Minimizing Max while rendering - often I can't bring back the window until rendering finishes

[Alex_M]

Quite often when minimizing Max while rendering I can't bring back the window. It just won't open. This has been happening for a few years now on multiple different PCs and operating systems so I dismiss the possibility of hardware or OS problem. Why does this happen and can I avoid it? It's getting quite annoying.

[Miro]

This happens when the CPU is fully utilized for rendering. Then the maximize task gets queued after the rendering process finishes. It's not isolated to V-Ray, happens with the other render engines as well.
In the Windows Task manager find the 3ds Max process and right-click > Switch to, to bring the 3ds Max window back.

[Alex_M]

I don't see the Switch To thingy. Please see the screenshot below. I see it on other apps but when I right click on 3ds Max it's not there. I'm using 3ds Max 2018.4 with Vray Next Beta 1 on Windows 10 Pro x64.

[werticus]

Don't minimize max while rendering? Just maximise things on top of it and minimize those. In any case the switch to option is on the top of that tree "3dsmax.exe(6)" if you right click there.... I just tested it here but it is greyed out for some reason. This used to work :-\

[Miro]

Yes, it is greyed-out sometimes, not sure why. In such cases you can do it from the Users tab (see image below):

[Alex_M]

Thanks, Miroslav! I am a bit new to Windows 10 and didn't realize I could do a Switch To from Users tab.