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Windows has been designed for a wide variety of applications. Unfortunately that means that, out-of-the-box, it works correctly for office or entertainment applications, but for DAW applications, several settings and features have to be fine-tuned.
Native users should also refer to this page for additional recommendations.
Windows 10 Fall Creator (1709) : Pyramix 11.0.6 / Ovation 7.0.6 / VCube 7.0.6 / AMR 11.0.6 required
Windows 10 Spring Creator (1803) : Pyramix 11.1.4 / Ovation 7.1.4 / VCube 7.1.4 / AMR 11.1.4 required. (MassCore mode : RTX64 3.4 version)
Windows 10 October 2018 (1809) : Pyramix 11.1.6 / Ovation 7.1.6 / VCube 7.1.6 / AMR 11.1.6 required. (MassCore mode : RTX64 3.6.2 version)
Windows 10 May 2019 update (1903(1903) : Pyramix 12.0.5 / Ovation 8.0.5 / VCube 8.0.5 / AMR 12.0.5 required. (MassCore mode : RTX64 3.7 version)
Windows 10 November 2019 update (1909) : Currently under test, Merging recommends you do not install this version for the moment.
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If you don’t have a Microsoft account, you can click on “skip this step” at the bottom of the page when Windows prompt you for your Microsoft account.
Merging recommends you don’t activate Cortana now, but configure it later once the OS is installed.
Version 1809/1903 only:
Select "Offline Account" to use a standard local account rather than an online Microsoft account.
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Settings page can be accessed through Windows Start > Settings icon (and 
+ i)
System
- (
- (1803 and above) Display > Graphic settings : graphic performances can be configured per application.
Select "Classic App" and browse to C:/Program Files/Merging Technologies.
Add Pyramix.exe - Ovation.exe - VCube.exe depending on your configuration.
Then select the application(s) and click on Options, set the graphics preference to High Performance. - In Notifications & actions, you can configure which quick action tile and notification will be displayed.
Merging recommends to only have “All settings” & “Network” tiles active.
In the Notifications section, you can configure how and which application can send Notifications.
Merging recommends to disable the “Get tips, tricks, and suggestions as you use Windows” and "Show me the Windows welcome experience..." for better performance. - Focus assist can be configured to remove several Windows notifications. (1803 and above)
- Multitasking : Merging recommends to set all Snap options to off, especially for computers not using dedicated graphic cards.
Switching between Virtual desktops is not recommended during real time operation.
In the Timeline section, Merging recommends you disable the "show suggestions occasionally in the timeline". (Spring Creator) - (1809) Clipboard : you can activate the Clipboard history feature (to save multiple items in Windows clipboard).
Note : This feature is only applicable to few Windows applications for the moment. - Remote desktop : since Spring Creator update, remote desktop is disabled by default.
Note : Remote desktop is not supported in MT Security panel, you cannot import keys thourgh through remote desktop.
Personalization
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In Apps and features, uninstall all unnecessary applications.
(In Windows 10 Anniversary 1607, Apps are only accessible through Settings > System)
Some applications cannot be uninstalled (Mail and Calendar for example), uninstall button will be disabled.
Bonjour is required for Merging products, do not uninstall it.
Merging recommends you uninstall Xbox Live (Fall Creator and following) and Xbox (1903 and following).
You may also remove Feedback Hub, Get Office, Microsoft Solitaire Collection, Paid Wifi&Mobile, Print3D (Fall Creator), Skype and Tips.
In Default apps, Merging recommends you set Google Chrome as your default web browser (RAVENNA users).
Click on Web Browser to select Google Chrome (it must be installed before changing this setting).
Startup : Please do Startup : Please do not disable RTX64Bootcheck (RTX64 System Tray can be disabled).
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Gaming (Since Creator Update)
In General, Merging recommends you turn off "Show me suggested content in the Settings app".
"Let apps use my advertising ID ...." should be turned off, to reduce the OS internet traffic.
In Background Apps, Merging recommends you only enable the required apps for better performance. You may also turn it off.
(1803) In Activity history, Merging recommends you disable both "Let Windows collect my activities from this PC" and "Let Windows sync my activities from this PC to the cloud"
(1809) In Activity History : "Send my activity history to MicrosoftGame Bar, set "Record game clips, screenshots..." to off, and disable "Open Game bar ..." and "Show Game bar when I play ..."
In Game DVR, set both "Background recording" and "Recorded Audio" to off.
In Game Mode, set "Use Game Mode" to off.
(Fall Creator) In TruePlay, set "True Play" to off.
Privacy
In General, Merging recommends you turn off "Show me suggested content in the Settings app".
"Let apps use my advertising ID ...." should be turned off, to to reduce the OS internet traffic.
In Background Apps, Merging recommends you only enable the required apps for better performance. You may also turn it off.
(1803 and above) In File System, "Allow Apps to access your file system" has to be turned Activity history, Merging recommends you disable both "Let Windows collect my activities from this PC" and "Let Windows sync my activities from this PC to the cloud"
(1809) In Activity History : "Send my activity history to Microsoft" should be turned off, to reduce the OS internet traffic.
(1803 and above) In File System, "Allow Apps to access your file system" has to be turned on (default).
Security
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Search
Since 1903, you may configure Search to search your entire PC (disabled by default). Please note that this search mode will increase the CPU consumption.
This can be set in Search > Searching Windows : Enhanced mode.
Update & Security
(In Windows 10 Anniversary, Windows Defender is only accessible through Windows Control Panel > Windows Defender.)
Full Virus Scanning should not run at the same time as Merging software.
If you plan to install an Antivirus software, Windows Defender will be disabled.
You should also disable scanning of the Pyramix files (pmx, pmf, pml, pad, pmw) but also media files (wav, aif, flac, mp3,...), because each time the DAW have to access such file, your antivirus may scan it.
AVAST has already caused a lot of problems with several Merging programs, it is therefore not recommended.
See this page for help on configuring your antivirus exceptions.
Windows Defender users can download and run a script to include the required rules in Windows Defender.
MTWin10OptimsMTWindowsDefenderExclusions.zip
Windows Defender automatic scans have to be configured in Windows Task scheduler.
Go in Windows Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Task Scheduler.
Browse the Task scheduler library to Microsoft > Windows > Windows Defender.
Right click on the Windows Defender Scheduled Scan task and select Properties.
in the Conditions tab, set it to Start only if the computer is idle, and Stop if the computer ceases to be idle.
in Windows Settings > Update & Security, select Windows Security.
In Virus & Threat Protection > Virus & Threat Protection settings, the Controlled folder access feature should be left to default.
In App & browser control, the Exploit protection feature should be left to default (some third party drivers may not install otherwise)
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ADDITIONAL CONFIGURATIONS
Cortana configuration
Cortana can be disabled (recommended but optional)
In Game Bar, set "Record game clips, screenshots..." to off, and disable "Open Game bar ..." and "Show Game bar when I play ..."
In Game DVR, set both "Background recording" and "Recorded AudioWindows Search field, type GPEDIT.MSC
Right click on the gpedit.msc and select Run as Administrator
Browse to Computer Configuration > Adminsistrative Templates > Windows Components > Search and set Allow Cortana to disabled.
If you want to keep Cortana, please configure it :
Fall Creator (1709) / Spring Creator (1803) / October 2018 (1809) :
Cortana can be configured through Windows Settings > Cortana.
In the Talk to Cortana page, set "Let Cortana respond to Hey Cortana" and"Use Cortana even when my device is locked" to off.
In Game ModePermissions & History, set "Use Game ModeWindows Cloud Search" to off.
(Fall Creator) In TruePlay, set "True Play" to off.
ADDITIONAL CONFIGURATIONS
Cortana configuration
Merging recommends you disable Cortana, for better performance.
Anniversary and Creator:
Download this zip file MTWin10Optims.zip
Double click on the Disable Cortana.reg file.
Restart your computer for this change to take effect.
You can re-enable Cortana with the Enable Cortana.reg file.
Fall / Spring Creator :
In Fall Creator, Turning off ""View activity history", "My device history" and "Activity recommendations"(1809 only) is optional.
May 2019 (1903) / November 2019
Cortana can be configured through Windows Settings > Cortana.
In Spring Creator, Cortana can be configured through Windows Settings > Search
In the Talk to Cortana page, set "Use Cortana even when my device is locked" the Talk to Cortana page, set "Let Cortana respond to Hey Cortana" and"Use Cortana even when my device is locked" to off.
In Permissions > Manage the information Cortana can access from this device, Merging recommends you set all to off.
In Windows Settings > Search > Permissions & History, set "Windows Cloud Search" to off. Turning off off "My device history" is optional.
In Notifications, set "Send notification between devices" to off (optional).
(Fall Creator) You can now enable or disable Windows Cloud Search rather than completely disabling Cortana (=Cloud Search disabled), through Windows Settings > Search / Cortana is optional.
Apps auto-update
Merging recommends you disable the auto updates on Windows Apps, for better performance.
Open Windows Store, and click on the profile icon on the top right corner and select settings (On Spring Creator, click on the ... icon)
Set “Update apps automatically” and show products on tile to off.
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