let's start simply ...

00. A music production computer has no place on the Internet!

Whoever is of a different opinion, does not need to read further from this point.
I don't need hate speech here either; I'm just trying to help those who have the same problems over and over again.


01. Disable Windows pseudo security and system updates!

02. Sensible use of Windows Firewall (use Firewall-Control)

03. Absolutely essential, a HOST file that blocks "all" unnecessary queries from plug-in/DAW manufacturers and Windows. (mine now has over 490 lines)

04. Disabling Windows Defender. If that is not possible (WinHomeEditions) Exclude all drives containing music software/samples/libs/presets from the defender search!
Side effect: improved performance
(In case of virus panic disease, test the PlugIn in a sandbox beforehand)

05. Disabling Windows Telemetry.

06. For all purchased products, request offline licenses from the manufacturer. If that's not possible, f* the product. This has led to disputes with manufacturers in 30% of the products I have purchased.

07. Solution: Live with an older version that does not require an internet connection. Not every innovation is absolutely necessary to achieve the goal. Or, you don't want to? Then the only option is to switch to the alternative version (R2R/VR or whatever). I paid for this sh*, so it's the manufacturer's problem.

08. Get yourself an internet kill switch.
Search for Products like: DeLock RJ45 10/100/1000 2-Port manual bidirectional Gigalan Netwerk Switch 2x 10/100/1000 - Gigabit Netwerk Switcher, 10/100/1000Mbps, 2 in 1 Out

09. If !!! a plugin requires a one-time internet connection (registration query/or library download), use "savihost" or something similar for the initial launch.

10. Steps: Kill-Switch your Internet (or unplug your network cable), set "Firewall-Control" to allow all and start your session. In 99.9% of all cases, everything should now be working. I don't need the last 0.1% that still isn't working. Just uninstall that garbage.

Fundamental questions:
11. If you "need" Kontakt, use a portable version and add your old libs manually, works every time!

11.2 Do I really "need" the latest update for a PlugIn or DAW, or has something been fixed here that doesn't affect me at all?

11.3 Is it worth the risk of updating, for maybe 1 to 5 minor new features, that I'll never need, or that I already have elsewhere?

11.4 The basic rule for everything - Never change a running system.

Many problems with plugins arise “only” due to an active connection to the internet.
99.999999% of all time bombs are also triggered in this way, like the usual suspects so often mentioned here. The group that publishes this software is not always the problem, but rather the user and his system configuration. I've never had any trouble with serUheM bombs. But also online for just one sec, ta-daaa!
and the bombs fell

I myself have been following this procedure exactly since 2009 and have "never" had problems with applications. Neither on Win7 nor on Win10/11.
No Trojans, no viruses, no time bombs or whatever.
I can still start up my old Win7 music PC today and everything runs like a clockwork.
My Win11 laptop is a mirror of my Win10 studio PC, and “everything” runs completely identically.
But .... only if there is no connection to the Internet !!!

I hope I could help at least a few users

 

Never been online with my music PC, I have a second PC for 'offline' downloads, browsing etc, not every one has that luxury.

Folk do need to take care though.

Was in a commercial studio recording session recently and Pro Tools decided to update which caused problems so session was ended.

 

Always make a full backup of your C:/ drive to a second hard drive. Always back up important data to CD, DVD, or Blu-ray, keeping in mind that water damage, theft, etc., can always happen. A fireproof case is also a good investment!

 

I went the hardware protection route, got an Ubiquiti router so I can have my DAW on a separate VLAN. This lets me cut internet completely, or block traffic instead of using the windows firewall and hosts file. It also blocks malicious traffic

 

From "a bit radical but justified" POV I agree with most points.
I'd suggest to use the Firewall in whitelist mode: block everything except programs you explicitly allow
Takes a while to get used but does wonders

And the best point of the OP for me is: fuck everything that needs internet for no reason. Like OP says: once for first authorization tops. Not only for current security and whatnot problems with DAWs and similar, but for the future that will be worse in general for software.

 

Last edited: Feb 13, 2026 at 7:22 PM

This is really all you needed to impart. Not to say the rest is not pertinent. Every time I suggest this course of action here there are certain gomers that always chime in with - "you're paranoid", "yeah yeah that's your fix for everything", kind of b.s.. Of course this isn't a fix for everything but it does in many cases become a possible remedy for a portion of the issues reported here with scene releases not working, or system overhead issues, etc...

Great suggestions ALL. However if there's no internet there's really no threat. You have your dedicated internet machine that is dual homed where you run A/V, firewall, etc so you scan stuff there before it ever hits any other part of your system.

On the production box, the defeating of all the the Windows hogwash like telemetry, A/V, firewall, autonomous updating, etc, can all be eliminated (not just disabled) due to the fact that the machine is not bound to the internet. At the point where there's no internet involved to muck things up these eliminations manifest in releasing system resources and allowing the system to run less burdened. You also do not need win "updates" as most of that garbage is telemetry exchange, and undoing from remote anything on your machine that microsoft doesn't like. Generally those "updates" fuck up more than they ever fix.

You don't need a host file there either. In the case of R2R you'll have to run the Net Blocker anyway just because some things require it. You also don't need to buy a "kill switch" when one line of code can to the job to enable or disable your internet Network Interface Card. My internet facing boxen are all equipped with 2 batch files that keep the internet facing NIC DISABLED until I enable it or disable it myself. When the machines are turned on the internet NIC's are all disabled.

Code:

run this command line string to enable a NIC;
wmic path win32_networkadapter where index=XX call enable
run this command line string to disable a NIC;
wmic path win32_networkadapter where index=XX call disable

Where the index=XX number is given in the System Information panel under <system summary/Components/Network/Adapter under the "name" of the installed network adapter that belongs to your internet connection.

Running a completely OFFLINE production box will most certainly require using scene releases all the way around. If it isn't released to the scene then it isn't used.

Great post by the way!

 

Last edited: Feb 14, 2026 at 8:13 PM

a.k.a. The Zero Trust model, a great concept to live by

 

25 years experience with Win computers and DAWs and being online: since it's been out install Shut up! OO or how it is called and do not "tweak" Windows, have all updates and there is no problem at all.

Of course the OP doesn't want this kind of opinions and experiences, paranoia must be blind and know-it-all-betters must be deaf on top of it.

So do what you like, you could have known ...

 

Thanks @BlackHawk, I'm glad there are still people like you who are taking on all this madness.

Attention: Satire!

I've found a secret trick on the internet to reduce the risk of viruses by 100%.
The man who said this has over 40 years of computer experience.
Here's his trick, simple but with immediate effect: Unplug the modem!

 

To those with only one computer and want to cut your daw to connect to the internet
i ve been using tinywall since 4 years ago with zero problems
any plugin who needs connection for registration open the the plugin usin savihost

 

Windows Firewall Control (or similar tools) - and win firewall blocks everything from reaper.exe and the corresponding bridge .exe's and .dll's.
Conclusion: No home calling anymore since MANY years...

That easy.

 

O&O ShutUp10++:Free antispy tool for Windows 10 and 11
In reality, Windows 11 works perfectly and without problems once you have configured it correctly.
https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10

StopUpdates10 - https://greatis.com/stopupdates10

Get an AI-free browser: Waterfox - Open source web browser --> https://www.waterfox.com

 

I also have often posted I have a 2 completely offline music PCs A Win 7 my primary of many years and a win 10 secondary. All my important programs are backed up on 2 external drives. I have another PC for general net use and downloading and trying out programs. I don't use an absurd lot of plugins for my music needs, I use older reliable plugins that don't require online verification and/or cloud to use. I don't update if a plugin works perfectly. Look at all the overbloated garbage out today, e.g. Paintshop pro 7 came out in 1991, still works perfectly even on windows 10, just 35 mb, 50 mb installed, and now it is over 1.15 Gb I don't need the overloaded junk at all I want small and efficient programs that preferably only do one thing and do it properly, nothing more. Older plugins will be like GOLD.
Some useful programs and utilities, I hope they can be of use to some of you.
Defender Control v2.1, DefendNot 1.50, Defender Exclusion Tool v1.4, Windows Update Blocker v1.8, Net Disabler v1.2, BlueLife Hosts Editor v1.6, NTFS Drive Protection v1.5.
Just wait for the specs, system and hardware requirements and changes in Windows 12 using AI you will want to hang on to your older PCs. I think a lot of small and medium software companies will shut down due to an AI verification requirement.

 

My main DAW PC have not seen the Internet since day one and I love this fact. Although heavily used, it never caused any problems. Some time ago I moved to another studio place, which doesn't even have a possible internet connection. Or maybe it does, but I couldn't care less. Plus I'm a non smartphone user. The time in my life I stare at displays is ridiculous much anyway.

I want to add the aspect of not having the internets disctractions, which is a great place for creative works. Sure, looking up something quickly is handy and useful sometimes... but: is it really necessary? You can find your own workarounds and ways, which is again not a bad thing for creative purposes.

 

A Fully-functional version of Windows 7/8/10 or 11 on a USB drive that is able to start Windows 11/10 on any computer might be a solution for some who only have one PC, or even use it as a complete backup of your operating system in case of a crash. Hasleo WinToUSB.

 

Last edited: Feb 14, 2026 at 8:34 PM

It's weird I only learnt this "Zero Trust" technical expression a few months ago. Until then for me it was just something my ex-girlfriends used to tell me...

 

I have found, re: the autonomous updating process, that those "utilities" that say they stop updates may do so for a while, but the underlying update service infrastructure still lives, and will contact the mothership at some point. Using system GUI toggles, policies, and reg keys to try and regulate the updating doesn't work. Unless one completely removes that infrastructure (on an online machine) at some point you'll find that something has occurred and reset, and changed things around when you log back on to the machine. Had this happen on an earlier win10 internet build I did a few years ago. Ended up removing all the update infrastructure and no more problem.

Also I have found thru experience that the one-stop-shop win10/11 anti-bloat/spy tools don't keep up with the amount of changes microsoft does to the OS's to thwart the operations of those tools. Each "update session" if allowed to happen, will de-engineer the processes used by those tools to make the system safer from prying OEM eyes and re-bloating. IN essence, if updates are allowed, the use of those tools becomes moot with each passing update.

Yes. it can. But it requires some work on the part of the user to get it that way.

 

Thanks for your assessments and experiences @saccamano!

I'm a Windows 11 user and, based on a tip from a computer scientist, I installed the Update Stop program. I haven't received any updates for about a year now, and my system is running incredibly stable. I'm glad I made this tough but correct decision against the Microsoft mess and its constant, faulty updates, including data theft. I also have a backup of my C:/ drive with an emergency disk in case I ever get infected with a virus or Trojan. You really have to take care of this yourself. An offline system is certainly a useful alternative.

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TinyWall app here, and no more for total protection. Thanks anyway...

 

Just FYI and for the sake of keeping your system intact if you ever need to do a complete restore:

I got screwed too many times using "windows backup", "restore disks", "system restore" etc... After 1 or 2 instances of data loss experienced using the mickeysoft "tools" for system backup I switched to third party system imaging tools that can, in less than a 1/2 hour, restore a system back to a perfect usable state. Those tools are not made by ms, they are made by acronis and macrium. They also backup the system offline in a separate, safe and bootable WinPE environment where no file locking or security parameters block the imaging process. That windows backup thing attempts to backup the system hot (or at least it used to), with key files and portions of the system that are locked or "secured". Trying to restore that kind of backup usually results in a corrupted or unusable restore.

 

Last edited: Feb 15, 2026 at 12:15 AM