Cinema 4D r20 won't start on Windows 11 or Windows 10

[MJV]

I am trying to run Cinema R20 and can't get it to work on a new Windows 10 installation or a Windows 11 installation. See this link for background: https://support.maxon.net/hc/en-us/articles/4403353825042-Cinema-4D-R19-or-R20-won-t-start-on-newer-Windows-10-Builds The advice I get in this article is to block outgoing communications from Cinema with a Firewall rule, but that in turn prevents me from using Otoy Octane render, as it needs an internet connection to work properly. As you all may know, R20 is only 6 years old, and it is very upsetting that Maxon thinks this is ok. I called Maxon and there is no tech support, a recording simply directs you to look at the online knowledge base, and I couldn't even get through to a living sales rep. 

 

How on earth is it ok for Maxon to release software that doesn't even boot after only six years? This is driving me mad.

[Mash]

I don't see they've done anything wrong. You're running software that's over half a decade old and your windows update has broken it. No software maker is going to go back and fix a 6 year old app, when there are multiple newer versions which work fine.

 

If you really want to get it working, I would consider looking at the hosts file (c:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\host) open it in notepad, you can use this to redirect OS server requests to a new IP. Perhaps use a network scanning tool to detect what IP and port c4d is using and maybe try block that specifically or try redirecting it somewhere else so that it times out.

[Mash]

Maybe try installing Apple bonjour.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/106380

 

Its a really old app, but older versions of c4d would use it to bypass certain network routines when communicating with other c4d render machines on the network

[Mash]

Have you tried the compatibility options? Right click the app or shortcut, select properties, then under the compatibility tab set it to windows 8, or try running it as admin

[MJV]

The Windows 10 version I installed, that didn't work, is from 2022. I have one more option which is to install a version from 2015 that I was able to find online, but that requires that I disable secure boot on my computer, it won't install otherwise, which means going into bios and fooling around there and I feel uneasy about doing that. 

[MJV]

13 minutes ago, Mash said:

Have you tried the compatibility options? Right click the app or shortcut, select properties, then under the compatibility tab set it to windows 8, or try running it as admin

 

That was a good thought but it didn't work.

[MJV]

2 hours ago, Mash said:

You're running software that's over half a decade old and your windows update has broken it.

 

I can still run Cinema R11, so being six years old as an excuse sounds like a joke to me.

 

It even has my name in the credits:

 

 

Edited July 1 by MJV (see edit history)