Sonar 7 the only software that doesn't work. Please help!

Go into Options -> Audio -> Advanced and check the box that says "share drivers with other programs".

I have a similar issue with my Layla 3G unit - sometimes I have to shut down and start a second time to get it working, although it sounds like your problem stops you more than mine stops me.
 
Did Sonar 7 work properly with the interface you were using before the Scarlett?
 
In your Windows Device Manager, do you have more that one sound device (another one besides the Scarlett)?

From what I understand versions of Sonar that came before 8.5 can be a bit unstable on Windows 7 or 8.1 64 Bit. It was really a Window XP 32 Bit version.  I think if you look in the Cakewalk Knowledge base they state something about it being "untested" on Windows 7.
 
I would download and try the Sonar X3 Demo to see if this works for you. 
You can upgrade to Studio for less than $100 when they have a sale. 

I just tried X3 again and it showed a new error, something about "the following driver isn't supported" then a little list with "Focusrite USB 2.0 Audio Driver Output 1" and then the options to "disable" or "use anyway". If I click "use anyway" it just shows the error over and over until I click "disable".
 

If the Scarlett 2i4 is used for both Windows audio and SONAR make sure the sample rate in Windows Control Panel properties for the interface and SONAR preferences are the same.

However, Sonar 7 does not work as well as it did in Windows XP there are some things that are not usable anymore, but the Cakewalk audio adjustments do work, so the program is dated in that respect. The other FX audio effects do not.
 

Thanks for all the replies. This is quite an irritating problem, the first time I get a recording interface and it stops working for no reason at all.
 

mettelus
There are properties in Windows to give exclusive control to software. It is possible Windows has seized the Scarlett on startup. On my machine I have onboard audio enabled and explicitly set to default. With both onboard audio and the Scarlett online to Windows, if the onboard audio is default, reassign it to the Scarlett, then explicitly set it back to onboard audio. The other possible solution (probably preferred for your case) is to uncheck both exclusive options in the Windows properties for the Scarlett.

 
I tried those exclusive settings in Windows, I tried it with them checked, restarted Windows, it didn't work, I tried it unchecked and that didn't work. I've actually disabled every single other audio device, only the Scarlett is enabled as the default.
 
 

spacealf
Gotta tell ya, I need a newer version of Sonar, but I use Sonar 7 with Windows 7, and the RME Babyface, and I never have a problem with any of it. Of course I used it on my old XP computer also, and never a problem with anything.
 
There is something wrong in your computer system and I do not have a second sound card (even though it came with RealTek drivers, but those are not even in the system anymore if they were there in the first place.
 
I do not have a TV I use with my computer also, although there is the HDMI connection on my graphics card, so the end result is I can not tell you exactly how to fix it, but I would un-install the drivers perhaps for those devices you are not using, instead of just disabling although that should not make a difference.
 
So in Sonar I use ASIO drivers and anything in Windows 7 for music (movies UTube which uses Adobe Flash) or just playing music in Windows Media Player (WMP) would use the WDM/KS Windows drivers although I can use those in Sonar also.
 
Perhaps you should check if the drivers are really made for Windows 7, un-install them for the Scarlet (which you may have done already, get rid of old drivers if they are hanging around, beacause Windows 7 is kind of a pack-rat and keeps old drivers in case you un-install the new drivers and go back to old drivers. Make sure all drivers are out of the system, just like a video graphics card, in which case you un-install old drivers Windows 7 will automatically install if un-install newer drivers until you get back to the basic (for your graphics card) VGA drivers. Then install the newer drivers, but anything else I can not say except that the sample rate for the Scarlett and Sonar must be the same.
 
Might want to do a check on the Internet and search to see if there is something on your problem looking it up.
 

I've been searching for a while, I don't like starting threads if the problem has already been dealt with. I haven't tried uninstalling them yet just because it was working for a while and nothing has changed. Well actually, windows update must have run every time I've shut down the past week, so maybe that has messed something up. I thought Windows 7 was a great OS until recently. MS is one of the richest companies on Earth yet they make some of the worst OSes I've ever used.
 
Anyway I'll uninstall the drivers today. I don't have a DVD drive at the moment so hopefully I'll be able to find them all online for reinstall. I got the drivers from the website. I had to subscribe and then specifically choose my OS and device so they are the right drivers although on the instructions I got with the device it did mention some sort of control panel - what looked like a virtual mixing desk - application. When I installed THAT it didn't work with the 2i4.
 
If all this fails I'll have no choice but to format and reinstall windows. What a terrible OS. Then again every other DAW works perfectly, just Sonar 7 and X3 give the same errors as each other.
 
Unless someone else has a solution?

Rather than pull your hair out any more, I'd suggest just switching from ASIO to WDM/KS. That'll solve your problem, if it's actually the driver-sharing problem we're all assuming it is.

First you may want to take off all the automatic stuff in Windows 7. You would have to go to Control Panel and go through everything, mainly like Windows Update - not automatically done, and User Account Control - I have mine off, but it is because it is more of an annoyance than because of anything else - all the time - do you trust this software, do you want to install it - duh, yes, so I turned it OFF! Automatic Defragging of the harddrive - I don't need schedules on for anything - yes I have to check every now and then the computer, but I am used to that.
 
I do not even have Sonar 7 with compatibility mode for XP with whatever SP like SP2 or SP3 and XP Compatible, I did at one time for awhile, but I got to say  - works the same in Windows 7. Now I do not use soft synths, but that probably not that much of a problem, and I do not use software compressors, and limiters and any of that stuff, but still the Cakewalk effects do work and I could - maybe one time I did, but the rest for mainly audio recording I never have a problem with. In fact my drivers for my RME-Babyface, work with XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 - one driver download for any OS on that.
 
??? I never have to re-install Windows either, because it is an OEM OS so I think there is a spare copy kept in Windows 7 - maybe all Windows 7 is like that and I have a Home Premium version of Windows 7, and it all works fine, no problems. You have to make your own DVD disks if you want to store the OS because you do not get those Windows disk with the computer, and a Start-up disk if anything goes wrong, but all of those are done either from the manufacturer's own program or a Windows program. Also stored is the other stuff you need for the computer should the OS bust, and that may have to be written down somewhere to keep also (on paper like).
 
Sonar 8 would be better, but like anything I have the patch for Sonar 7 installed and Sonar 8 needs patches also - what to version 8.5.3 whatever, but probably will upgrade sometime and although I like the old version vs. new version like X3 whatever, I may just have to upgrade someday anyway. I hope it is not as hard to use as some people seem to indicate on this forum, and I am sure I will have to read through it because it is different, and that day will be that day then.
 
Check your harddisk - Get up Computer desktop Icon - go to the C:\ drive and right click and select Properties, then the Tools tab and check your files for Windows if necessary, also do disk cleanup for files no longer needed - like when Windows Update is done, and Windows does not get rid of the cleanup but most of the time they do, and other files no longer needed on the computer -- or have all your harddisk bulged up from files no longer needed on your computer.
 
I have not had Windows Update interfere with anything running on my computer and those still are going to come out anyway for quite a while yet.
 
That is about it, go through Control Panel and set the computer the way you want to run it. I myself just take off the automatic scheduling stuff because I do it when I want to and not when some schedule is going to do it - you have to change usually that stuff on the time anyway, and I turn my computer off, so it is not going to do it at night or any of that.
 
Go to Control Panel and Administrative Tools and System Configuration, and set what little stinking programs you want to start up when the computer starts up - or not start up - they take up memory and take up time running sometimes - I get tired of automatic stuff on a computer even with Adobe Flash which can be set just to notify you if there is an update, and there was just a recent update, Java (which I probably do not need anyway) on the computer, or anything else with those stupid update programs. I have software that can not be updated so why would I have those programs for the updates on anyway.
 
You can clean boot about there also, or set it up to start the computer the way you want to - better than XP use to be. You just have to get familiar with Windows 7, if you are not already. Especially when you connect to the Internet - I have a desktop Icon that is for "Local Are Connection" just get up that screen in Control Panel when you get to Connections (for the Internet) and drag it to the desktop. If I want the Internet on, then the desktop icon is where I go to Enable that or Disable it and the Status screen also after I do connect to the Internet. XP had that also, but it is there in Windows 7, you just have to find all the stuff and change Windows 7 to perform how you want it to.
 
Can't think of anything else right now, and I sure I had something else to say about it all, but then, in Windows 7, you can set it up more to the way you want, then XP ever could be set up, but know to go through the speaker icon on the Tray on the right hand side and look at all of that also - usually right clicking to select what menu item you want to look at - those would be probably the WDM drivers part of the sound, but in Sonar 7, I only use ASIO drivers although I can change that, and all that is the same as it was on XP. I do have share drivers with other program checked marked in Sonar but I doubt if I need that, since Sonar is separate say like using ASIO drivers while anything else in Windows 7 would use the Windows drivers of WDM/KS because that is the way that it all works.
 

Well, that is enough babbling and probably way too much.
Babyface and all as it were.
 

"so I'll just get a copy of 8 since it seems really solid" 
 
Ahrrr avast me mates!!`Only one way to get 8.5 these day's I'm afraid...

Thanks for the detailed reply. I do a lot of those things but I keep update on because I know how easy it is to exploit some of those windows security vulnerabilities once they're found.
 
I didn't think to try 7 on compatibility mode because it was actually working when I first installed it for a while. Anyway 8 seems to be working well... for now.
 

spacealf
First you may want to take off all the automatic stuff in Windows 7. You would have to go to Control Panel and go through everything, mainly like Windows Update - not automatically done, and User Account Control - I have mine off, but it is because it is more of an annoyance than because of anything else - all the time - do you trust this software, do you want to install it - duh, yes, so I turned it OFF! Automatic Defragging of the harddrive - I don't need schedules on for anything - yes I have to check every now and then the computer, but I am used to that.
 
I do not even have Sonar 7 with compatibility mode for XP with whatever SP like SP2 or SP3 and XP Compatible, I did at one time for awhile, but I got to say  - works the same in Windows 7. Now I do not use soft synths, but that probably not that much of a problem, and I do not use software compressors, and limiters and any of that stuff, but still the Cakewalk effects do work and I could - maybe one time I did, but the rest for mainly audio recording I never have a problem with. In fact my drivers for my RME-Babyface, work with XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 - one driver download for any OS on that.
 
??? I never have to re-install Windows either, because it is an OEM OS so I think there is a spare copy kept in Windows 7 - maybe all Windows 7 is like that and I have a Home Premium version of Windows 7, and it all works fine, no problems. You have to make your own DVD disks if you want to store the OS because you do not get those Windows disk with the computer, and a Start-up disk if anything goes wrong, but all of those are done either from the manufacturer's own program or a Windows program. Also stored is the other stuff you need for the computer should the OS bust, and that may have to be written down somewhere to keep also (on paper like).
 
Sonar 8 would be better, but like anything I have the patch for Sonar 7 installed and Sonar 8 needs patches also - what to version 8.5.3 whatever, but probably will upgrade sometime and although I like the old version vs. new version like X3 whatever, I may just have to upgrade someday anyway. I hope it is not as hard to use as some people seem to indicate on this forum, and I am sure I will have to read through it because it is different, and that day will be that day then.
 
Check your harddisk - Get up Computer desktop Icon - go to the C:\ drive and right click and select Properties, then the Tools tab and check your files for Windows if necessary, also do disk cleanup for files no longer needed - like when Windows Update is done, and Windows does not get rid of the cleanup but most of the time they do, and other files no longer needed on the computer -- or have all your harddisk bulged up from files no longer needed on your computer.
 
I have not had Windows Update interfere with anything running on my computer and those still are going to come out anyway for quite a while yet.
 
That is about it, go through Control Panel and set the computer the way you want to run it. I myself just take off the automatic scheduling stuff because I do it when I want to and not when some schedule is going to do it - you have to change usually that stuff on the time anyway, and I turn my computer off, so it is not going to do it at night or any of that.
 
Go to Control Panel and Administrative Tools and System Configuration, and set what little stinking programs you want to start up when the computer starts up - or not start up - they take up memory and take up time running sometimes - I get tired of automatic stuff on a computer even with Adobe Flash which can be set just to notify you if there is an update, and there was just a recent update, Java (which I probably do not need anyway) on the computer, or anything else with those stupid update programs. I have software that can not be updated so why would I have those programs for the updates on anyway.
 
You can clean boot about there also, or set it up to start the computer the way you want to - better than XP use to be. You just have to get familiar with Windows 7, if you are not already. Especially when you connect to the Internet - I have a desktop Icon that is for "Local Are Connection" just get up that screen in Control Panel when you get to Connections (for the Internet) and drag it to the desktop. If I want the Internet on, then the desktop icon is where I go to Enable that or Disable it and the Status screen also after I do connect to the Internet. XP had that also, but it is there in Windows 7, you just have to find all the stuff and change Windows 7 to perform how you want it to.
 
Can't think of anything else right now, and I sure I had something else to say about it all, but then, in Windows 7, you can set it up more to the way you want, then XP ever could be set up, but know to go through the speaker icon on the Tray on the right hand side and look at all of that also - usually right clicking to select what menu item you want to look at - those would be probably the WDM drivers part of the sound, but in Sonar 7, I only use ASIO drivers although I can change that, and all that is the same as it was on XP. I do have share drivers with other program checked marked in Sonar but I doubt if I need that, since Sonar is separate say like using ASIO drivers while anything else in Windows 7 would use the Windows drivers of WDM/KS because that is the way that it all works.
 

Well, that is enough babbling and probably way too much.
Babyface and all as it were.