These are all great ideas, but none of them are solving the problem.

Fred, and just what should I open my midi with? Using Media Player assures that I can preview them easily. I have never used anything else as the default program and CW hasn't had a problem until now. Could there be a "dll" problem? I'm getting closer to uninstalling and reloading the program disk (if I can find it).

Cassp it's no problem at all to open with mediaplayer assigned or not does not matter.

Recent updates from media player are causing lot's of problems in "other" software.
Secondly it often stays resident active in the background after closing eating lot's of resources....
I don't know if you have automatic updat switched on?
In that case something might have changed without knowing!

There is a patch for the Sonar versions but I doubt if that will work on Cakewalk.

Now, I don't say it is the solution to your specific problem, but it's just a few mouse clicks away, which is reversable so no problem to try out..

By the way cakewalk does play midi files
and lot's of other players too..

Reinstalling is quick so that would be the first option indeed.

I'd be tempted to reprofile the sound hardware or maybe even re-install the software.

Could it be a processor load / playback dropout issue is it? Is something else running that is hogging the processor? Over-zealous anti-virus software? Over-full hard disc?

Also one of my favourite tricks is to set it lo loop around a zero-length seqment.

about my favourite trick: it behaves like a lockup!

Thanks for all your help everyone. Have a Happy Thanksgiving. I've got my two computer-nerd sons coming over for dinner. If they can't solve it, I'll try a reinstall on Friday. Till then, all God's blessings my great friends here at the SZ. I'll keep you posted.

So, what Happened?
( I hope it didn't spoil your Thanks Giving )

I can't solve the problem. I've reinstalled Cakewalk with no difference. The program hangs up any time any way I stop the player or it stops at the end of a file. I couldn't find this thread on Monday so I started another. How frustrating :{