Brief follow up here. As to turning off all the automatic updating, this is sometimes a program by program process. In Win7, opening the Control Panel will get you started. You have to find every installed program like Flash Player and QuickTime, etc., either on this Control Panel window or via the open program itself - it depends what program it is - find the Advanced tab in the Program window and select ‘Never Update’. This can be difficult with some programs. The KEY here is finding these programs that install with automatic update preselected (every one of them it seems) and unselecting this feature as you install it. But this will only go so far because you will update this manually sometimes and you may forget. Be diligent
Another program to install that can help with this is ‘CCleaner’. It offers a look at the Task Bar that allows you to delete many automatic settings that you may not even know exist. In fact, as with XP, the goal is to keep the Task Bar clear if possible. In Win7 on my computer I show on my Task Bar my Internet connection icon - either ‘on’ or ‘off’ depending what it is, a ‘speaker’ icon that tells me whether my sound device is on/off, a USB icon that allows me to disconnect something I have plugged in (although I rarely use it), and my Mackie mixer icon to show me whether my mixer is on/off. That’s it, nothing else.
Another thing to be on guard is the motherboard software itself sometimes, and MS that may want to send info out to the company. This can’t happen.
Well, I’m sure in XP you have learned plenty about turning off updating features. Just keep on it.
OH, one last note. Recently I updated my wireless router, the one that attaches to my modem and sends the signal throughout the house. I bought this Netgear unit that has two antennas built in (not visible) and some built in memory to help with streaming movies. It was around $100 and is new technology to me. Anyway, it has SPED UP my wireless control within Cubase. Before, my process was rather lagging (the control features in the iCPro app, Start/Stop, Metronome On, etc.) but now things are very fast, as close to real time as they may get, actually. This surprised the shite out of me, I just thought it was a sluggish program. Turns out it was my wireless speed.
To explain further, there is a website called ‘speedtest.net’. Google this and it will come up. There are three numbers this test will give you, the Ping, the Download Speed, and the Upload Speed. Of these three numbers, it was the Download Speed that made the difference. I’m on a 15Mps line, yet my old base station could only deliver 5-7Mps. My now unit can deliver 13+Mps. The change to the iCPro app is dramatic!! So I guess the message here is don’t overlook the router, buy a good one. (The router I purchased, for the record, is the NETGEAR ‘R6250 Smart WiFi Router’.)