Autodesk now includes a hidden -detectstartup flag in recent builds (2024.2+). Add it to the target shortcut – it creates a detailed startup timeline in %temp%\maxstartup_trace.json .
"C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2026\3dsmax.exe" -h 3ds max startup failure detection updated
No need to open Max. This tool reads your plugin registry keys and detects (a common new security block). Autodesk now includes a hidden -detectstartup flag in
Run with -hard flag to disable hardware acceleration: 3ds max startup failure detection updated
The system works by creating a temporary entry in the file during the startup sequence.
Then monitor Plugin.Manager.Log in the same Network folder.