Thanks for all the advice and help so far

All bios is up to date...everything I'm trying to update says the current version I'm using is the latest.
(I down load from my lap top, check for viruses etc, then load into my dedicated music PC)
Same with Windows 7.

I have a HDD drive and also a secondary one for back up but the main drive C has all the operating system and Sonar ...the Picture Cache is in the Cakewalk Project folder.
No other problems at all...none....if I clear Picture Cache before working on project there's no problems although sometimes, after a long session, the problem returns.
It must be something to do with the Picture Cache ...but apart from tweaking the capacity I don't at the moment have any other options. I remember years ago I had his problem , I got a Graphic Card and it solved the problem.
But I realise that It shouldn't be needed just for Sonar.

You're probably bottlenecking because everything is on one drive - OS, sonar, Projects, the lot
 
You'll get much better performance by installing an additional drive and moving your Sonar projects & Cakewalk content folder to it.
 
You say you have another drive for backup. If it's an internal consider using this for Sonar and buy an external for backups
 
 

Thanx B J ..it's a possibility ..I may try moving stuff about.. I could get a graphics card for about £35 ..I could live with that...but theres no guarantee of course it would fix the problem this time.

If I get any results I'll post...

Have you done any tweeks ?.
 
are you using HDMI audio, and on board, and a external audio solution?
 
If so,..windows will surely have to wait between graphic and audio through the same cards drivers to be produced to your video monitor...If, other audio is being used ASIO.?..then it has to go through the video cards HD audio, and irqs might be tide up ...if on board audio is also on.
 
So..if you have not done a tweeking of the system...Perhaps that first ...
 
Turn off HDMI AUDIO.
Turn off redundant devices in device manager...if HDMI is in there disable it.
 
 
 And select in control pannel audio speaker icon/ the on board audio for windows use...set as default.
And let your ASIO be free for DAW audio apps, Might clear up some bottleneck irq or windows handling issues.
Hope it helps.
 
Regards, and cheers!

Thanks Les..I think you may have hit some buttons there...ill do some checking ....yes I'm using ASIO ..will check the HDMI ....

componentrare123
Thanx ..I gleaned some info from the forum and enlarged my cache from 500 to 1000 which seems excessive but it seems,so far, to have worked ...I don't know how ...maybe it's just zapped a gremlin ...

If the problem returns I'll try the suggestions above...

Are you referring to the Disk I/O cache here (Prefs->Audio->Sync and Caching (Advanced mode))? If so, having too large of a cache can be just as bad as too small, especially if the disk is doing a lot of grunt work. Typically, base 2 numbers are used for caches (64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, etc.), and not sure if that is an issue or not. 512KB for both read and write buffers should be sufficient.
 
Not being familiar with your system, you might also want to try enabling both Read caching and Write caching on that same page. For a slower drive, this can ease some performance by letting the system cache data it knows is coming or offloading.
 
One thing with a defrag if a lot is on that drive is to do an "optimized" defrag which will consolidate files. That defrag takes a LONG time, so is best to do when you are finished with things and heading to bed. A simple defrag just unfragments files, but they may still be scattered all over the disk.
 
Not sure if I missed this in the above posts; are you hearing any audio issues with the stuttering or is it only graphics related?

Do NOT defrag an SSD!
 
 

Yes..okay...thanks...

I'm pretty sure it's not a speed or system related problem ..I ordered the custom PC last February designed just for audio...it's the Picture Cache size Ive tinkered with but finding it's not making any difference really so am leaving it at 500mg. I'll try enabling read write cache.
I think the suggestion of ASIO might be a clue also I'm running two monitors so there may be a conflict there...

But no everything else is fine...perfect in fact ! It's just that after a while dragging and scrolling is like wading thru sticky thick treacle, so clearing Pic Cache before session is required. The audio is not affected.

If nothing else has any effect I will gamble on a basic graphic card..it did work in the past when I had a similar problem. But many thanks for everyone's help and input .

Bristol_Jonesey
Do NOT defrag an SSD!

If you run the windows defragger it just runs trim.

Not a speed issue?...hmmm?
 
Speaking of speed...speed stepping in bios...Is it turned off?...VT ((virtual Technologies?)) in bios is that turned off?
 
Speed stepping and VT can also cause issues with some services and apps...
 
Also Try to reduce the redundant devices in bios...(I my self turn off wi fi, and on board nics networking through the bios with the speed step disable also and the vt.))..."If and when I have issues"...as I find doing this kind of tweak in bios...when you boot to windows, you will no longer see anything in device manager..so no drivers are loaded for non existing devices when turned off in bios.
But if you do this tweak through device manager...when booting windows will load up services for and drivers for the device..and then turn it off once booted..or tag it as disabled...but the services might still be loaded up..when booting...and held in standby mode, constantly checking for x device. 
 
Once I do all this ...I reduce any or all conflicts....I can then troubleshoot windows MS...by defeating services If issues still show signs of being with the system and apps being used for music or video.
 
Turn off all auto updates...through ""msconfig.'''  ""((Open up win start button and type in ms config in the search""...hide all win services button selected, turn off all other auto updates, and you can then try to turn off windows updates, and look into what is loading up on start up and running in background...services and such in that applet of MSCONFIG...save reboot and see if that helps...You can always reset to default it none of that helps))...these interruptions while working on heavy loaded projects, can slow things down, and cause interruptions...depending on how hard your app is using the cpu, and or the load of effects on the cpu and such.
 
More cores makes thing work better..?..Turning off core parking....Do a sonar forum search for this tip...tweak.
 
And the HDMI turned off through the video card app, or device manager in win control panned., and or in bios of on board audio has it, should reduce any issues....and make sure you set the default MS windows audio to the on board sound chip, using the speaker icon in control panel....with all this done..as a test bed, you should have no issues and all other possible aspects can be run out as cause ...then it is a app issue, and setup for that app...in MS must be set for the loads being used..buffers, and cache could be tweaked I guess....
 
That should help make your cpu more free from other task and interrups.
 turn off any security apps running in background...
 
And disconnect internet ...if you need to troubleshoot more, just to try to find what is causing the glitches.
 
When all this form of tweaking is done....and the issues still continue....could be a plugin being used?
 
Do the driver updates and MS os...any bios updates for the mb...and or ssd firmware, usb firmware updates,and such...and or DVD burner driver or firmware updates...?....
 
Then go deeper into turning off MS visual...setup the run as "background or program" thingy...
 
And run a DCP checker app...that gives you running background apps  and services info, while using Sonar in your project...to try to narrow down anything running in background that maybe over looked by the above tweaking.
 
Check the time when it occurs, and mark it down, then you can go into MS "eventviewer"((right click my computer and select manage, and see if anything of services is line up with the time you find these things happening....could be something is causing a conflict or bottle neck of some sort in that.?
 
And in that run of troubleshooting you might find something showing signs of the interruption bandits...msconfig might be able to turn off...or service in the "" manager"" might be able tobe turned off/disbaled.
 
 
Then do the other stuff....buffers and cache tweaks...which should not be necessary...but depending on the system being used, and or load being put on the cpu and memory.
 
Once you hash out all the problems...in troubleshooting 101..and still something is messing with the tunes...and devices and applications used.
 
 
What audio solution are you using, and why is it , your computer devices and such specs, are not being shown/listed to the forum helpers in your posting?
 
What type of interface is your audio solution?.=.usb, firewire?..Thunderbolt?...eithernet?...Madi?
if a firewire card is used, what type  of chip is on it?..via or TI?...or other?.LSI?...is it 400 or 800?...cabling?...
So many unknowns...
 
You should take some time and make your account more helpful for all of us who try to help out before the...Call to CW ....
Could just be some devices do not work well together in your setup..also.
 
some mice do not play well with some apps....if you can believe it...it is true....Kingston mice for instance can be or have been isolated with Pro tools as being a problem in past renderings.
 
So...a video card of some 1gb or more could help also reduce on board memory issues..
 
 
Cheers!