windows XP compatibility mode is only available in the business edition of win7.  but windows business edition is not necessary for our use.  I don't know of anyone on these forums stating they are using the business edition and using sonar/cakewalk in "xp compatibility mode."

greg's instructions were 100% spot on for vistax64, but I don't think it applies to win7.  greg has pointed me to where cakewalk has said that on their site, but I don't think they really updated it for win7 correctly.  I have never had to try to run anything in "xp mode" on win7.  win7 "knows" that it's a 32bit program, puts it in the appropriate folder in Program Files (x86) and it just works.

I have both Music Creator 5 and Music Creator 6 on my win7x64 machine.  If I right click on the executable file for each of those programs, there is not a "run in xp mode" option available.  yet neither of them have ever given me any problems trying to run in win7x64.  they are both installed in the Program Files (x86) folder.

however, ADMIN rights will cause big problems.  win7 (and vista) both 32bit and 64bit both have something called UAC.  User Account Control - and it causes MAJOR headaches.  it's there to help people who have no clue what they're actually doing on a computer to help prevent them from downloading and installing harmful programs.  but it's a major PIA for people trying to use programs like MC.  I tured UAC OFF as soon as I installed win7 and I have never had to right click on any cakewalk product to tell it to run as admin or run in "xp mode" or anything like that.  once UAC was off, stuff just works.

Thanks so much to all for the responses...  my Win7 did install as stated and is running as a 32bit program.  I have so far not experienced any major glitches and I can certainly work around and find substitutes for the effects that don"t work correctly.

I have so far not experienced any major glitches

 
...except for with the forum software?
Welocome to the forum.

I have both Music Creator 5 and Music Creator 6 on my win7x64 machine. If I right click on the executable file for each of those programs, there is not a "run in xp mode" option available. yet neither of them have ever given me any problems trying to run in win7x64. they are both installed in the Program Files (x86) folder.

 
Right. My new computer doesn't have the same options that my XP computer had, but you can select "Troubleshoot Compatibility" and it will recommend a solution. For my SONAR Home Studio 6, it was XP SP 3. Music Creator Pro 24 and Music Creator 2003 refused to work.