Platinum x64 Clean Install - Shared Paths Issue

I posted a briefer version of this in reply to a Command Centre thread, but thought it better placed as a new thread. Hope that's ok Admin.
 
So I've just built a new main machine, x64 DAW and upgraded to Platinum. The idea is that the PC has three SSD's; one for the system, another for programmes, and a third for data files etc.
I made what turns out to be the mistake of installing Platinum via the Command centre, not realising that doing this does not present the option of selecting drive locations for specific parts etc.
Being also new to Windows 8.1, I was surprised to find that, despite being installed, SONAR did not appear to have the usual options available to uninstall. So the only option I believe I had was to search for all Cakewalk files (all located in various folders within the system "C" drive, in "Program Files" or "X86Program Files" including sub folders "common" etc.) and delete them.
 
So this I did, and I am sure I've located all Cakewalk files and deleted them.
 
I have then downloaded all installation files from the Cakewalk site via my account, but when I go to install, a window advises me that it has detected that SONAR either is, or has previously been installed on the machine, and that the Shared Paths destination has already been determined. Whilst I can amend the locations for various files including VST's etc. to an alternative drive to "C", the location for shared files appears in the window, but is "greyed out" and dictating that it shall go to my C drive, in Cakewalk subfolder that I have deleted (presumably it shall create the sub-folder it needs).
 
Still with me?
 
So, is it mandatory that some files must go onto the System drive, or is it just because SONAR knows where they were previously and they can function, be accessed from any location (should I have started from scratch with a custom installation)?

Is this a registry thing? Can I relocate them afterwards? I appreciate it's not the end of the world, but I'd like to ideally have things in certain locations, and keep my system drive exclusive for mandatory system running only, if possible.
 
Any suggestion on how I resolve this please?

OK thanks Wookie.
What if install. Then unistall using command centre?
I wonder if that'll work. If so it may be safer.
Will give it a go maybe.

GingerTomMusic
OK thanks Wookie.
What if install. Then unistall using command centre?
I wonder if that'll work. If so it may be safer.
Will give it a go maybe.

That would be a plan as noted you can set some stuff from the gear wheel in the command centre

There is an 'uninstall' option (right click Sonar in C3). It is in the doc's somewhere as I recall. I pretty much went through the same thing. You might try a re-install from C3 and then a un-install to clean system stuff up, and install once again. Don't forget to re-scan your VSTs.
 
It didn't change my shared paths and there doesn't really appear to be an option (I have old DP,Rap, etc) that use that registry link.

Sonar and any plugins should be on you C:/ drive along with your operating system and other programs.

Samples , loops and other content should be on another drive. If you have a third drive use that for your Sonar projects and other created content. If you only have 2 drives then samples and projects and the main drive as outlined in the first paragraph.

OK, thanks for this Mike.
The reason for not using my C drive was not capacity issue, rather an organisation thing. I have plenty of space.
I have 3 SSD's - 2 x 500GB, 1 x 1TB. Then there's a WD Black 3TB HDD for slow storage. So as I said, it's not space, just organisation, coupled with the fact that it's not amendable is irritating (like an itch you can't scratch).
 
As a point of interest, when you say you have multiple versions of Sonar installed back to X1. Do you have the full version of each installed, or just some selected parts, VST's etc that were not included in later versions i.e V Vocal being replaced by Melodyne? I can back to Sonar Home Studio, and was sad  to see some of the old stuff go.
 
Thanks again, I appreciate it.
Simon

mudgel
Sonar and any plugins should be on you C:/ drive along with your operating system and other programs.

Samples , loops and other content should be on another drive. If you have a third drive use that for your Sonar projects and other created content. If you only have 2 drives then samples and projects and the main drive as outlined in the first paragraph.

Mike, I am about to start loading plugins on to a new DAW. I have been hesitant and really haven't had time but now I do... anyway. On my old one, my laptop I just had one drive and managed somehow to have things installed in a lot of different folders. I too am interested in keeping this more organized so that my Sonar plugin scanner doesn't list over 10 locations. So... say EZMix, EZDrummer, BFD, TRacks, Nomad Factory stuff, AAS Player, etc... Do I install them all in either the Cakewalk VSTPlugins folders one for 64bit and one for 32bit? I think that some like AD2 have their own installer that I am not sure how much control I have over, like SPLAT. I did install it on my laptop but with one drive I pretty much let it do it's thing. However on this DAW I have a 500G C drive and two 1TB drives. One for projects and one for samples.
Am I getting the idea right? I'm not even sure what questions to ask.
I did note that you said I will need to install X2 to get V-Vocal and I assume I may need to install a version to get R-Mix but I'll look in My Account.
Thanks for any advice... ANYONE... I'm going to get started with the TT stuff first. I'll check back here and
THANKS!
Julien

If there was an .ini file that users could edit, dir locations might be easier to deal with or reduce dependence on the registry. I'm waiting for Win10 and will see if the reg stuff starts going the way of DXI. Even confusion over MSoft system dir changes might be avoided within a more self-contained Sonar environment, though the real key is easy access to the info be used and logs of what happened. Rather than a nice Linux like package environment, which is what I'd hoped for from C3, with a clean packaged break point from the legacy, instead we have a bit of a muddle. I'll being watching the Win10 impact this summer real closely because I'm actually getting pretty close to a stable Sonar system I can use. I'm hoping that I won't be looking at another round of installation issues this summer/fall. 
 
I always think really hard about having to do a 'CLEAN' re-install of an operating system!! for some mere application unless its for a dedicated device or a really nasty virus. Particularly if I was paying for a monthly subscription. I'm waiting for W10, and if I'm not happy with Sonar I just use other stuff in the meantime. But Sonar is pretty much working for me now (with the usual number of oddities) and setup/config/preset issues.
 
The whole Windows system image BU process changed quietly from W8 to W8.1 which took me a while to sort out, since you'd definitely want to have the option of reverting, if their were issues. 

Thanks Mike. I have time today to do some more. I am going to take a look at what I've already done. I am pretty sure I am on the same page as what you said as far as VSTs. I may have to move some samples or uninstall and re-install. I'm not worried about DIM PRO. I've installed EZDrummer but no EZXs or midi packs, so I suppose I can still put them where ever I want them, D drive. I don't remember if I have installed AD2 on my new DAW yet, it is on my laptop.
I'll see what I can get done, thanks!
 
Julien
 
 
PS, yes I do a backup on my laptop but am going to do a full drive image backup on my DAW. Am getting either one large SATA drive or three of the same size and a USB3 docking station.

Everything has been going smooth except for ToonTrack. Almost everything there has required multiple downloads and unzips to get them to work. Once I figured out the process for installing midi and audio packs it became easier. You have to install (once you stop getting missing file errors) and then move the whole folder to the drive where you want it, then add it to the particular VST "Browser". IK products took literally minutes to download and install a bunch of Amplitude and T-Racks products, it was fast and painless. ToonTrack literally took hours.
The Garritan website would not load on my new computer, the address bar was doing a fast recycle between store and account. I finally managed to login to my account but as soon as I tried to download GPO4, it went nuts again. I finally downloaded it to a DVD on my laptop and installed it from there, then the site stopped acting up. I'm going through other VSTs to see what I want to add and what to leave behind. Ignite Amps VSTs were an easy and fast install. You just unzip and move the .dll, easy. I cannot believe how difficult it was to get ToonTrack products to download, unzip, and install. No support from the TT forum either. I ended up having a day long conversation with myself. Cakewalk is the BEST!
 
Thanks Mike and I apologize for glomming on to this thread.
 
Julien