Virus.

Backup your projects. Clean the computer with fire.

Other things that come to mind malware, spyware, any newly loaded programs, internet or wireless connectivity, a program previously installed that self updates, etc. Do you have restore points? Try setting it back to a time period it was working after doing a virus/spyware scan.

Newly installed program???

If so, uninstall it and do a regedit to make sure all traces are gone...

No new software??

Check for spyware, malware, even your virus monitoring software... which most folks will tell ya... stay off the intersnot with your audio box if you can.

Done routine maintenance lately?

Gut your tmp files, defrag and a chkdsk on each drive.

thanks for the suggestions... It probably is some sort of virus or malware. Does anyone know what the best way is to get it all off? Best free programs or anything?

The best way???

boot from CD...

cmd prompt...

diskpart.exe

Blow away the drive...

create new partition...

format c:/

Install windows...

Not the most practical, but it IS the best way...

w/o knowing what kind of nasty you might have, try Spybot S&D... which will get you at least an idea of where to go from there, if it finds anything.

Maybe I should just reformat... Also, I have heard that using partitions is good for recording. How might I use a partition to give Reaper more juice, so to speak?

Give it another drive to store the files on.... another partition will just suk I/O

Let the software reside on the C:/, it's fine where it is... Hell, if it'll run from a flash drive, it's fine where it default installs.

I see... So how exactly do I use the "other" drive? Do I just set the options in Reaper to write on to the other drive?

Anyway, thanks for all the help yall

Should be a way to set Reaper to use a folder on another drive as temporary storage.

I don't use reaper but in cubase I set the project folder in the other drive in my case D:/ drive and it sends all the files there.

A very good free malware/spyware program is Ad-Aware from lavasoft can be downloaded at http://download.cnet.com/1770-20_4-0.html?query=adaware&tag=srch&searchtype=downloads&filterName=platform%3DWindows&filter=platform%3DWindows if you are pc. There is probably a Mac app as well.

Prevention is the best cure, which is why virus scanners and malware blockers are good, to keep the bugs out. Once you have a bloated computer the only way to deal with it is to clean it with fire. Reinstall everything clean and try to keep it that way.

Double ditto's on Ad-Aware...

cc-cleaner is another utility I use quite a bit...

Between the 3 (Ad-Aware, Spybot S&D and CC-Cleaner)... you have a good suite of tools.

Just as with any DAW, Imaging, Video or multimedia program, you should keep your data files on a secondary drive. That's what I was referring to...

Just as with 90% of all software packages, you set Reaper to point to another drive by navigation. Once it's there, it normally goes to last accessed drive.

Kveldulf wrote: I see... So how exactly do I use the "other" drive? Do I just set the options in Reaper to write on to the other drive?

Reaper's default setting is to save audio files to the project directory. So assuming you haven't changed that, you would just need to save the Reaper project to your audio drive. I would recommend creating a directory for the project to keep your audio files separate from other projects (check the "create subdirectory for project" option in the save as dialogue.)

You can also specify a recording directory for a project: "file" menu -> "project settings" -> "Audio Settings" tab. Leave this blank (or clear it) to save files into the project directory.

If you are in the habit of recording audio before you have saved the project, you can specify a global default recording directory: "options" menu -> "preferences" -> "recording" -> "Default recording path, when project is unsaved and no recording path is configured".

If you have an existing project, simply save it to the audio drive, and check the "copy all media" or "move all media" options.

As far as your slow-down problem is concerned: try disabling your virus scanner, see if that makes any difference. (I traced a massive slow-down in my Tracktion start-up time to an AVG update: every plug-in .dll was suddenly being scanned for viruses. I now use ClamWin instead!)

It might also be worth asking for help on the Reaper forum: http://forum.cockos.com/index.php

Just curious...what exactly do you mean by "heavy VST?"

Have you changed your buffer setting lately?

I reformatted, and everything if fine now. It is a computer I assembled just for recording, so I don't know why I used the internet on it, I let myself get carried away! I won't anymore, though.

Cheers