I can create images
but cannot render
Bryce stops and will not respond
any suggestions would be so appreciated

Well - that don't make sense to me ...how can you create images ...when you cannot render? - please explain

Arne

Do you mean it freezes while in the middle of a render?

hipps13, be more specific. 
 
I don't have a lot of problems with crash in the bryce, but lately it is frequent. 
But in my case, I think know. 
1 year ago I am creating 75 objects (OBP) exclusively for Bryce where I will set up Brycetopia, a city totally done in Bryce using primitive forms. 
It happens that after creating the objects I record like OBP and later when I try to import Bryce he/she doesn't answer and the times he/she gives mistake of it file not fond. 
 
The times that Bryce didn't answer, it was when I opened some very big file, above 30 MB and with a lot of textures 2D. 
I increased the RAM memory for 2 MB and the problem decreased but it didn't stop. 
 
Hugs.

I start the render and it gets to about 37% and quits responding and  a pop up box appears and states "Bryce is not responding" quit the program or wait for it to respond and it freezes I guess I would say that

but I can create little images but not the big ones like 1000X1000

What os/version are you using? and what does the task manager say is the CPU usage during all this.  Is it a complicated scene? I mean does it do it with everything or just this latest item you are putting together.

How much free space on the drive that has Bryce on it?

Also a possiblity is your scene. Try to render a scene that you did in the past. If that renders ok then it's deffinatly something in your scene. Maybe a rogue texture.

In response to your IM:

If your drive space is low, (I've seen computers with 10-15% free space left) your system has no virtual "swap" space to operate and a large file being written will lock or re-boot the system at the same percentage each time. Also dhama hasd a good point too, if you have a large or extreme texture placed in a certain area, the render will be fine till it reaches that point.

I push my system pretty hard with enviromental extremes, ie: lighting and atmosphere, which requires me to create mutliple Bryce scenes to composite later in a 2D editor.

Experiment with models that have only gray mats, then load the mat after the scene has rendered, and Plop render that area.
Some times you'll have to use Work-arounds like this for heavily textured and complex scenes.

I'm sure others have their own methods too.

I'm short on time this morn.....be back later