About 1 out of every 3 or 4 times I try to network render (usually just using scanline), I check the “Network Render” checkbox on the render dialog, then press the Render button.  Max pauses for about 2 to 15 seconds, then simply crashes with the dialog:
“An error has occurred and the application will now close.  Do you want to save a copy of the current scene?”
...then it saves to the autobak folder and the Internet Explorer error report window appears.

The backburner manager (on a different computer on the LAN) does not seem to receive any message at all.  I don’t know where to look for any error details to troubleshoot this!...any suggestions?

(The other 75% of the time, the network render works just great!)

--3ds Max Design 2009 64bit, Direct3D 9, Win Vista Premium 64, 3ghz quadcore Xeon, Quadro FX1700--

Are all of the machines on the render farm powerful enough to render your scenes? What are the specs of these comps?

@cogliati - I don’t think that would make a difference.  It sounds like Max won’t even bring him to the Network Render dialog. 

@Gary - Wow, that is a hell of a problem.  My first thought is “what’s different when you hit that button?” Well, the Max window disappears and the Network Job Assignment dialog pops up.  I wonder if it’s hanging due to a video error, like it can’t clear out the Max window and crashes.  It’s a shot in the dark, but maybe update your drivers, or try a different video driver in Max and see if that helps.

3DS Max Design 2011 64-bit - Advantage Pack
Dell Precision T5500, Dual Six Core Xeon X5650 @ 2.67GHz, nVidia Quadro 5000, 24 GB RAM, Win 7 Enterprise 64-bit
Minneapolis, MN, USA

Yes Chris, the Max window does not disappear at all when this happens so maybe you are onto something.  I was thinking it was hitting an error trying load the code for the Render assignment window, which is actually the Backburner plugin, right?  But if that was the case, then the Max UI window should disappear first?

I have managed to find a few log files, including this one:
C:\Documents and Settings\GaryHasler\Application Data\Autodesk\3DSMAX\11\ENU\11.0.0.57\MC3\Log\MC3
which contains a bunch of entries like this:

6104 16:00:38.337000 Sending to Server https://cip.autodesk.com/cipreceiverinfo Thu Oct 9 2008 16:00:49.681000 pid:4464 tid:6104 Payload successfully transmitted
info: pid:4464 tid:6104 16:34:10.774000 Serializing file C:\Documents and Settings\GaryHasler\Application Data\Autodesk\3DSMAX\11\ENU\11.0.0.57\MC3\Transcripts\{2E0A118E-460E-4486-B2E4-3FA7452B214E}-H.mlt
info: pid:4464 tid:6104 16:34:10.774000 Serializing file C:\Documents and Settings\GaryHasler\Application Data\Autodesk\3DSMAX\11\ENU\11.0.0.57\MC3\Transcripts\{2E0A118E-460E-4486-B2E4-3FA7452B214E}-4.mlt
pid:4464 tid:3872 16:38:06.618000 error: Crash occured.
info: pid:4464 tid:3872 16:38:06.618000 MC3 is shutting down…
pid:4464 tid:3872 16:38:06.618000 error: Failed to load file C:\Documents and Settings\GaryHasler\Application Data\Autodesk\3DSMAX\11\ENU\11.0.0.57\MC3\StartedSessions.xml
info: pid:4464 tid:6104 16:38:06.634000 Serializing file C:\Documents and Settings\GaryHasler\Application Data\Autodesk\3DSMAX\11\ENU\11.0.0.57\MC3\Transcripts\{2E0A118E-460E-4486-B2E4-3FA7452B214E}-5C.mlt

I notice that the XML file it is looking for is not there now; is it supposed to be?  Anyone know what this file is?

--3ds Max Design 2009 64bit, Direct3D 9, Win Vista Premium 64, 3ghz quadcore Xeon, Quadro FX1700--

I just did some tests, and saw one time that my desktop icons went through a refresh after I hit Render with Net Render checked.  Is it possible it has something to do with your desktop, or a program running in a window behind Max?

As far as your log file, I’m not really sure what it’s referring to.  That first line is listing an autodesk website, so I wonder if it is related to the error reports.

3DS Max Design 2011 64-bit - Advantage Pack
Dell Precision T5500, Dual Six Core Xeon X5650 @ 2.67GHz, nVidia Quadro 5000, 24 GB RAM, Win 7 Enterprise 64-bit
Minneapolis, MN, USA

We have found that if you leave a scene explorer open and then net render to nodes using the BB as a service it will crash on the farm. Simply close any open Scene Explorers and submit your job.