Despite the crashing (Yes, even this version 4 crashed on me), I'm keeping this version. I figured out if I disable "Get VST names/types while scanning/loading" then it doesn't crash on every start up nor every effect or synth load. The downside is that whichever incompatible plugins I have are still lingering in the pot and I'll never know which one will crash or when. And I have hundreds of VST(i)'s. AND I also disabled DirectX. Sony Vegas and
Music Creator 4 and a few other programs installed DirectX plugins without even asking. DirectX is outdated and instable, even according to Microsoft, who invented it. So I'm putting this out there in case anybody else has had the crashing problems on Reaper that I have had.
I don't blame the plugins, because they work fine on every other DAW program I've used (MultitrackStudio Pro Plus, Energy XT, Music Creator 4, TunaFish, Wavosaur, FL Studio, etc). So please don't try and tell me it's because of the plugins. It's a weakness of Reaper, not the plugins which have proven their stability, time after time, DAW after DAW.
The only exception is Beat Thang Virtual which crashes in all of my DAW's, but that's not even the only one that crashes Reaper. There are tons of them that Reaper chokes on, including DirectX.