Troubleshooting 3ds Max problems when running under Windows 10

Autodesk Support

Oct 8, 2023

Products and versions covered

Issue:

3ds Max 2015, 2016, 2017 or 2018 do not load or perform properly under Windows 10. The program either freezes upon launch, locks up or crashes shortly after launch. It may also perform slowly, taking all the CPU usage, or experience user interface refresh issues.

3ds Max 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 are the only versions of the software that Autodesk has officially certified to run properly under Windows 10. (Many users have run earlier versions of 3ds Max under Windows 10 successfully, although Autodesk hasn't officially certified these older copies.) However, some 3ds Max users have reported various issues when running under Windows 10: 

Examples:

  • 3ds Max cannot load files through the File browser without crashing.
  • 3ds Max may not launch properly when started (the program freezes or simply closes).
  • 3ds Max exhibits serious program instability and closes without warning.
  • 3ds Max cannot save files properly (including both manual saves and autosaved backup files).
  • Data loss.
  • Undo stops working.

Environment:

Microsoft Windows 10 (any build)
 

Causes:

Includes, but is not limited to:

  • Windows updates altering their file/folder permissions so 3ds Max won't launch/work properly.
  • Windows updates causing system-wide changes that affect performance.
  • Nonsupported video cards and video card drivers under Windows 10.
  • Various other driver conflicts.
  • Faulty MAXScripts.

Solution:

There are a wide variety of possible ways to resolve these issues. Here are some common troubleshooting steps:

Update 3d Max:

3ds Max updates include consistent stability fixes. These help customers keep up with the ever-changing environment of Operating Systems and hardware.

Create a new Windows User Account:

Create a new Windows User Account to ensure that the account has administrator privileges for 3ds max to run.
 

Check BIOS/UEFI settings:

In some cases, 3ds Max or Maya load slowly or freeze when launching from an SSD drive under Windows 10. This slowdown may be caused by a BIOS/UEFI settings issue on the PC.


Check for Windows 10 Creators Update Issues:

After installing the newest Windows 10 Creators Updates, 3ds Max may have issues starting. This may necessitate re-installing 3ds Max using the Autodesk Uninstall Tool.

In some cases the following error message may appear: "The code execution cannot proceed because MSVC110.dll was not found. Reinstalling the program may fix this problem." However the file does exist in the C:\Windows\System32 folder.

To resolve the error, use the following methods:


Reset the 3ds Max User Preferences:

 


Check Windows 10 Permissions

If Windows 10 does not allow you to rename the \ENU folder in the preceding instructions because of insufficient permissions:

Download and run the Windows Easy Fix tool:


Reset Windows Administrator privileges for certain folders/files*:

  1. In Windows Explorer, right-click on the drive that is causing the problem.
  2. Left Click to bring up the Properties menu.
  3. Click the Security tab.
  4. In the first window, click Administrators (the computer name-PC Administrators).
  5. Just below the window, click Edit.
  6. Click Administrators (the computer name-PC Administrators) again. (Note: If Apply is dimmed, select a box in the Deny column to bring up Apply.)
  7. Select a box in the Allow column. This selects all the boxes except the last one, and deselects all the boxes in the Deny column.
  8. Click Apply to run a scan of the files in the drive.
  9. When the scan is finished, click OK.
  10. The first box should still be open.
  11. In the first window, click Users (your computer name-PC\Users) and repeat steps 5-9, clicking Users (your computer name-PC\Users) instead of Administrators (your computer name-PC Administrators).
Note: You may not have to click in the Deny column after the first scan is completed, as indicated in the preceding instructions.

*These instructions are taken from "You don't have permission to save in this location".
 

Add a System Variable:

  1. Open the Windows 10 Control Panel.
  2. Change the Control Panel settings to View by: Small Icons (or Large Icons.)
  3. Select System, then click the Advanced system settings link.
  4. Click Environment Variables.
  5. In the System Variables section, find the PATH environment variable and select it.
  6. Click Edit. (If the PATH environment variable does not exist, click New.)
  7. In the Edit System Variable (or New System Variable) window, add the following line (substitute "20xx" number for the relevant version of 3ds Max):
<C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 20xx\>
 
  1. Reboot the PC and see if the preceding steps fix the issue.
     

Enable the Hidden Windows 10 Administrator Account

Note: you may need to check with your IT personnel/network administrator first. 

Check for Graphics Issues:

  1. Right-click on the ViewCube in any viewport and pick Configure > Viewport Configuration > View cube tab, and uncheck the Show the ViewCube button.
  2. Then, restart 3ds Max.

Note: To prevent the ViewCube from loading even after changing 3ds Max templates, workspaces or resetting default user settings, go to the C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 20xx\stdplugs folder, and rename the AutoCamMax.gup file to AutoCamMax.gup.BAK.

 

Check Windows dependency and security issues:

Note: Some customers have reported that older versions of Visual C++, such as 2012, need to be uninstalled and reinstalled for 3ds Max to launch successfully after certain Windows 10 updates.

  1. Right-click on Start in Windows and go to Run.
  2. Type: secpol.msc and press OK.
  3. Go to Local Policies > Security Options.
  4. Scroll down and find:
User Account Control: Run all administrators in Admin Approval Mode.
  1. Double-click and change to Disabled.
  2. Restart Windows, and the error should disappear.
     

Check 3rd-party plugins, scripts and Windows components:

Products:

3ds Max;

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