State Sets errors on Startup

[Anonymous]

I am getting state sets errors whenever I try and open the rendering menu, even in a fresh, empty scene immediately after booting up. A popup box appears with the message:

Sytem.NullReferenceExeption: object reference not set to an instance of an object.

at Autodesk.Max.StateSets.ActionItems/OpenClose.get_IsChecked()

It also happens when I shut max down.  I also get this error message when I boot up max:

Exception and Stack trace: System.TypeLoadException: Method 'Reinit' in type 'Autodesk.Max.Wrappers.HashTable' from assembly 'Autodesk.Max.Wrappers, Version=0.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null' does not have an implementation.

Max also boots up very slowly despite being installed on my SSD system drive. This is after installing service packs 1-3 and rebooting my machine. Are these problems related? How do I fix the StateSets problem? Being unable to access the rendering menu makes completing my tasks pretty much impossible.

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Hello @Anonymous and welcome to the community,

I have moved your post to a new thread so that I can help you with this issue. In some cases similar issues have differing resolutions so by moving this thread it increases the chances that other users will find the information helpful and that your solution can be marked. I have also edited the title slightly for more efficient searching. Thanks for your understanding.

Are you using a MaxStart.max file?  An empty scene shouldn't have any state sets but a MaxStart.max file might have some.  Another possibility is that you are on Windows 10 and this is for 3ds Max 2016 and your W10 installation is blocking various assemblies and .dlls. This article has more information on how to deal with that particular issue.  Last but not least, sometimes resetting user settings can help here, but in your case I think it's a W10/max 2016 permissions issue.  

The first time Max starts in a session it's typically a bit slow to open.  I wouldn't worry about it unless it's also slow once it's open in an empty scene.  If your SSD is your boot device, ideally you wouldn't install any apps on it and instead your OS is on that and you have a 2nd drive for applications so you can run them in parallel.  That's how I've seen every IT department do it in the past.  It's also how my work laptop is setup as well as my home machines.  This is not an official recommendation or anything, but I have noticed it at every place I've worked.

Best Regards,

[Anonymous]

Hi Alfred

Thanks for responding! It could be something in residual files from my previous installation- I had trouble with normal maps and also Mental Ray wasn't showing up in the renderer options, so I re-installed the whole thing.

I'm using Max 2017, all service packs up to date now, on Windows 7/64. I tried running Max under a new profile in Windows and the problem didn't reappear, so it's something in the appdata of the other profile I would imagine- or perhaps the Maxstart.max file as you suggested. I've never used state sets on this install of max so I don't know how it would have saved the data. It's not in the scene file I was working on because that works fine in my new profile. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Pete

[Alfred.DeFlaminis · Accepted solution]

Thank you @Anonymous, that is wonderfully informative.   I think in that case you just need to reset the user settings for that login.  Please let me know if that doesn't work.  

Best Regards,

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Hello @Anonymous,

I just wanted to follow up here, any progress on this issue?

Best Regards,