Any installation advice?

Hello all,
 
      Just downloaded X3, and wanted to see if anyone had any tips before I install.  I have Windows 7 64bit, 2 1TB hard drives, and figure I'd use the C drive for the OS and applications, and the D drive for audio.  So I figure Sonar and VST applications would go in C, but is there anything that I should tell to go to D?  Say, the samples from various soft synths, i.e Dimension, SD3, Addictive Drums, etc?  Just want to make sure everything is going where it's best suited.
      Also, my understanding is that the X3 download gets you X3a (I'm upgrading from 8.5).  I'm assuming I install what I downloaded and THEN upgrade to X3d, correct? 
     Love the forum; thanks in advance for any advice!

Thanks scook, that's just what I'll do!

Studious
If you have a third drive, that is better than streaming samples from the same disk streaming your audio.

This is true but there is nothing in the OP or supplied by Cakewalk which stream samples.

You could consider moving the system page file to a different drive (from the system drive).  I always do this and in general it helps with overall system performance.  As this would be the audio drive in your case, try it and see...you can always move it back again.  It might even be worth getting a tiny SSD for this purpose.  I have three drives in my computer; system, audio, pagefile (+ 'stuff').

Yes

Andy McNish
Don't install 3rd party VSTs under C:/Program Files or its subfolders. Quite often X3 won't see them.
Install them somewhere like C:/Cakewalk Content/VSTs and it's all good.

I have all my VST2 plug-ins installed in C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Vstplugins. Also VST3 install in C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3. I have yet to have a problem with X3 seeing any plug-in. Must be luck.