3ds Max 2018 crashes on save (as did max 2014)

[king_max]

I just moved to a new workstation (clean install basic software/plugins), and I'm having the exact same problem I was having on the old workstation.
The problem occurs after launching a few render and then trying to save the scene. As soon as I click on the save button, max crashes and asks to save a recovery file, but then instantly closes.
This problem is more frequent on heavier scenes. It is extremely frustrating!

I was starting to have this issue on the old machine (Win 7, max 2014), and now it repeats itself on a brand new PC with a fresh install. (win 7, max 201

Workstation specs are:

Asus Z10PED8-WS
DUAL XEON 2690 V4
DUAL 1080 TI
128 GB DDR4 ECC RAM
2 X SAMSUNG 960 PRO NVME DRIVES.

I first installed Windows 10, but I had so many performance issues in Max and Adobe, so I reverted back to Windows 7.

I cannot find a common denominator except V-ray, or eventually some odd windows 7 update package that messed up Max both times.

[ILS]

Seems like a lot of variables to consider.
-Does uninstalling vray prevent the crashes?
-Which version of max 2018, there is update 2 out now?
-Which version of win 10, we have no issues running win 10 on all render slaves or workstations? Running both max and AE without issues.
-Maybe a graphics driver issue, gamer cards sometimes do weird things, we try to avoid those but they are way cheaper.
-Can this be recreated on a simple scene, a teapot, a light and a plane?

[leehumphries]

I have also had numerous crashes while saving. Running IPR / running Phoenix FD - you just click save and then save recovery pops up and Max auto closes. I have sent a scene to Chaos but they never found anything. Were you running IPR ?

[king_max]

It's kind of difficult to recreate. The crash happens randomly, but every time when I try to save the file (save as, hold... whatever case of save scenario), and always after launching a few renders. All the SP, updates, plugins, drivers are up to date. I'm running windows 7 , not windows 10. It seems I'm the only person on earth that have performance issues with windows. Laggy viewports, unresponsive app menus. It was impossible to work in max 2018, not to mention Adobe lightroom, and it was all tied to windows 10. I've spent 2 days troubleshooting extremely slow local disk transfer rates (10 Mb/s) to find out in the end it was a Deffender issue. So, no windows 10 for me at least till 2020.

The problem is, this thing started to happen this year on my old machine which had completely different components and different Max version. It started when I worked on some scenes which had chinese characters in, but continued afterwards on almost all new scenes. There are only 3 variables to consider: V-ray, Windows, Max plugins

There's no way I'm having the same issue on 2 different machines running 2 different software packs. It must be related to windows/V-ray somehow, or a plugin installed in max, but the plugin loading is set on selective.
Besides V-ray, I'm only using Itoo FP/RC, Corona, and siger's VMPP, CMPP .

I was briefly working in max 2016 and windows 10 on the same machine. Working on the same scene, and it didn't crash once. My guess is, it has something to do with Windows, but it seems impossible to pinpoint since max doesn't write an error log.

[leehumphries]

Not completely blaming Sigers VMPP but i had nothing but issues with it - freezing Max / slow sluggish / crashes etc. This was over a year or so ago so it could all be fine now. Maybe try just having max and vray installed and see if you get the same issues

[king_max]

I've read somewhere it could be bercon maps that's causing the problem. I don't know. VMPP could be the issue, but I was using it for years without any problems. It all started this year. I find it quite handy for the first mats setup and it saves me a lot of time.

[leehumphries]

Where did you get Bercon for Max 2018 ? Ive been looking for a while and never found it.

[king_max]

[leehumphries]

Thanks KingMax i tried downloading the 2018 version and when i open max i just get error loading plugin DLL for 2018. How did you get it working

[king_max]

Thanks KingMax i tried downloading the 2018 version and when i open max i just get error loading plugin DLL for 2018. How did you get it working

Nothing special, downloaded the 2018. version and put it in \3ds Max 2018\plugins directory. No errors here