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I have a machine that is crashing at different points after the rendering has started... anywhere from 2 minutes in to 20 minutes in. I am not sure that this is not a hardware problem yet but wanted to see if it has happened to anyone else. It is not a file problem because the specific file runs fine on other machines. I get a windows error stating maxwell.exe has stopped working. I may try to switch my one hard drive with the other to rule out software and or hardware, but thought I would ask and see if anyone has seen this.

do you mean maxwell crashes or the whole machine?

..as much as i can tell from my past observations, once maxwell.exe survives voxelization and starts actual rendering IT NEVER CRASHED.

one of the reasons i use this software

you should :



1 get HardwareMonitor, it will log the highest temps in your system (maybe your cpu cooler/fan is broken or you need to renew that heat-conductive stuff..)

2 get memtest, put it on a usb stick and boot it, run over night. it will reliably test all your ram.

3 check you hdd for errors/bad sectors. i had a few older nodes die out slowly with corrupt hdds.

4 get some other stress test, (like prime95, orthos or such) to see if other components fail under load (mainboard, power supply,..)

As polynurb stated, I can't ever remember maxwell crashing once its actually started rendering.

I'd bet its a hardware or OS problem.

Try running running the windows experience test thingy and see if the computer crashes while running that, and if so, note what test is going on when it crashes. If it's a hardware problem that could give you a clue to where it lies. I had a similar problem to yours recently and that helped me narrow it down.

I have had this in 2 different cases:
1) the CPU vent+radiator needs to be cleaned since woo much dust means not enough cooling.
2) a texture in a locale maxwell cannot accept (in my case, hebrew)

Great thanks for the tips. I have never seen it up until now either. It is windows that is crashing but only the executable for Maxwell. I am going to try swapping the hard drive with one that I know is working so I can narrow it down to hardware which I am thinking it is.

just "got" another reason for this (also widows related):
sometimes you copy a MXS file to the other computer, and when the dialog shows "100% done" you open it in the other computer but for some reason windows didn't really finished the copy so maxwell cannot really open the file - crash.