Media Encoder crash when windows focus on application

Hi,

I have been using AME since 2016 to encode work projects across the network using watch folders. This creates DVD ready content as well as MP4 renders. This worked solidly untouched from 2016 until the middle of last year when suddenly it became very unstable. We mainly use 2017 (due to Dolby Codecs) & 2018 but when we tried to transfer across to 2019 & 2020 the same issue occurred.

There was a very brief window in January following an adobe update where it seemed to become stable again but a windows update that followed put it back into being unstable.

The scenario would be that it would be encoding through a queue and then at the point of clicking on the encoder to bring it into focus, this would cause the program to freeze and crash. Restarting the encoder would reimport the queue and then continue as usual but recently this is getting worse and worse to the point where we no try to no longer touch the system whilst it is encoding. This is a business critical system so the increase in the amount of monitoring required is getting out of hand.

All the source folders and caches have been cleared and I have even reduced the information in the log files but to no avail.

It provides no errors other than freezing and the application needing to be restarted

Specs

Intel Xeon E5-2670v3 

64GB ECC RAM

GTX980ti

Have tried both Cuda and Software rendering only but this has had no impact. Has anyone else experienced this? I really miss AME being a workhorse that needed little attention!