3D Studio Max 8 INSTALL PROBLEM FIX

For use with any Autodesk 3D Studio Max 8 release, even retail or the trial version.

If you are getting the early "Installation Ended Prematurely" error, and nothing else fixes it such as disabling every antivirus/antispyware etc, then it probably is the result of you not having the required stock winxp files in your C:WindowsSystem32Driversetc folder, which is provided here.

If you are getting the raysat error, the registry fix is also provided here.

This may or may not fix both those problems, the raysat registry fix is an official fix, so that will work with that problem.
But the Installation Ended Prematurely (before it even started to install), that may or may not be fixed.
It was fixed for me after several days of email-troubleshooting with an Autodesk employee.