DAW and SSD optimization

Hi,
 
I had stability issue with my daw and I decided to do a clean install of windows 7 and Sonar.
 
Since I had a hard time finding a nice tweeking guide, I took some advices from Presonus, Focusrite, Sweetwater and from the site http://www.thessdreview.com which is really nice and I have merged all this togheter to make a somewhat complete guide to optimize a PC with SSD's for audio recording.
 
Note that I took the installation steps from cakewalk to install the VS system if some ask themselves how to do this.
 
Of course, if you feel something is missing or unappropriate, thanks to let me know.
 
Hope it will help someone :)
 

 
Start > Windows update > Check for updates

Repete until it shows "Windows is now up-to-date"
 
Dimension Pro
Loops and One Shots
Rapture
Additional Content from the 4th installation disc
 
Optional Installations:
VS-700R IO Editor
Free Dimension Pro Expansion Packs 1-3
Rapture Expansion Packs 1 & 2
Fantom VS Instrument Definitions
Fantom VS x64 Hotfix
 
VS-700
Install latest Drivers
 
 
1. In SONAR go to Edit | Preferences
2. Set your Driver Mode to "ASIO"
3. Set Playback Timing Master > "MAIN (VS-700)"
4. Control Surfaces "Add New Controller/Surface" 
5. Under MIDI > Devices select the following MIDI ports under both Inputs and Outputs: CONSOLE (VS-700), FANTOM VS (VS-700), and IO MIDI (VS-700).
NOTE: Do NOT select "IO (VS-700)". 
6. Under MIDI > Control Surfaces click on the "Add New Controller/Surface" button on the top right. For Controller/Surface select "VS-700" and for the Input Port and Output Port select "CONSOLE (VS-700)". Click [OK].
7. Finally in Edit | Preferences click [Apply] and then [Close]
 
 
1. This helps alleviate and prevent installation and registration issues.  To disable UAC, click the start button.  In the Search Box type UAC and press ENTER.
 
2. In the UAC window, slide the slider down to ‘never notify’ and press OK
3. Reboot your PC.
 
1. Open Control Panel, then click on Device Manager.

2. Open the Universal Serial Bus Controllers menu.
3. Right click on the USB Root Hub in the menu and choose Properties
4. Go to the Power Management tab and un-check the the box to ‘allow the computer to turn off…’
5. Repeat this for each of the USB Root Hub’s that show up in device manager
 
1. Click the Windows Start button and in the search box, type msconfig, then press ENTER

2. Go to the Startup Tab and choose ‘disable all’ in the bottom right corner.
** NOTE: after doing this Pro Tools users must check the box for “Digidesign MME Binder”**
 
3. Next, navigate to the Services tab.  Check the box at the bottom to “hide all Microsoft Services”
4. Choose “Disable All” on the bottom right corner. 
**NOTE: Pro Tools users must check the boxes for “Digidesign MME Refresh Service”, “digiSPTIService” and “PACE License Services”
 
5. Click OK and reboot the computer.
 
1. Click on the Windows Start button, then right click ‘Computer’ and choose Properties

2.  Click on ‘Advanced System Settings’
3.  Click the Settings button under the Performance section
4.  Set Processor Scheduling to ‘Background Services’
5.  Click the OK button.  You will have to reboot for changes to take effect.
 
Advanced > Data Execution Prevention > Turn on DEP for essential Windows programs and services only.
 
1. Click on the Windows Start button and choose Control Panel

2. In Control Panel choose Power Options
3. In Power Options, choose High Performance
4. To the right, click Change Plan Settings
5. Choose “Change Advanced Power Settings”
6. At the top of the Advanced Settings window, change to “High Performance” in the menu.
- Open USB settings> USB Selective Suspend, and change this to “Disabled”.

- Open Processor Power Management > Minimum Processor State> 100%
 
7. Click OK, then Save Changes.
 
1. Click on the Windows Start button and choose Control Panel.

2. Choose Sound.
3. Within the Sound settings, select your device and click Properties.
4. Advanced tab > uncheck the two boxes under Exclusive Mode.
5. Do this for all devices under the Playback and Recording tabs in Sound Settings.
 
In BIOS, look for “Intel Speedstep”, EIST,  or “AMD Cool n’ Quiet”, and disable it.  
 
 
Search in BIOS for "High Precision Event Timer" or HPET and disable it for latency gain
 
Not all BIOS offer this option, you can go to Device manager > expand "System Devices"
 
 
Look for High Precision Event Timer. Right click on it and click disable. Will only disable the driver not the device.
 
- Open device manager 
- Expand the IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers category then double click on each one of the IDE channels
- Under the 'Advanced settings' tab, make sure the 'Enable DMA' box is ticked in device properties
Note : this only applies to some hardware and if this option is not available, you should not worry about completing this step.
 
There are also two other drive properties to consider. These can be accessed by going to Computer and right-clicking on the drive in question, and:
 
* Under the General tab, make sure "Compress this drive..." is unchecked.
* Under the Quota tab, you have "Do not limit disk usage" selected, but nothing else.
 
Wireless Internet cards and audio cards are notorious to cause click/pops
Device Manager > right-click on any device and choose "Disable." 
 
Right-click on the desktop > Personalize

1. Screen Saver > set your screen saver to "none."
2. Sounds >  sound scheme to "No sounds."
 
Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Memory Diagnostics Tool 

 
A light antivirus and a good browser like Firefox with the Adblock Plus extension can do miracles.

Recommended = AVG or Microsoft Security Center. 
 
 
Start > Control Panel > Security Center
Windows Update > Change Settings > Never Check for Updates... > OK 
Windows Firewall > Change settings > Off > OK 
Windows Defender > Tools > Options > uncheck "Automatically scan my computer" > Save
 
Don't install any Antivirus
 
Remove Windows security alerts:

Right-click the alert icon in system tray > "Change the way Security Center alerts me" > "Don't notify me and don't display the icon."

 

Start > Control Panel > Control Panel Home > Security > BitLocker Drive Encryption
 
Enable it for your backup drives only
 
 
 
Control Panel > System > System Protection > Disable system protection

 
To get to Pagefile, go to Control Panel/System/System Protection/Advanced/ Performance and then click on ‘Settings’.

 
Run > CMD >  Right click and select ‘Run as Administrator’ > type ‘powercfg -h off‘ > enter 
 
 
Run > MSConfig > Boot > Check ‘No GUI Boot’ > save
 
 
Right-click Computer > Properties > Advanced System Settings > StartUp and Recovery > uncheck "Time to Display List of Operating Systems" > OK
 
 
Windows System Assessment Tool (WINSAT) > Optimize drives
 
 
Start > type in "indexing options" > press Enter > Modify. In the "Change selected locations" window, uncheck everything except for the Start menu, located in C: > ProgramData > Microsoft > Windows.
 
 
Windows key + S > scroll down to Windows Search > Stop > Disable
 
 
Windows key + S > scroll down to Superfetch > Stop > Disable
 
 
Windows key + S > scroll down to Superfetch > Stop > Disable

 
Windows key + S >  type ‘Regedit’ > Enter

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SessionManager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters

Delete Superfetch/Prefetch key if there
 
To ensure top performance and endurance, it is best to leave AT LEAST 15% free at all times to accomplish this, depending on the capacity of the SSD.  
 
 
Keeping in tune with the observing of SSD space above, Windows 7 and Windows 8 provide the ability to change folder locations, enabling your relocation of key folders to a hard drive.  This is key for mass storage of such things as music, pictures and video.
 
 
THIS TWEAK IS NOT ADVISED FOR THOSE THAT AREN’T CONFIDENT IN THEIR PC ABILITIES AND WE DO NOT RECOMMEND IT.  IF NOT MONITORED PROPERLY, IT MAY RESULT IN HARDWARE DAMAGE .
 
This last optimization will provide a significant performance boost, however, it is not readily available in any Optimization Guides that we are aware of and, in fact, discussion really isn’t that prevalent considering the boost that can be obtained.  
 
It consists of shutting off C1E, C3 and C6 states through the CPU management console of your bios which shuts down regulation of the CPU.
 
Basically, it will disable all cpu power saving features resulting in more heat. Proper ventilation and careful temperature monitoring is required after this adjustment. Be careful if your cpu is already overclocked.
 
There can be many advantages to choosing the right SSD which provides the buyer with many choices.  Of particular interest are Toolboxes from companies such as Samsung, Intel and OCZ that allow such things as automated firmware updates, secure erase, resetting, formatting, adjusting over provisioning, automated optimizations as well as banchmark testing of the drives.  All companies update their toolboxes on a frequent basis and they can be obtained, free of charge, by clicking on the company name above.  In addition, Samsung and Intel provide free data migration software.
 

Dyonight

 Disable Sound Exclusive Mode

1. Click on the Windows Start button and choose Control Panel.

2. Choose Sound.
3. Within the Sound settings, select your device and click Properties.
4. Advanced tab > uncheck the two boxes under Exclusive Mode.
5. Do this for all devices under the Playback and Recording tabs in Sound Settings.

Not sure if that is to be generally recommended; additionally available information tells me the opposite; VS devices have this enabled by default and if you're aiming at lowest latency, I believe this ought to remain enabled ...
 
But pls educate me, if you have a more detailed understanding

A couple I didnt know there... thank you.