Hi Max P. You just updated using the latest BIOS patch? correct? 
In other words, did you do 6 updates or just one?
"Issues with your audio interface" doesn't sound too promising.

timidi : BIOS (13) you just need the latest bios .. read your manual !! BIOS-Utilities (2) tool

timidi, yes, just the latest version. I programmed the BIOS update from within the BIOS utility itself. That is the safest way.

After doing a search I found that you download the latest .rom file from ASUS for your mobo, put it on a freshly formatted USB stick. Formatted FAT or FAT32. place the downloaded .rom file on the root of the USB stick with an 8.3 name. For example, I named mine, ASUS3402.rom. Plug in the USB stick, reboot the PC, go into your BIOS settings and run the EZ FLASH utility from within the BIOS. It was very easy.

I am overclocking my system and after the BIOS FLASH, it kept my settings :-)

As far as audio interface problems, I believe it had to do with a recent windows update, probably Adobe Flash player. 

My audio interface is working fine in Sonar X2 and Chrome and Windows. Seems to be having issues only with Firefox

BTW, there are other considerations: 

timidi


Specs: Audio only machine.

CPU
Intel I7-2600k SandyBridge

Mother board
ASUS P8P67 Rev 3.0 P67 B3 Revision
bios 1704

16 gigs Corsair Vengence (4X4gigs)

Video
ati Radeon HD 5450
driver date 5/24/2011
version 8.861.0.0

System drive WD
2 Seagate baraccuda drives

Win7 64

RME AIO Soundcard

I have reasonably similar specs - same MB and BIOS version. No crashes here. I have not done anything major yet, though.

I see no reason to update a BIOS or any driver unless a specific problem is being addressed.

If crashes are erratic it could be anything - even memory-related.

I would do a few hour memory test, use the ASUS stress-test diagnostics or something serious like a LINPACK (Intel BUrn-in).

Run a thorough CHKDSK, check over your Event lists, etc. - routine maintenance stuff.

I have found the Windows debugging tools helpful - I install WINDBG to intercept crashes. The stack trace is usually enough to pinpoint problems. But this is not for everyone - I used to be a systems programmer, so geeky stuff suit me well.

Perhaps even a system file check may be warranted -  (try 'sfc /verifyonly' and look at the logs to see if a scan is required).

quote]Just don't install the AI suite BIOS monitor. It's garbage and REFUSES to be uninstalled.
 
Beepster, have you tried to uninstall it using Hijackthis ? It will usually uninstall anything. It will list everything in the registry in both a list and a page with checkboxes. That way if you aren't sure about something you can copy/paste into Google or processlibrary.com, if it is a .exe and see exactly what the file is. If you still have a problem, you can run it in safe mode. There is also a program called final uninstaller that might work.
 
Good luck... but you should be able to get rid of it with HJT. http://majorgeeks.com/Trend_Micro_HijackThis_d5554.html
 
http://download.cnet.com/Final-Uninstaller/3000-2248_4-203243.html
 
Julien

@jbow... Thanks... I do actually have HiJackThis but it's not installed and I'm hesitant to use it on the DAW because it is such a powerful tool that it can seriously screw things up. Also considering the problem is an ASUS product I think I'd have a hard time pinpointing the right thing to delete because I'm sure they'll be quite a few ASUS entries. The AISuite isn't really hurting anything... it's just annoying because it is a startup item and I have startup programs disabled. So AISuite tries to run then fails giving me a little error message I have to close every time I boot up. More of a minor inconvenience than anything. I wish I had researched it a little more first before installing it because it's a crappy monitor not suited for a DAW. It's default setting is to automatically turn on and run in the background which is obviously no good. Not particularly impressed that ASUS did that but it's a nice board (aside from the bridged legacy PCI which made me have to buy a new interface). Like I said I planned to wipe this system at some point anyway now that I know more about config and optimization stuff. Cheers.

If it's a dedicated DAW disable all startup programs. If you use anything other than Microsoft Security Essentials for an AV make the switch because it's good but resource light and other AVs will get screwed up after you disable startup programs. Disable power management as well because otherwise various components (like USB ports and hardrives) will go to sleep which can create obvious problems. There is an optimization guide here on the site and various other ones online. Cakewalk tech support recommended the Sweetwater optimization guide (just google it... it's a PDF from sweetwater) however there is one or two elements that are supposed to be avoided because Sonar apparent needs those option (which support didn't tell me but the forum did). I think the thread I posted about it was titled "Today is optimization day" and lots of folks chimed in to help and the info on what steps to avoid are there as well as a link to the guide. I'm too burnt to search it myself though. Hope it all ends up working out for you in the end. Seriously though if things keep being wacky just call support. They are extremely helpful. Cheers.

Thanks Beepster. But, I was talking about BIOS tweeks. I don't use AV.

Well AV wasn't the only thing I mentioned there but if you've already gone through the system optimization process then I guess it's moot... however if you disable certian things that Sonar needs to run the some of those guides recommend to disable that could be causing some issues as well. As far as the ASUS BIOS unless it was disabled while I did my optimization ( I don't think any of that dealt with BIOS settings) I really didn't touch anything. I did however only install the more necessary stuff. ASUS's driver page for this board was CRAMMED full of various crap which was a little hard to sort through but I know for sure I installed the actual BIOS drivers, the USB 3.0 stuff, the firewire stuff and the SATA stuff. I may have installed some of the other gack but I forget. I'd have to pull out my notes. Cheers.

Thanks arachnaut. Yea, the Realtech LAN. I'll disable that. Is the "Realtech PXE Oprom" part of that? I mean should that be disabled? What is an Oprom anyway...? I just know that anything "Realtech" is probably suspect.

I don't have an SSD Beepster.

If your system has a parallel port you can disable that, as well.  I think that the newest motherboards are starting to do away with those, but unless you are using a line-printer from way back when, you will not be using the parallel port.

You can also review services that are running to see which you can alter to not automatically start.  For example, if you do not have a printer hooked up to this computer, you could turn off the Print Spooler service.  There are a bunch of network sharing ones too, that are used to broadcast your computer to the network and that sort of thing.  Your audio-tweaked computer is likely not going to need those either.  There is a Black Viper link out on the web that talks about which services you can safely turn off and which ones are needed for normal Windows processing.  I think I saw it go by in one of the posts in this thread.  That has good info in it.  I think it is: www.blackviper.com

If you run into problems with services after turning them off, you can always start in safe mode and undo the carnage - just make sure to note which services you had tweaked and set them back.

Good luck,

Bob Bone

timidi


BTW, there are other considerations: 

Timidi        
 
AS I said before XP32 tweaks on Windows 7......no wonder you have problems. For example you have disable AERO in Windows 7, no wonder you have problems. TURNn it ON!!! 
 
SONAR X2 X1 need AERO to function right, you just make the performance of your computer worse by disable it on any program on Windows 7...Its not XP??? What more XP32 tweaks have you done on Windows 7 that are obsolete on your system?