mauarduz

I found this on the autodesk forums, dunno if this is the right place for it, anyway.....

"Here is the latest information that is available regarding the MAX and DRF file corruption issue.

Tony Michniewicz
Autodesk Professional Services


ISSUE
Autodesk® has confirmed that Microsoft® Hotfix 823980, which is contained in the Windows® 2000 Service Pack 4, causes the corruption of MAX and DRF files resulting in the inability to open MAX or DRF files that were saved after either of these Microsoft Windows Updates had been installed.

The following Autodesk products are affected by this issue:
Autodesk® Architectural Desktop 2004
Autodesk® Building Systems 2004
Autodesk® VIZ 4
3D Studio VIZ® R3i
3D Studio VIZ® R3

The following operating system configurations will experience MAX and DRF file corruption:
Windows 2000 Service Pack 4
Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 or lower + Microsoft Hotfix 823980
Windows XP Professional + Microsoft Hotfix 823980
Windows XP Home Edition + Microsoft Hotfix 823980

Note: It was previously reported that this problem affected Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 6 but further testing confirmed that this issue does not affect users Windows NT 4.0.

SOLUTION
For those of you who have updated to Microsoft® Hotfix 823980 or Windows 2000® Service Pack 4, Microsoft has developed an early-version Hotfix to resolve this issue. To acquire the early-version Microsoft® Hotfix, you can contact Microsoft at 800-936-4900 and request “Hotfix - Q824136 for Windows 2000 or Windows XP.” You will be asked to provide your name, e-mail address and zip code after which an approximately one Mb file will be sent to your e-mail address. The early-version Microsoft® Hotfix will only install if you have previously installed Microsoft® Hotfix 823980 or Windows 2000® Service Pack 4.

Note: The early-version Microsoft® Hotfix is for English language versions only. If you are working with other language versions and encounter this problem, you should follow the temporary instructions included below:


Temporary Instructions for Microsoft Windows Hotfix 823980 Configurations
If you have installed the Microsoft Windows Hotfix 823980, Autodesk recommends that you uninstall this Hotfix, which will allow existing or recently saved/corrupted MAX and DRF files to be opened without any errors.

To determine if you have installed the Microsoft Windows Hotfix 823980, access your Add/Remove Programs dialog box from the Windows Control Panel. If this Hotfix has been installed, there will be an entry with a title similar to "Windows Hotfix 823980". To uninstall this Hotfix, select the "Windows Hotfix 823980" entry and click Remove.

Note: It is highly recommended that you back-up any critical data before uninstalling Microsoft Windows Hotfix 823980.

Important: In all cases, you should disable automatic windows updates through WinUpdate to eliminate the possibility of inadvertently reinstalling the Microsoft Windows Hotfix 823980 before the new Microsoft Windows Hotfix becomes available.


Temporary Instructions for Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 Configurations
Method #1
1. Uninstall the Windows 2000 Service Pack 4.
2. Use the Merge command, located on the File menu, to retrieve data from the corrupted MAX or DRF files and then save the files.

Note: If you have Render Effects or Atmospherics in your MAX or DRF file, use the Merge button in the respective dialog boxes.

Important: Some data may be lost if you use this method to work around this issue and Autodesk recommends that you retain original copies of any corrupted MAX or DRF files until a final resolution to this issue is identified.


Method #2
1. Uninstall the Windows 2000 Service Pack 4.
2. Open the corrupted MAX or DRF files from a Windows XP system that does not have the Microsoft Windows Hotfix 823980 installed.
3. Save the files and return the files to the system on which the Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 has been uninstalled.
Note: It is highly recommended that you back-up any critical data before uninstalling the Windows 2000 Service Pack 4."

mauarduz

__________________
yeah right !