If you can see the error "The pipe has been ended: 109 3dsmax adapter error - 3dsmax.exe process no response" in Autodesk Backburner, first of all, make sure that your network adapter driver is up to date on each render node. In some cases, the Error 109 may be caused by missing elements in the outdated network adapter driver. Fixing the missing element in the network adapter driver and resetting network settings should resolve the issue.
If the card driver is up to date, but the problem still persists - please follow the below steps:
- Ensure that all computers involved in rendering are fully updated with the latest Windows updates. Keep in mind that after a successful Windows update, you may need to restart your PC and check for updates again. You may need to repeat this a few times until there are no further updates.
- Reset Backburner configuration files on all computers as described here.
- If the Backburner reset did not help - uninstall all versions of Backburner from all computers. Then install the newest version. After uninstallation and installation, restart each computer.
- Start 3ds Max on each PC (if possible) and make sure its license is activated. Another option is using the Autodesk Access app, which should automatically activate 3ds Max for you. For more information check this.