Installed from scratch, Windows 8.1. Older system stored as full backup, so i can easily return to it.

mudgel
Did you do an upgrade in place or did you do a full installations n win 8 from a bare drive? Not recommended especially for something a s critical as a DAW. Have you upgraded to 8.1 update 1?

Thanks for information. Just eliminating possible problems. I haven't seen this problem.

I had some Sonar graphic weirdness last year until I changed out my video card per a suggestion here. I didn't know it was the root of the problems since it appeared at the time that sonar was the only program with graphics issues. However, it was failing and eventually completely failed after a short while being installed in another pc. 
 
Other than that shot in the dark, is this a problem with several projects? Have you experienced these issues in a project started and built from new blank template project? As others as mentioned here, this sounds "offset" or "automation" related. As IFM mentioned above, does this behavior happened when the "read" button is disengaged?

Absolutely not this case.

 
OK - sorry. I've misinterperated your problem...