3ds Max is one of the foremost options among 3D modeling and rendering software. Owned by Autodesk, the same company that developed Maya, should be enough to instill confidence in 3ds Max’s power.

However, with software as complex as 3ds Max, you’re likely to encounter bugs and crashes that prevent you from working smoothly. That’s not good for your productivity. To remedy that, we’ll take a look at some common errors in 3ds Max and their solutions. The sooner you can get past these crashes, the sooner you can get back to work.

Common Reasons for 3ds Max Crashes

If you’re reading this right now, you’ve likely been asking yourself one thing quite a lot: “Why does 3ds Max keep crashing?” That’s a good question, especially as the best way to learn how to prevent or fix crashes is by figuring out what’s causing them. Let’s talk about some of the commonest causes:

• Hardware Limitations: 3ds Max is a demanding application and if you don’t meet the minimum hardware recommendations (not enough RAM, an outdated GPU, etc.), the program will likely still run, but you might face issues and crashes.

• Software Issues: Older drivers are more likely to have bugs that can cause crashes in dependent software. The same can also apply to the operating system your computer runs on.

• Corrupt Program or System Files: If files that are critical to the functioning of 3ds Max get corrupted, whether in the program itself or your OS, it can lead to instability and crashes.

• Incredibly Demanding Projects: When you’re working on a very complex project, certain scenes and models may surpass the ability of your hardware.

• Plugin Incompatibility: Third-party plugins and add-ons may many times interact with 3ds Max in a way that leads to crashes and other issues.

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Guide

Now that you know the common reasons for the crashes, we can go through 3ds Max troubleshooting tips to help you overcome the annoyances that are software crashes.

#1 Update Your Software and Drivers

The first thing that I’ll always recommend to fix crashes is to update everything. This means you should first update 3ds Max, which you can do via Products and Services, then Product Updates on manage.autodesk.com. 

After that, update your GPU drivers through the respective manufacturer’s dashboard. Newer drivers generally mean more stability and better performance from 3ds Max to Adobe After Effects.

If that still doesn’t fix things, you can check for updates for your Mac or Windows computer, and if any are available, install them.

#2 Optimize System Settings

One of the best ways to improve stability in 3ds Max is by adjusting some of the system settings on your computer. If you’re on Windows, you can increase your virtual memory, which is sort of like pseudo-RAM on your hard drive. If you have no idea about any of this, it might not be worth tinkering, but for those who are ready to take the risk, do the following:

1. Go to Settings and select System.

2. Go to the About section and click Advanced System Settings.

3. In the Advanced tab in the window that appears, under the Performance section, click Settings.

4. Now, make sure you’re in the Advanced tab in the new window, and under the Virtual Memory section, click Change.

5. From here, you can turn off the automatic setting. It’s a good idea to set your virtual memory size to about 3x more than your RAM for good performance.

Also make sure that your computer is set to High Performance mode when using 3ds Max, especially when you’re using a laptop.

#3 Hardware Issues

It’s possible that the reason 3ds Max keeps crashing is because some of your PC components don’t have the necessary muscle for something an intense as 3ds Max. The right GPU for 3ds Max makes a world of difference, but the wrong one can be problematic. Weak GPUs can fail under stress, so the best way to determine that is a stress test. There are several apps that can do that, including the following:

• FurMark

• Prime95

• 3D Mark

• OCCT

• MemTest86

#4 Check and Repair Corrupted Files

If corrupted or damaged files are the reason for 3ds Max crashing frequently on you, there are fortunately easy ways to fix those right up.

You can pretty easily repair your Autodesk 3ds Max installation on a Windows computer by doing the following:

• Open the Control Panel, select Programs, and then Programs and Features.

• Look for 3ds Max in the list of applications, then choose Uninstall/Change.

• In the window that appears, select Repair or Reinstall.

• Now, choose the Repair option and allow the process to finish up. That’s it!

To repair corrupted files in Windows, open the command prompt and type in, without the quotation marks, “sfc /scannow”, and press Enter. That single command will search for corrupted system files and repair them.

#5 Disable Conflicting Plugins

If you’ve started noticing crashes recently after installing a new plugin for 3ds Max, you can disable that plugin to see whether it changes anything. You can do this to pinpoint any potentially conflicting add-ons you might have.

Preventative Measures

Knowing what causes crashes and fixing them are important, but if you’ve managed to get your PC and 3ds Max crash-free, it is integral to know how to prevent future crashes. These tips below can help improve stability in 3ds Max:

• Make a regular habit of updating graphics card drivers and associated software

• Close as many background applications as possible, especially when working on more demanding scenes

• Uninstall plugins that you no longer use

• Use “Save As” to save large projects in an incremental fashion; it allows for a backup in case of a corrupted or crashed project file. Version control software can also help with this

• Save larger project files in a separate location, such as the cloud or an external drive

• Upgrade your system hardware where possible or utilize cloud-based platforms such as Vagon for guaranteed power at minimal cost. Plus, you’ll be able to reduce rendering times with more powerful hardware.

Advanced Fixes

If your crashes still persist, there are some more advanced things you can do to try and figure out the issue or fix it.

• After a crash, check the log file to see more information on the error that the program encountered. On a Windows system, go to “C:\Users\<userid>\AppData\Local\Autodesk\3dsMax\<3ds Max version>\ENU\Network\” and you will find the “max.log” file there. 

• If you still can’t find a solution to your problem, you can opt to reinstall 3ds Max. If this doesn’t work, the origin of your crashes likely isn’t from the software itself. 

When to Seek Help

At a point, you have to accept that everything you’ve tried hasn’t yielded any hope in fixing the crashes you’re facing. If that’s the case, you have to look for help and the first stop should be reaching out to Autodesk Support or hopping onto the Autodesk forums. That’s bound to be the best place to find help because you never know, someone might have faced the same issue before you.

Say Goodbye to 3ds Max Crashes with Vagon

If you get tired of dealing with crashes and needing to troubleshoot, you can always turn to Vagon. Vagon’s high-end cloud computers run 3ds Max smooth as butter, letting you handle the heaviest workloads without breaking a sweat. Access it from anywhere, give the trial a shot today!

Conclusion

Crashes can be a major headache, especially when you’re facing them in the midst of a super important project. However, as frustrating as they might be, once you know how to fix 3ds Max crashes.

Once you’ve been able to stop crashes from happening, just put preventative measures in place to reduce the chance of needing to deal with 3ds Max crashes and bugs in the future

Frequently Asked Quesitons (FAQs)

Q1: Why does 3ds Max crash when rendering?

A: There are several reasons why 3ds Max could crash when rendering. It could be due to an underpowered system, a scene that’s too complex for your hardware, plugins that are buggy or incompatible, and even overheating.
Q2: How can I recover a corrupted 3ds Max file?

A: The autoback folder for 3ds Max regularly saves backups of your project and can help you recover a version of your file from before it was corrupted.
Q3: What are the best system requirements to avoid 3ds Max crashes?

A: To use 3ds Max smoothly, I’d personally recommend the following system requirements. Note that these are what I consider ideal specs.

• CPU: Intel i7 or i9, or AMD Ryzen 7 or Ryzen 9

• RAM: 32GB

• GPU: High-end GPU from Nvidia or AMD with at least 16GB of VRAM

• OS: The latest version of Windows or macOS

Cloud computers from Vagon have the specs to ensure 3ds Max always runs smoothly.

Q4: Can third-party plugins cause 3ds Max to crash?

A: Yes. As a result, it is important to only install plugins that you absolutely need.

Q5: Should I reinstall 3ds Max to fix frequent crashes?

A: Reinstalling 3ds Max should only be used to fix crashes in cases where all other troubleshooting steps simply don’t work.