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Knowledgebase > Using Your Instruments > Troubleshooting > Usage: Slow Loading Times when Choosing Sounds (STEAM/SAGE library on external drive)

Usage: Slow Loading Times when Choosing Sounds (STEAM/SAGE library on external drive)

If you are experiencing slow loading times when choosing sounds, please ensure that your external drive is formatted for use with your specific platform: Mac or Windows.

For Mac, your drive will need to be formatted as either "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" or "APFS". 

For Windows, your drive will need to be formatted as "NTFS". 

Your Spectrasonics Instruments cannot be installed to a drive formatted as exFAT or FAT32 because those formats lack the performance requirements of our instruments. 

Note: On Macs, find out by right-clicking the drive icon and selecting "Get Info" to check the format. On Windows, you can find out what your drive is formatted as by right clicking the drive letter and selecting the Properties. 

For more detailed information, please refer to the External Hard Drive & SSD Format Guidelines.

On Windows computers, anti-virus software with real time scanning or protection can also be slowing down load times. As a test, temporarily disable your security software and try loading the patch again. If you do not have a 3rd-party antivirus installed, then Windows Defender is on by default.

Here is how to temporarily disable Windows Defender real-time protection: 
  • Open the Windows Security app
  • Click on "Virus & threat protection"
  • Click the "Manage Settings" link under the "Virus & threat protection settings" category
  • Turn off the Real-time protection toggle switch.
If you are still experiencing issues after trying the steps above, please contact info@spectrasonics.net and we'll be happy to help.

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