3Ds Max files icon problem

[Anonymous]

Hi, there .. 

I used to work on 3Ds max design 2014 for a quite while ..

then I decided to upgrade to 2015 ..

I installed 2015, and I made sure that evertything is okay .. then I uninstalled the 2014 version to spare space on my hdd

after uninstalling the 2014 version, all 3ds max files on my machine don't show the 3ds max icon for no reason !!!! ( check the attatchment )

i tried to figure that out, with no luck !!! 

I tried to uninstall the 2015 version and reinstall it. and it didn't work !!

I know that it's not a major problem .. but it's really annoying !!!!

( I use windows 8.1 btw )

[dembkod]

mtj-91

Hello. This is just a Windows file association. It was removed from your file type.  It’s a Windows thing. Right click a file with the problem and click “Properties”. On the “General” tab, next to the “Opens with” field, click “Change…”

Select Max in the list, or navigate to the Max startup exe in the install directory. That should be it.

Thank you for taking part in our community!

[Anonymous]

Hi, there

Thank you for your response,

but in fact that doesn't solve the problem ...

the 3ds max exe file it self doesn't have the icon ..

check the attachement

regards

[ggarza]

Was there ever a fix on this.  The SAME exact thing happended to me.  The solution you've given here is incorrect (read his reply below).  The actual .EXE has a Default Windows Icon... so every file associated to it shares the same icon.  The odd thing is the icon exist in a way where the shortcuts are able to use it... just the not the actual EXE and MAX files.

I spent nearly all day trying to fix this the other day.   I went as far as completely removing the program and others associated with... then re-installing as cleanly as possible.... It didn't work.

This needs to addressed.

[Anonymous]

I agree that this solution is useless!

Pls. review the actual problem before providing such solution.

I have exactly thesame issue and this is very disapointing matter.

[ggarza · Accepted solution]

Here is what I've done for a fix.  Keep in mind that the EXE itself will remain without an icon.  What I discovered with some icon utility is the max.exe doesn't contain an icon for general index (or the 0, index.  It has others in the 1,2,3,4 etc... just not the 0 index.  And that is the one that is automatically assigned.  That is likely why the max.exe has the general application icon... Windows sees the blank icon in the 0 index, thus assigning it as such.  That said..

You can however fix the 3dsm document icons.  Use your own precaution... you must edit the registry.

1. Go to you registry editor.  Go to Windows start menu.  And where it says "Search Programs and Files"... type in "regedit" (without the quotes)
2. Expand HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
3. Scroll down (it's Alphabetical) past all the extensions (they start with a "."), and as soon as you get to the M's, start looking for "max_auto_file".
4. Expand it, and you SHOULD see at least one key.. "shell".
5. If you see another called "DefaultIcon" you won't have to create it.  If not..
6. R-Click on "max_auto_file", then New, Key
7. Name the new key "DefaultIcon" (without the quotes).
8. Leave the registy open.
9. Go back to the Windows start menu and find a shortcut to the Max.exe... the shortcut SHOULD actually have the missing icon we are looking for.
10. R-Click on the shortcut, and view Properties.
11. There you should see a "Change Icon" button, click it.
12. In the Browse field you should see the location of the icon... mine was %SystemRoot%\Installer\{52B37EC7-D836-0410-0364-3C24BCED2010}\max.ico
13. Copy whatever you have there.
14. Go back to the Registry.
15. Click on the "DefaultIcon" key you just created.
16. In the right window pane 2bl Click the (Default) key.
17. In the Value Data field Paste the directory just as you have copied it.
18. Close the registry.
19. Restart Windows.

This seems like alot, but most of the steps are more for someone who has never been in there registry.

Good luck.. it worked for me.

[Anonymous]

Man, that was so freakin brilliant !!!

good job !! you didn't give jus like I did ..

I almost searched everywhere .. and I thought it's impossible to solve ..

it's very easy and quick to do .. and it's worth every step in the procedure to do !!

salut for your persistency !!

have a good one, mate !!

[Anonymous]

hello,

i have the same problem, and tried doing the registry fix you sudgested.

after expending the  HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT i looked for the  "max_auto_file" and it wasn't there 😞

thanx

guy

[Anonymous]

This is so awsome! thank you!

[Anonymous]

i couldn't find words to express my happiness because that problem broke my head thks bro for ur help 🙂

[oumhani]

thank you, worked like a charm 🙂

[fael097]

for me it didn't work at all. did every step carefully, max_auto_file was there, DefaultIcon was not, created, copied the path to the icon, restarted, nothing.

windows 10

[Anonymous]

Im only writing this for people who look for this problem in the future, After doing these steps if it doesn't work for you, Click on the file with the missing thumb nail and go to Open with, Then switch it to any other program then switch it right back to max. That fixed it for me.

[oumhani]

thank you so much for helping, I'll let you know if it works 🙂  kenza

[MachtTot]

This just happened to me uninstalling 2016 so as to leave just the 2017 release on my workstation. 3 years of releases later. Typical.

[ggarza]

Ouch.. good to know. I'll be updating soon. I won't get my hopes on a fix.
It's SO annoying, having to distinguish it as familiar icon.

[Anonymous]

This worked, thanks !

[Anonymous]

i did every thing on the registery and even tried re-installing 3ds max but it didn't work and 3ds max files still without 3ds max icon.
i eventually tried to delete the "max_auto_file" fom registery and i did a clear uninstall and deleted all of max files from local and roaming and everything then i re-installed 3ds max after that ,as ithought it should create the deleted registegy it self during the installation but it didn't so i created new registery key at the same position with the exact name "max_auto_file" and with the subkeys of "defaulticon" and "shell" with the values that they should be but also that didn't work so what else should i do.

[ggarza]

Unfortunately my original solution for this was a few program generations
ago. This fix hasn't worked for me for a good year now. And from what I
hear the latest 3dsm release does NOT fix the issue. Hopefully I'm wrong.
But I've simply lived with messed icons for this program. It sucks.

[ggarza]

Unfortunately my original solution for this was a few program generations
ago. This fix hasn't worked for me for a good year now. And from what I
hear the latest 3dsm release does NOT fix the issue. Hopefully I'm wrong.
But I've simply lived with messed icons for this program. It sucks.