1)  Turn on computer
2)  Launch Sonar X3
3)  Open ALREADY SAVED project
4)  Do NOTHING
5)  Once loaded, project now has a * next to its name, implying changes have occurred
6)  Attempt to close project/Sonar
7)  Sonar now asks if I would like to save "changes" to project
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I'm not worried as much as I am stumped why I'm suddenly getting this...happens intermittently depending on the project opened.  Thoughts?  Thanks in advance.

Do you have any synths or controllers connected?

In the real world, I have my normal setup of a MIDI controller plugged into my soundcard.  Virtual-wise, I have Scuffman guitar amps loaded into 2 channels as part of my new project template...

I get the same.... I just ignore it/press No when I close the project.
Oh and if you are not on X3E you should be...
 
Cheers...

Just wondering if your controller might be sending some SysEx, PC, or whatever. Roland has this "active sensing" thing for instance. Otherwise I couldn't imagine what might cause it.

some plugins' init can cause this, like above just ignore

I get this with any project that has automation on biFilter2 on a bus in it.
I just ignore it...

I've seen the asterisk re-appear immediately after saving a project. It turned out to be a soft synth - sorry, I've forgotten which one it was - initializing its parameters to a CC automation value, making SONAR think a change had been made to the project. SONAR would have no way of knowing whether it was a user action or a plugin reporting a change . IIRC I froze the synth to make that annoyance go away.