MAX file corrupted in Win2K

[AJ]

Try to merge it - if that fails then you're only real option is to look in the 3dsmax/autoback/ folder for a recover file or *.mx file.

[jonestation]

Already try merge, doesn't work, and the autoback has been disable , so no autobacked file in autoback.

[Iain McFadzen]

Firstly go to File-->Open and navigate to your 3dsmax/autoback directory. Change the "File Types" field to "All Files" and have a look in the files in there. Choose the most up-to-date one and resave it with a different name.

Secondly open a new scene and use File-->Merge, and point it at your corrupted file. If there is anything in there worth saving it will show up.

The reason you should do it in that order is that Max will overwrite your autoback files at whatever interval you set in preferences.

[edit]

Ho well in that case you are screwed. That'll teach you to save lots of sequential files instead of overwriting the same one each time.

[jonestation]

I have a max.bak and a maxhold. in the autoback folder, but I open it, it is an old scene, not the one I am working on, and try to merge it, same, "fail open file".. .
learn 1 more lesson MAX. :-)

[Fozzie]

Why the heck would you disable "autobackup"?

[PokeChop]

Why would you disable autobackup? Well, I used to have autobackup enabled many years ago, and when I was working on a large file, Max would kickin to do a backup and my Max session would pause (Max would temp lock me out of doing anything) until Max wrote the backup file. While I understand this is a good thing to have a backup automatically taken care of for you, I got frustrated by Max deciding when to make me pause.

My solution. I do what Iain McFadzen recommends in this post.

Save lots of sequential files instead of overwriting the same one each time. Polygirl01.max, Polygirl02.max, Polygirl03.max can be a lovely sight in case things go bluescreen. After years of going this route, it soon begins to become second nature to you because you realize quickly what would happen if you didn't. But now I decide when I want Max to pause, not the other way around. And I can vouch that it works well to go this route too, been doin it for several years now with no problemas.

There ya go. One Maxers reason...

P.S. I have recently gone one step further. I recently purchased a usb mini keychain drive and copy all my current files to this drive at the end of the day too. I cannot tell you how cool this little 64meg usb keychain drive is. Very compact and bulletproof. If you have never considered one of these little drives, go get one! Nice to know if your office burns down overnight by your coworker leaving the coffee maker on, your current .max files are hanging on your keychain safely by your side.

[dvornik]

I do both incremental save every half hour or so and autobackup every 20 minutes. And as far as the external drives go SmartDisk (http://www.smartdisk.com/products_HD.asp) firewire drives are really convenient.

[jonestation]

I read this at discreet forum :
http://support.discreet.com/webboard/wbpx.dll/read?4630,55e#4630
MAX corrupted the previously opened and closed file in the same session ? Is that mean that even I save a sequence of file progress in same session, it might corrupt all of it when the BSOD appear?

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