Hi Mark,

Unfortunately, since then I have kept the system information window of Process Explorer open as I used various programs to play files. I never saw physical memory dip below about 41,000. The figures under Physical Memory stay in the same range no matter what is going on. Available about 40,000 to 72,000 and System Cache between about 70,000 and 125,000. Under Paging, Page Fault Delta can swing from around 400 up to 5,000 rapidly sometimes (without a crash). Under CPU and I/O, Context Switch Delta sometimes has big swings, too (without a crash). I had two crashes while watching the Sys Info window, and when the crash happened, the "locked up" figures had no spikes. I spent the better part of an hour watching these figures, and never saw physical memory go below 40,000.

My system is well within the requirements Creative gives, and virtually all of the crashes I've had come with little else in the way of applications active.

Probably, display drivers can be ruled out. After I un-installed Geforce MX, I used Windows to adjust the screen resolution and tried playing a midi file in WMP, and the crash occurred just as quickly as when Geforce was installed.

I had forgot that Magic Score was still installed, since I had made midis of everything and copied them to Songs. But I tried that. It makes but only plays it's .sfd format and only one midi device using whatever soundbank is loaded can be used for all instruments. There was no crash. I did get one in Composer, playing a .not file, so I did further testing, playing a section of my first symphony, fourth movement, since I just started to edit that in Composer, so there is not a lot of difference. I used a section when the orchestra plays the first theme as a kind of hymn and most instruments are playing 3 note chords. First I used the MS Wavetable Synth. No problem in either Magic Score or Composer. Then I used the SB Synth A. Again to problems with the playing. Except, in both there were quite a few pops. (There goes the idea of ignoring midi, simply using .not, and making mp3's.)

I am beginning to think that perhaps the card is physically defective and that depresses me enormously--I'll hear back from Creative on Wed, probably, and there will surely be other things they'll want me to try. Then after who know how many weeks of such back and forth, maybe they will replace the card. Depressing prospect.

Anyhow, with nothing else I can do, I'm going to try the grand sweep and re-install again, with the sound card in the new slot.

I'll do any tests you might think of.

best,
mgj