Cross-Post: Crash during Scene Change / Unload

Sorry for the cross-post -- but, after another ~5 hours invested, I'm dying to get some help or guidance on this issue.

Will continue tearing stuff out in the meantime until, hopefully, it stops crashing and narrow it down from there -- but that could be a week+ long process, so any thoughts or guidance MUCH appreciated! =(

Detailed problem post:
https://forum.unity.com/threads/crash-during-scene-change-unload.568138/

 

any difference if you try to load some empty scene?
or if you add the scene loader to empty scene and try to load your target scene?
try removing/disabling all or some objects in the scene you are unloading, until it works?

 

Loading an empty scene provides the same result, unfortunately. Is all the more frustrating because it only occurs on Windows but not on macOS (in editor & in build).

I tried deleting objects all day yesterday, no luck so far.

Today am going to try a persistent scene and load/unload additively from it and see if that sheds any light. Absolute worst case, I guess we'll ditch scenes and just manage it all manually but it really stinks since it used to work (and still does on macOS).

Day #3 on this issue alone heh. =(