Conversion of .max files from 3ds Max is problematic at best, but typically not possible without the proper version of the program.
Not only is MAX format proprietary and closed, it is also not backward compatible. No max conversion is possible without the software, so even if you find a max to dae converter, i.e. program capable of exporting 3ds Max files (.max) to Collada 3D asset format (.dae), it will require 3ds Max to be installed on the machine.
When you open .max file in 3ds Max, you can chose to export the model to some other format, such as .3ds file which can be converted to other formats, including .dae files with Blender or similar program.
