed to render it, when i tried to render it on another machine with service 3, Max just crashed big time.......after several attempts i finaly figured it must be the service pack 4.
so we updated all machines and now works fine.
So be aware if Max starts doing strange things .....its probably the service pack from the Gloriuos Mr Gates.

[asango]

e-mail received from Discreet this afternoon
===============================

Attention All 3ds max Customers,

We have identified and confirmed that installing the Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 causes the corruption of .max files. All 3ds max (.max) files saved with Windows 2000 SP4 installed will no longer load in 3ds max on systems with Windows 2000 SP2 or SP3 installed. Our Engineering Team has narrowed in on the problem and is working with Microsoft to resolve the situation. In the interim it is strongly advised that all 3ds max users do not install the Windows 2000 Service Pack 4. If Windows 2000 SP 4 has already been installed it is suggested that customers revert back to SP2 to create usable (.max) file content. This affects all 3ds max files created in versions 3 through 5.1

3ds max files created while Windows 2000 SP4 is installed can be retrieved through either of two workarounds:

Option 1
(Please be aware that some data will still be lost in this workaround.)
Revert Windows 2000 SP 4 Systems back to SP3 or earlier
Use "File Merge" to retrieve data from corrupted .max files created under Windows 2000 SP4 and resave.
Note: If you have Render Effects or Atmospherics in your max file, use the Merge button in the respective dialogs.

Option 2
Open corrupted .max files created under Windows 2000 SP4 in Windows XP and resave.
Revert all systems back to Windows 2000 SP3 or previous.

Bear in mind that 3ds max 5.1 is officially supported for Windows 2000 SP2, so for optimum stability revert to this operating system platform to use 3ds max 5.

Thank you for patience and assistance in getting this problem resolved.

================================

Apparently Viz users are screwed too. SP4 kills it.

found this on CGtalk.

[Dynedain]

yeah, a couple of us over on the discreet forums found and isolated the bug and poked internal discreet resources to look into it (i figured/pointed out the merge 'workaround')

[natty]

yeah Merge works but you loose all your Vray Setting : (

[RErender]

Saving in XP seems to be the best fix, stupid windows :P

[Biohazard]

By the way...
http://www.chaoticdimension.com/foru...pic.php?t=3126

[Syclone1]

Ive posted this in the other thread above also just in case.

And a big thanks to Rerender for the info...

Another Fix for Win2000 is in your 3dsmax.ini file enter the following line-

SaveFileProperties=0

I put mine under [Performance]

it will fix the issue of explorer crashing when selecting large max files. Aparently Win2000 doesn't like the extra garbage that max puts into the files. But you will have to open the files and resave them to have the SaveFileProperties=0 affect it.

-dave

[Biohazard]

Error.
This is NOT the same issue.
This won't fix anything at this level (now, the settings in "customize/files" let you decide wathever you want or not file properties)

This bug can be replicated by creating a primitive box (not very heavy)under max5.1 (win2k sp4) without any file properties, then rolling over the file under an older version of service pack on another system... I will crash.


For you info, That bug won't be fixed by Discreet, which is closing the Case.
They are imputing the fault to Microsoft, actually...

[RErender]

In Discreet's defense, Max was working fine with 2k for years, really is Microsofts fault, IMHO

[Dynedain]

no biohazard, its not the same issue as large files corrupting previews and properties, but it has the same symptoms, the problem clearly is in the file's metadata

[Biohazard]

For sure, that's what I was saying.
Not the same issue (so not the same workaround) but same symptoms.

I bugged Discreet's support with that (due to the fact that we are a large company) the whole last week.