Whether crapware or thrashing, something is hanging things up. I have same age desktop and new laptop (primary), and it's only after a Windows update I've ever had a slow load....just once then back to normal (fast/usual).

chuckebaby
What size is that C drive ?
It could also potentially be a plug in or synth loading samples at an amazingly slow rate.
Have you tried opening a new project with no plug ins and do you notice the same thing ?

 
The C drive is 1 TB in size, so I'm not sure that would be an issue if at least 100 GB were free, which is the case.
 
When I start a new project sonar loads it almost right away, but insert one or two synths by, let's say, Arturia in there and it slows down. And when I put Philharmonik or Addictive Drums in a new project it slows down even more, especially with Philharmonik's samples.
 
Incidentally, does the quantity of installed plugins affect the speed as well? I have 933 plugins detected by Sonar, many of which I still regularly use with various projects, and some of which accumulated from past installs of Sonar or other programs, but as I said they are not scanned at the beginning when Sonar opens.
 
@Seth Kellogg: It's worth looking into. I'll see what I can find out.
 
@BobF: My CPU does not hit the top nor does my RAM for that matter.

The disc space cannot be the problem. My C-Drive (SSD) on my main DAW -1- has 256 GB and there are only 50 GB free.
I have another DAW Nr. -4- (Sonar) with only 128 GB and 30 GB free, running complex processes with iZotope RX the whole day. The system starts in a few seconds and works very very fast.
Audiofiles are always on a second SSD (1TB).
 
If I had this problem, I would make tabula rasa as a fresh install (Windows) on a 256-GB-SSD - only Audio (!! no office - no Outlook - no other junk !!).  !! No Raid !!
Get a really good backup-software (50-100$), make daily backups on an external drive. Also make (monthly) a backup from the perfect running Windows as image-file. If your systems fails, restore your Windows from the image, and your system is running perfect again in 1 hour. Then play back your data which you saved daily. There is no need for RAID - as you see it doesn't help you.
 
 
 
 

Wondering if you got this issue solved?  Just recently I'm noticing projects taking a very long time to open.  I'm suspicious that it has something to do with my iLok and Wave licenses.  I just downloaded the free Sound Toys Little Plate reverb (requires and iLok).  In the process of trying to get the license to my iLok I seemed to notice some of my Waves plugins still on it.  Waves has moved away from the iLok.  I may have inadvertently moved some of my new Waves plugins to the iLok.   But, I'm speculating.   My issue started AFTER I installed the Sound Toys plugin. 

Sacalait
Wondering if you got this issue solved?  Just recently I'm noticing projects taking a very long time to open.  I'm suspicious that it has something to do with my iLok and Wave licenses.  I just downloaded the free Sound Toys Little Plate reverb (requires and iLok).  In the process of trying to get the license to my iLok I seemed to notice some of my Waves plugins still on it.  Waves has moved away from the iLok.  I may have inadvertently moved some of my new Waves plugins to the iLok.   But, I'm speculating.   My issue started AFTER I installed the Sound Toys plugin. 

 
I should have said something sooner. I did in fact "solve" my problem, but only by giving in and essentially getting a new computer (The motherboard was almost 10 years old). I got new storage drives, new and more RAM, a new Motherboard & Processor, and a new operating system (Windows 10). It works perfectly now and better than it ever did before.
 
As far as your issue, Do all your projects take a long time to load or just ones with Waves plugins? What type of iLok are you using? What are the specs of your machine?

Sacalait
Wondering if you got this issue solved?  Just recently I'm noticing projects taking a very long time to open.  I'm suspicious that it has something to do with my iLok and Wave licenses.  I just downloaded the free Sound Toys Little Plate reverb (requires and iLok).  In the process of trying to get the license to my iLok I seemed to notice some of my Waves plugins still on it.  Waves has moved away from the iLok.  I may have inadvertently moved some of my new Waves plugins to the iLok.   But, I'm speculating.   My issue started AFTER I installed the Sound Toys plugin. 

Mine has recently started to get slow at loading some projects. While I'm waiting it shows the Waves icon like it is trying to authorize. I got the waves element synth and a couple of waves plugins in one the recent sales. Eventually, it goes through. I'm starting to have my doubts about Waves.