scook
try adding exceptions for your DAW and audio control software to Windows Defender.
Steve, I can't find a place to do that.
I go to control panel -> system and security -> security and maintenance, and I see "Windows Defender is helping to protect your PC" - but no "change settings" option like there is for UAC and SmartScreen. I click on "change security and maintenance settings" and all I get are checkboxes to enable system messages.
I'm pretty sure I previously had antivirus exceptions for SONAR, VSTs and sample libraries under 8.1, and I'm positive I had them when I was on XP.
Maybe this is a "Home" limitation?
[EDIT] Never mind, I found it. Had to go through the Settings tile on the Start menu rather than Control Panel (old habits die hard). I added exclusions for my sample library folder as well as \program files\cakewalk, sonarpdr.exe, and a general exclusion for wave files.