I totally agree with Bob in #46.
 
Now to send error reports to CW when the crashes occur...I have to open a music app with the board? and internet...to send it...which causes logs to be made...some of those errors are from doing just that...before the reinstall of win 7.
 
Check event viewer for these errors and paste them here. If you haven't run windows update yet you should.
 
Same with auto updates and apps....not going to be connecting to the net...so to defeat that...disable them as well.
 
No you should be running all the auto updates including windows update (automatic updates are a good thing)  and I suggest this:
http://forum.cakewalk.com/m/tm.aspx?m=2928792
 
> And towards AlexS...If the Nic is off ...and my system is clean..there is no need for security to be running in the background.
No Networking..So some of those services can be disabled...or put to manual or delay start.
 
You can't resist tweaking or thinking about what you can do with performance can you ;) Please do something different and maybe your issue could get fixed. I wish you would simply attempt a normal setup with the network connected all the time, like most people do. Slowly slowly.
 
And no you should not switch off your antivirus, you should configure the realtime scanning and then it will not be a problem.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/822158 (and exclude your Cake project folders). But turning off or excluding folders is a total distraction right now, you should really leave it as the defaults.

> Another solution coming to mind is the New coming Mac computer with thunderbolt, which A&L say the firewire r16 will work with, with a adapter.
 
A mac may be a better solution, it may stop you from your compulsive tweaking rather than attempting at resolving via problem/research/solution methods or taking baby steps towards a stable system :)

Alex you are missing the point...I have reinstalled now, and updated win 7 to the tilt.. validation done, new adobe reader, and quicktime, and llok, and codemeter, latest drivers, and such...all done!
Internet is going to stay turned off....for as long as things work...after the next session with Microsoft.
 
So Auto Updates by windows is unnecessary to be working if it cannot connect...same with other software...it causes cpu spikes....which I was having...So the tweaks happened to solve that.
 
Now if you cannot see my point of logical progressions...this will not go in any direction any time soon....as I do not want spikes, clicks or pops on my audio....and nothing you can say to make me change my mind on this.
 
I was told by the Microsoft tech that I wanted to do this, and he said what You said...But if I am turning off the nic and internet...then things change....those services and apps that do auto updating are now made redundant!
 
And that is the fact...if I WANT TO UPDATE...I TURN IT ON...WITH THE NIC..AND DISABLE THE AUDIO DESK.
 
Sorry but that is how it works with this particular system...any other way is mead overload of the mind....as I hate editing out those things on 16 tracks all the time...and some ruining some recordings.
 
Is this clear?

 
Carry on if you wish to, Alex.
 
I shouldn't have even come back in to this mess.
 
38 years of programming down the drain - guess I will have to find something else to do.  :)
 
Bob Bone

Turning off security is mentioned in the instructions for installing Sonar, and may cause issues if it is schedualed to do tasks when running any software..or updating..and or the os..Why?...well with the OS it could want to restart...it could when using software and updating automatically...the software being used at the time can corrupt the download and installs of the updates...and vise versa..
 
In that light one can safely turn off and on all services and applications running in background....with verying results to performance and stability of software.and OS...it is why they have a off state and a on state on them.
 
if the state is no longer a state of need or necessity ...then that applet for that state is redundant if it continues to run unsuccessfully....more logs will be made...and can be turned off...to stop the logging!
 
<My compulsive tweaks were necessary!>
As I said before Black Vipers tweak guide helped me...not the ones you fear that you saw on the page I posted...although UAC is one I have turn down to nil on occasion, and will continue to do, as it is security...it is on now...just till christmas rush is over....wink.

OK Les good luck to you, clearly you know what you are doing in your own mind, honestly nobody is going to tell you what to do and we seem to be going around in circles ;). Again good luck (only way you are gonna be able to resolve this as structured diagnosis/solutions clearly won't work for you).

No ALexS...You got it all wrong...THis is a new reinstall...AND I am taking baby steps in installing...and testing now.
If the clicks pops, drop outs, crashes, errors, and cpu spikes, are gone with no tweaks to  the OS and services "I have done in past to gain blissful recordings)...Then there is no need to do any tweaks.
I do not employ tweaks for nothing...I employ them to stop problems....So if no problems...no tweaks.
But the standard ones like sleep mode and such will be done...on all my machines...as I turn off my machines when not being used.
 
If this new build works, with your help and others over the testing period..and all works as speced..(But in light of past experiences, I hold regard in)...this will or could continue on, or be ended....as you see already things are complex with this system .....it is not like other systems...it is very picky....and I have found over two years or so of it being here, a hard case to crack with the software, and devices I have installed on it...all having their own issues with noise on the audio...So tweaks helped...and then I moved to a newer solution for audio and more inputs....which has brought on more problems....its ironed out...it is just turning on internet causes issues...And so turning it off is the answer.
 
Now please listen to the logics...If the internet is not going to be used at all..or only on exclusive states...It is redundant and problematic issues dictate its removal.....Now that solves the problematics?...No...the software/apps/services that want to auto update now cannot, but do try!....and this causes logs in the eventviewer...taking up cpu resources to do so when they occur....and they do also.
So to turn them off is logical, as they cannot perform their function...and trying but not getting the connection they require causes a fault error...perhaps?...well that is my point.
Win auto updates can be turned off...until I need to update it again...or turned to manual...so no more of that.
 
You see my tweaks stop all that from running in the background continually checking the internet that does not exist.
 
So...the logic is sound I think...and those apps and services will become redundant cpu hogs for no reason.
 
And that is the Logic I make of it.
 
If you feel after we test things your way...and we find problems...I will let you have a whack at solving it without tweaks....but if it cannot be resolved by you...and I have solutions that work...I will then implement them till the proper fix is found.
 
So no worries AlexS...don't walk away...this is a learning curve for all of us.
 
Cheers!

Try to pretend Les that you are building a house of cards here. What you need to do is pretend you are average Joe blogs who is simple going install windows, his apps, update them via the standard method, maybe install a virus scanner of some sort. Please stop installing utils, disabling internet etc (do that much much later if you really must, but if you insist on doing this sort of thing whilst we are attempting to diagnose your issue we will probably give up as we are swimming against the tide) . BTW PC's nowadays generally run better on the internet than off it, but please I don't want to start that debate with you (just do it). We were trying to just get you to install windows normally, do what the normal people do.
 
My only recommendation now is to do what Bob says #39, wipe, reinstall Windows again. Run windows update. Keep it on the internet. Install Sonar X3C and your latest drivers. Make sure your firmware is up to date everywhere. Run http://forum.cakewalk.com/m/tm.aspx?m=2928792 keep it simple (KISS), STOP TWEAKING! Don't get distracted. Forget about what you might think hogs performance, let it go, let auto updates do their thing. Don't install any other software, don't tweak any software. Do a backup!
 
Then start studying the event log for errors from the moment you've rebooted, leave it for a few days, then post event logs here. 
 
 
Thanks
 
Alex

Yes AlexS. (But I do not have to pretend)..I will not turn off the internet completely, until this is resolved...with Microsoft and CW...So I can post to the formies and get info and tech support.=remote viewing and medical changes I know nothing about.
 
I have to post up the info you People need...at this point Microsoft 2nd tech believes all is fine with the reinstallation......SO I will run things as I was instructed first...to turn off the nic card, load the audio desk driver, and start Sonar x3c and do a recording of nothing on all 16 tracks at once...as I usually do for a long period of time....starting with lower buffers and such.
 
That should prove things are ok for now.
Then installing other Software, as instructed...or via Admin rights...and making neat 32 and 64 folders inside a vst plugins folder and  watching the plug ins scanner.
 
Slowly add more and more...and test test test
 
But I have to turn off the nic to play with audio in any software with the Audio desk I have...no worries, I can turn it back on to connect to the forums for info and result posting.
 
windows Defender is installed and updated and running...and has been doing its thing..
UAC is also on...but I hate it....Wink.
 
And I have to say...You are a nice bloke yourself....Mead all round the table....cheers.

#46 from Bob...win 7 according to all I have done Pryor to installing third party divers...while doing updates for win 7..and finishing...was installed successfully and cleanly...the problem was win installed IE 11...and I then went to get the latest drivers and firmware for the A&L desk...and I installed them, turned on the desk, installed the driver, and updated the firmware...turned off the desk...windows IE 11 became buggy...and I went on to download candy (addictive drummer) I did not do when I bought the X3...Addictive drummer download failed half way through....and that is where things went haywire.
 
So it is a clean install.., with a crash happening most likely due to the Drivers conflicting or having issues with each other, for that moment in time I was installing the A&L Driver and firmware with internet active...IE 11 using one with a issue of the other perhaps cause a fault error which caused a crash and hang of win 7..rebooted..and then I removed IE 11 as it was not behaving well on its own any way as it would not go to certain URLs...
 
This confirms the issues with NIC is serious!
 
So Bob #46...and redoing everything again might not need to be done, if the tech says everything is ok.
 
it is just junk in the registry...which can be cleaned up....I think.