USB assignments not consistent??

Hey everyone-
 
I'm using X3 on a Toshiba Satellite L505D (Win7 Home Premium SP1)  but I had the same problem before with 8.5 on a completely different machine...
 
What's going on is this:  When I use Sonar for live shows (basically as a VST host) I have four MIDI ports coming in:  an Emu 0404, a MIDISport 2x4 and an Oxygen controller keyboard running via USB directly.  So, it's four ports on 3 USB inputs.  My problem is that I set my inputs to control specific soft synths on specific tracks in Sonar, save it, and when I open it next time it's randomly reassigned everything.  It recognizes my devices, but say, if I had the Oxygen set for the organ VST before, now it's assigned to the piano.  I have to reset them all every time I boot up.  I always plug everything into the same physical ports and open Sonar after everything is plugged in and running.  Is there ANY way to get my song files to remember what input goes with what?  This s**t is killing me!!
 
Thanks!
 
Fred

Wildly speculative and potentially dangerous comment:
 
I suspect that the problem is not so much a Sonar issue as one of Windows re-assigning the devices attached to the USB ports on every boot based on a query of the device identifier, rather than to the physical USB port.
This may provide an answer. But I have not tried it.
 
https://www.actineon.com/wp-content/downloads/USB-Serial-Port-Mapping.pdf
 
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/jj649944(v=vs.85).aspx
 
If you have the balls to try it please let us know how it goes.
 

And one other thing I'd try is download http://www.cantabilesoftware.com/
 
And there are a few others too.

well - OK - hope that does the job for you - wahoo, if so. :)
 
Bob Bone

Might be just co-incidence - using a friendly name is only a name thing, it does not change the USB assignments in the OS (that is 100% controlled by Windows). You must ensure ALL USB ports are connected in the same way (even if via a hub - ie they must retain the same hub port as well) otherwise when windows reboots it will re-assign.
 
Also disable Selective USB Suspend (Control Panel - Power - Change Plans Settings - Change Advanced Power settings) I find this really knocks out a lot of USB gremlins for me in 7 and 8

Why would you want unfriendly names?! Tho I suppose you could use an unfriendly "friendly" name...

Sanderxpander
This is the same for audio interfaces, by the way. If you switch interfaces, Sonar will automap the master output (and presumably any others) if you've assigned it a friendly name, otherwise it won't. I believe this is intended behavior for whatever reason.

This would suggest that a friendly name in Sonar is not just a "name thing." Apparently it may be a key to enable Sonar to find the device ID. Does this work if the device is moved to a different USB port?
 
I only have one interface and one controller running, so I never thought about friendly names much.

Well... spoke too soon!  The last time I plugged my laptop up with my full rig it happened again- random re-assignments.  So I'm really bumfuzzled now.  Apparently, and this is conjecture, if I boot it up without all the USB devices connected, which I have to do from time to time, then reconnect them it can't reassign them properly, even if they are plugged into the same ports, and even with the friendly names (which seemed like it was working).  My Selective USB Suspend is and has been disabled.
 
The Actineon fix looks like the solution.  I just need a chance to sit down and implement it.

I am not sure if this will help you, but I saw a post "somewhere" (I forget now) with someone having a similar issue with a hub. Windows does dynamic allocation, which is great for most, but a nightmare for what you are trying. What their "solution" was required booting Win7 with nothing connected, and then connecting the hub, and then each input in the same sequence, and to the same ports each time (it is a bit cumbersome, but they said it worked for them).