Disappearing Toolbars helpful thread bump

Just to elaborate for future reference:

Under \documents and settings\{user_name}\application data\cakewalk\sonar 8.5 producer you will find a subdirectory named menuxml. By default, there will be a single file there called SONARdefaultmenus.xml.

This is an XML file that defines the default SONAR menus. If you create a custom menu layout (Options -> Menu Editor) in SONAR, those custom settings are saved in a new XML file named for the custom layout you created. For example, if you created a custom menu layout called "Custom Menu Layout" via the menu editor, that would create a new file in the menuxml folder named "Custom Menu Layout.xml".

If the default xml file is missing, SONAR creates it automatically, just like it does with other configuration files such as aud.ini. You'll see a message that "SONAR will now personalize your user settings..." - the same message you saw when you first installed SONAR.

But if the default xml file is present but somehow messed up, bizarre things may happen to your menus. This might include losing one or more menus altogether, or just losing some menu selections. (If you had been using a custom menu layout, and that custom xml disappeared, SONAR just quietly reverts to the default.)

Thanks, Mike, for posting this for the benefit of future explorers.

IIRC, there is a "full screen mode" which strips the top off the app for more space. F11 comes to mind, but not sure if that is the correct key.

LpMike75 Try starting SONAR with the SHIFT key held down and allow it to repersonalize your installation. That should restore a corrupt or missing menuxml file: 

I thought holding SHIFT while starting Sonar opened in "Safe mode" not personalize.
that's holding down CTRL isn't it ?

Thanks for the advice but holding down shift or control shift doesn't do anything to help me. I guess I'll have to reinstall. Anybody know if I lose my plugin settings when if I reinstall?