I'm having a bit of a break (broke my toe) before getting back to work on Wednesday, so I am able to continue trouble shooting, etc.
 
I have just a quick question, all of my pcs have been HPs. If that is the route I decide to go (I am also putting a system together at pcpartpicker), what are other OK pcs to look for besides HP? Dell?
 
Thanks! 

abacab
For a DAW you are better off with a custom build, or a home build.  You can avoid the cheap components that all OEM's use today.  Their profit margin is slim these days with the shrinking sales of computers, so they have to make it up somewhere.  Plus the shovelware they all load on takes a while to remove.  I'd say there is little to distinguish between retail brand names anymore. 
 
If I was going the retail route I would probably take my chances with an enterprise class PC from Dell such as Dell Precision Workstation.  http://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/desktop-and-all-in-one-pcs/sc/desktops-n-workstations
 
But at those prices, you might want to consider a custom Studio Cat DAW from Jim Roseberry, a fellow Cake forum member.  His clients are happy, and he provides excellent support.  http://www.studiocat.com/opencart2/

All right, this gives me something to compare with my 1st round custom build (still working on it, fun site!), much thanks!
 
I would love to go with a Jim Rosenberry as I have long read his posts, but I'm just getting into this now, trying to see what I can do as quickly as I can, I really miss recording!

abacab

robbyk
 
I would love to go with a Jim Rosenberry as I have long read his posts, but I'm just getting into this now, trying to see what I can do as quickly as I can, I really miss recording!

But really, your best bet now is to just get your old rig working again.  We're all here to help!
 
Besides it's fun, and cheaper! 

 
Fun and cheaper and faster, plus I miss my good buddy...
 
I opened it up and all looks very good, very clean, hardly any dust, connections all solid. I then ran chkdsk and it didn't really do anything but I spawned a new error on attempted startup, 0X0000009F which google search says is due to a corrupted or outdated driver.
 
Next I will try the resplendence.com/whocrashed to see if I can figure out which driver.

abacab

robbyk
 
I opened it up and all looks very good, very clean, hardly any dust, connections all solid. I then ran chkdsk and it didn't really do anything but I spawned a new error on attempted startup, 0X0000009F which google search says is due to a corrupted or outdated driver.
 
Next I will try the resplendence.com/whocrashed to see if I can figure out which driver.

Just based on experience, you would probably save some time if you booted your system hardware from a boot media separate from your hard drive and your installed OS.  This step will help rule out the hardware, as in your motherboard, power supply, CPU, RAM, hard drives, etc.  It also temporarily eliminates your installed OS + drivers.
 
Blue screens can be tricky, and you can spend a lot of time chasing them.  Eliminating hardware is usually time well spent.
 
If you boot from separate media, and still get errors, you are at the point of unplugging everything except what you need to power on and self test the BIOS with.  Then through a process of elimination you can add one thing back at a time until you get the errors again.
 
Otherwise, if you do end up debugging your installed Windows, at least you will know that your hardware is solid.  If it turns out to be a software and driver based issue, at some point you may decide that a clean Windows install is the only option to clean that up, and save some time.

Yes all hardware is now unplugged except my mouse and keyboard, I'm thinking if the resplendence doesn't tell me which driver, then a clean windows install is my best option so I can get going. At that point, I'm going to get a new pc so I am out of the stone age and reinstall sonar plus all that I have. I'll then reinstall windows on the old pc and convert it to a 2nd daw in another room and turn that into a guitar room and mancave with stereo and amps, etc...
 
But a step at a time, now I have to learn to walk like the penguin with my broken toes :)

No I decided against it, cheap components, not good.

patm300e

abacab
But really, your best bet now is to just get your old rig working again.  We're all here to help!
 
Besides it's fun, and cheaper! 

Reminds me of what I tell clients about software development:
Cheap, Fast, Good - Pick 2.

All the above are true words of wisdom, I'm learning a lot on this journey; Saturday is another rain day so I'll be back on the troubleshooting horse :)

Just got her today, a Dell with a 27' monitor. Many hundred off with the Cyber Monday sale so it was a good deal and probably all I need however I would have loved a pc from Jim. But in the back of my mind, I still have to think, I have terminal cancer so how long am I going to use this? So I need to temper my decisions.
 
This will be my main DAW (large living room) with a Focusrite input and once all is operational, I will load up Win 10 on my other pc and it will be my second DAW (bedroom) with Line 6 input and pod farm for electric guitar mostly. I think it's all gonna work out great :)
 
Thanks again everyone for all the help above, now today I just hung up the summer work clothes as all the work is done and the land is ready for winter (in the twenties tomorrow). Tonight is figuring out this mandatory 65 social security enrollment (hate this stuff), tomorrow is repairing a part on my Lopi wood stove and installing a new kitchen faucet, then I am off to the races!
 
I know I'm going to need help reinstalling and reauthorizing everything, I've never done that before. I'm sure I'll find great help here though!