Max cannot open a file after computer crash...

[NuggetWarmer]

I was working in 3ds Max earlier today, and, as usual, my computer started to get all buggy and crashed, but that's not the problem. Usually when this happens, Max saves a copy to my autoback folder and I can continue working on the model, but this time was different. I had saved it, and was starting a new render(probably the reason my computer started slowing down) and BOOM - computer crashes. Then after turning my computer back on, I opened the .max file on my desktop where I left it, but when it opened it gave me this message:
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u27/foxymccloud/ERROR.png

Is there any way I can save the file, or is it lost forever?

[SnaFuBAR]

did you check your autoback? if there's no autoback and no other copy, it's gone.

[NuggetWarmer]

did you check your autoback? if there's no autoback and no other copy, it's gone.

I've checked, and it's not there.

The strange thing is, the file still takes up the same amount of space that it did before my computer crashed. Does that mean that somehow I can get it back?

[SnaFuBAR]

no, the filesize doesn't mean anything. i set autoback to copy every three minutes. and i have two hdd's copying that data as well. i never leave it to any one thing, especially not autoback.

sorry, your file isn't going to be recovered unless you've got a restore point set.

[jcap]

I see you're running Windows Vista. If the file isn't extremely new, check the file for previous versions. Even if you can't get your progress up to the minute it crashed, at least you would have something.

Also, you might want to try importing the file into another scene. If that doesn't work, then I don't know what else to tell you.