fianoman/jford..//other users...just a piece of info...
it is important to understand that the WIN OS sits tween the user daw music software
and the sound device.
on start up of any music software the proper term is "device enumeration".
the music daw says to windows "hi honey what midi n audio devices are there on this pc ??"
and windows reports back a list of input n output midi and audio device drivers.

a good read sometime if one wants to understand is the windows developers site called MSDN.
eg....
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd370840(VS.85).aspx
on the left hand pane are oodles of topics covering developing under windows.
i would urge any end user to read at their leisure many developer
topics covered to see how win works.
then one will realise that the music application is seperated
from the actual midi or audio sound device the user is useing.
the reason i suggest reading the above link and spending some time with the deep details is one will then readily see as mac always says...
its DRIVERS cos the daw itself is divorced from the sound device.
the sound device could be the "made in freddys basement" sound device.
windows n the daw application dont care..all win and the daw app do is
work with what the user has got as a sound device.
spending some time at the msdn site , it will be soon realised that often the daw application is blamed incorrectly on various recording forums for problems.

retired puter engr....powertracks on amd......NICE !
"what is the black art of audio engineering ?"
my silly songs...motagator.com/bmanning
see my tips in the tips section.