Troubleshooting Computer Crashes in Cakewalk

Hello.  I'm having trouble with computer crashes when using Cakewalk. Can anyone help me troubleshoot this problem?
 
The crashes take the form of computer freeze-up: the computer simply stops responding to any mouse or keyboard activity. Ctrl-Alt-Delete does nothing. To regain control of the computer, I must manually shut it down (force shut-down using the power switch), and re-boot. These computer freezes only happen when I use Sonar (X2) – (in fairness, more than 90% of the time I am using this computer, I am using Sonar). The freezes are intermittent and episodic: I can go days using the computer without freezes, and then might experience a couple of freezes in one day. The computer freezes have not happened when recording or playing back, but instead when I am interacting with Sonar (editing, using menus, etc). On two occasions after a freeze, I have been able to reproduce a repeat freezes by setting up the same actions in Sonar. I have started keeping a log of these freezes, and I have had about 10 freezes over the last 2-3 months.
 
I asked Cakewalk Tech Support (TS) about this. They replied that the problem is not Sonar but must be my computer and/or drivers on the computer. They said that Sonar cannot cause these sorts of computer freezes. When I asked them why the computer freezes occur only when using Sonar, and why I am sometimes able to reproduce freezes, I got no further response from TS.
 
The computer: I built this computer specifically to run Win 7 and Sonar X2, and other audio software. This computer has no other functions. The processor is an Intel i5 3570, an ASUS P8Z77 mobo, running the Northbridge chipset, and has 16 gB of Corsair memory. The OS is Win 7. I am using Sonar X2a (I believe I have installed all the available Sonar X2 updates). The audio interface is my Mackie Onyx 1604 mixer with firewire card installed. Mackie only makes one driver for this device and this OS (if I remember correctly it is driver ver. 1.7). I also have a Motu Micro Express USB MIDI interface; Motu only makes one driver for this device and this OS (I think they call it the “universal driver”). All other drivers for this computer are native to the Win 7 OS. This computer uses the onboard graphics capabilities of the processor, so there is no dedicated video/graphics accelerator card, and no graphics driver.
 
Can anyone suggest ways I can eliminate these crashes/freezes? I am happy to answer any questions about the problem or the computer. Thank you.

Hello.  Thank you for your reply.  And for your useful suggestion.
 
I will try Memtest and report back, and report back.  Thanks again

So much for an easy diagnosis.
That is at least good evidence that the sticks themselves are not defective. The memory timings in the MB BIOS could still be slightly off and produce intermittent freezes. And then there are many potential intermittent hardware glitches that may be impossible to find for all practical purposes, like a defective solder connection that spreads at a certain temperature and fails to connect 100%, brief fluctuations of power, etc. etc. And then there is software...
You can try removing cleaning and re-seating every connection on anything you plug in to the mainboard.
 
http://helpdeskgeek.com/windows-7/troubleshoot-windows-7-random-freezes/
 

Hello.  I am not overclocking the processor:
 
I can't but help feel this is a problem with Sonar: 1) I have no freezes when using any other application (the computer ran Memtest for 3+ hours without any freezes, I worked in Sound Forge for 2 hours without any freezes); 2) Sonar seems buggy in lots of minor ways that are hard to explain (I had a VST plug-in that I deleted from the computer - Sonar still lists the plug-in on the Insert menu, tho' the plug-in is not listed in the Plug-In Manager).
 
Taking the computer apart and re-building it seems like a big effort for an undiagnosed problem.  Has anyone actually solved an intermittent crashing/freezing problem of this sort by doing this?

Thank you Bristol for your suggestion.  How do I do this?  Where can I find this aud.ini file?
 
Thanks

And do not delete the aud.ini..if you are opening older sonar projects...just rename it for now....and if you can no longer open older files from a younger Sonar version, that were opening pryor to the rename, if so.....you can rename the Aud.ini back to its original state to regain that status back.

The Mackie units are pretty fussy about the specific TI Chipset Firewire Controller.
IOW, Not just any TI chipset controller will work well.
 
From what you describe (somewhat random freezes) a bad stick of RAM would have been a likely culprit.
If that's not the case, I'd take a look at the Firewire Controller.
The SIIG TI Chipset controller works well with the Mackie units.
The less expensive Syba TI Chipset Firewire Controllers do not.
 
If you're running a Firewire audio interface... and you're experiencing issues (and you've ruled out RAM and other sources of instability), the Firewire controller is another likely culprit.

Hello.  The firewire card in my computer is a StarTech.com brand.  On their web-site for this card, they list the following information:  "Chipset ID - Texas Instruments - TSB12LV26".

Hello, Sir Les.  That is a good question, and I don't know the answer.  I will check on the Mackie website to see what they recommend there.
 
Sadly, my Makcie Onyx 1604 mixer with firewire card installed is now a legacy device.  Mackie has since moved on to building a 1604 mixer with the firewire capabilities built into the mixer, so they may not have recommendations for my device.
 
I really hate that about digital sound hardware and software: you find out ofter you purchase it that the lifespan of the device is limited by upgrades to computer hardware, changes to the OS, or the maker simply no longer supports the device.

EltonJohn
Sadly, my Makcie Onyx 1604 mixer with firewire card installed is now a legacy device.  Mackie has since moved on to building a 1604 mixer with the firewire capabilities built into the mixer, so they may not have recommendations for my device.
 

 
Mackie Firewire units are particularly fussy about the Firewire controller.
Get a SIIG TI chipset controller.  They're more expensive... but it'll work.