3ds max 9 isn't starting up for me anymore. I don't know what happened!
Disregard this part of the problem: The real problem is below.I start it from the desktop like I normally do, and wait a whole long time like I normally do.
Weirdly enough, max never start for me until the screen saver comes on, and I press a key to stop the screensaver. Otherwise it doesn't go.
But now, I exit the screensaver, and instead of seeing max open I see either a frozen screen or an error saying the mainmenu script cannot be found.
Help? Please? I need to get back to texturing Valhalla, and other important bsp work!
Edited by SlappyThePirate on Nov 16, 2010 at 08:49 PM

seen that before....you need to uninstall it...clean your registry and reinstall 3ds 9.it means something is damaged in the programe

1-day bump. Anyone else? I don't want to wipe it. (edit: yet.)
Edited by SlappyThePirate on Nov 15, 2010 at 05:41 PM

i can totally understand you not wanting to have to reinstall 3ds9,did you have the messages that popped up in the middle of your 3ds9 screen?the one's that told you about the script problem.
if you did have them...at that point you would have been able to just close them 2 windows and continue to use 3ds9,although that means there's a problem with the programe and reinstall is needed.another thing is if you ever clicked on the small bubble saying...click here.if you clicked on that bubble 3ds9 has tried to update.the fact that your saying it just won't start up means there is no other option...sorry

i've spent a bit of time trying to find a way to fix this without reinstalling...can you tell me the error
and error code your getting?
Edited by ally on Nov 15, 2010 at 06:50 PM

FFFFFF and F.
Re-installed and I still get the error. Fortunately, max starts up faster now that I've cleared up enough RAM.
3DS max loads the title bar and task bar icon, but the scene and tools do not show up in the middle. An error box says:

Maxscript auto-load script error - C:\Program Fil...(the path name gets cut off)
--Runtime error: No such macro-script: Welcomescreen
[OK]

An extended error report says unhandled exception.

Another edit: Deleting the .ini file I found in my Appdata does keep the dialog described above from coming up, but instead goes directly to "3DS max has encountered an arror and has to close."
After that, I tried finding the welcomescreen field IN the .ini, set it to false, but still got the error.
Edited by SlappyThePirate on Nov 16, 2010 at 04:44 PM

The welcome screen that you normally see (with the quick start tutorials) has files that are missing. You should try and find a .ini/.txt/whatever file that seems to have a relationship to that welcome screen (i.e. startup, macroscripts, etc)

I'll peek around my computer to find what controls that.

I found a few related files and fields related to the welcome screen. I've been changing fields in the .ini [WelcomeScreen] to false, to no avail. Then I found the maxscript for it:

/* 

Welcome Screen

Executes the Macro_WelcomeScreen.mcr  | Welcomecreen  based on an ini setting located in the 
3dsmax.ini file


*/

(
	--loads the value of the show at startup flag on file from the 3ds max ini file
	local strIniFlag
	strIniFlag = getIniSetting (GetMAXIniFile()) "WelcomeScreen" "ShowAtStartup" --LOC_NOTES: do not localize this

	--display if the ini is not there or not set to true, and dialogs are allowed
	if ( (strIniFlag != "false") and (not GetQuietMode()) ) do (
		macros.run "Help" "Welcomescreen"
	)
)

I swear you'll only find this code in two places on the internet. Here and some italian game forum.
Anyway, it seems is I modify this at all I get an exception at startup.
So I found out this Macro_WelcomeScreen.mcr doesn't exist. I tried copying another and renaming/changing it, but it seems like this has to be coded properly in order to start max.
Can anyone copy the text of their 3ds Max 9\ui\macroscripts\Macro_WelcomeScreen.mcr here? If you don't have 9, could someone at least tell me what it says inside, for other versions?

Back it up to a different directory, then delete it. See if that works.

No, doesn't.

try setting your screen saver to start after 30 seconds xD

error still goin'
Edited by SlappyThePirate on Nov 17, 2010 at 04:37 PM

your original question-Can anyone copy the text of their 3ds Max 9\ui\macroscripts\Macro_WelcomeScreen.mcr here?

i use max 9 i don't see the file your asking about so here is a screenshot of the files i have in the macroscript folder.

http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/7475/macroscriptfilesinmax.jpg

Interesting. I just went and asked someone else about their script folder, and they say the same thing... no Macro_WelcomeScreen.mcr. Thanks for the information ally.
If you and others are running just fine with the same scripts, can we eliminate that possibility, and be safe to assume that this is a personal problem (through the .ini or otherwise)?

not a lot of people like to use system restore but,i was thinking if you can remember the date that it first started acting up,maybe system restore back to the date before the problem and see if it loads up okay.you will of course be able to reverse it after trying it. just another thing i thought that might let us know if it's a script thats messed up or a registry file thats corupt or deleted...i really don't know i'm just grasping at anything i can think of to help

That's true, but I don't use system restore. At least not often enough.
Anyway, I'm using Autodesk's student program to download 3ds max 2011. It takes forever to download, lemme tell you (Does 3ds max 2010 take less time?). I still have the max 9 installer, so if this doesn't work, I'll try 9 again and bring up this problem another time.
Thanks for the support, ally.

personally i've no idea of the download time for 2011 i got 3ds 9 in around 20-30 mins.hope all go's well...your welcome.