Need assistance and info to get back into the Sonar loop.

I think you are correct in assuming to cut your losses. Sonar Platinum has developed so far from Producer and the X versions that you will find it will be almost like starting over. Needless to say, some people thought Producer or X was difficult to learn! Platinum has grown to have a VERY steep learning curve.
I do not mean to scare you. I just feel we need to make you aware that there will be a lot of work ahead to adapt to this new version of Sonar. What you know of Producer will help, but don't expect to just jump in and go to work. Good luck to you.

It is a new day - the versions are explicated above.  It is a different program, but most of the basic stuff still works the same (some of the mouse moves/clicks are different but much remains the same).  You shouldn't have much of a problem adjusting, tho it may take a little time (and it would no matter what 7-year old program you were used to).  Most users think the latest version is the best - SONAR 4 basically ends w/ SONAR 8.5 and the SONAR X series was different - skylight interface with a more ergonomic tool bar.  SONAR (no #s etc.) is based on the X series.
 
But the short answer is, I don't know what the process is to upgrade from SONAR 4.  No doubt you'll get some kind of upgrade pricing if you can connect to your old account - that too is all new.  Your best bet is to call the help #.  You might have to wait, but ...
 
Those Timework effects were cool, but you'll have the ProChannel instead.  If you have the old disk you can load the timeworks in - SONAR still does DXI.  I remember the TW stuff was good, but I don't think it will outclass the new software.
 
Oh, and welcome back.  I started using SONAR about 5.
 
@

There was a declaration by Cakewalk that beginning with one of the X2 or X3 versions of Sonar, it would not run on anything less than Windows 7 with Service Pack 1.
 
Also - I am not sure if 32-bit DXi plugins will necessarily run on a 64-bit Windows, but that is really speculation on my part, as I don't use any 32-bit DXi plugins any longer (to the best of my awareness, anyways).  Cakewalk still has a small number of DX plugins, but I believe there was some internal rework by them to get them to where they would run in 64-bit OS environments.
 
That all being said, you CAN install both a 32-bit Sonar and a 64-bit Sonar on a given 64-bit capable computer running 64-bit Windows 7 with SP 1 or higher.
 
Windows 8.1 or 10 are also options, but in any case, you will want to do some checking for any needed drivers for things like hardware (midi controllers, audio interface) to make SURE there are indeed production released drivers for whatever version of Windows you will be moving to from the current XP.
 
Once you get a nice shiny new computer together, and if needed get rid of a bunch of the bloatware free trial crap and software not desired, you CAN download a free Sonar demo and it will let you test out the user interface and the Sonar audio engine.  There are some restrictions and limitations, but you could still get a pretty good idea of whether or not it is a good idea to move to one of the current versions.
 
You could probably also install whatever version of Sonar that you are/were running on the XP computer, along with any new version of Sonar you decide to move to.  That way, you would/should be able to access your older projects in THAT version, if for whatever reason you can't get them to open in say Platinum.
 
As always, these forums are chocked full of friendly and helpful folks to work with you on getting things squared away.
 
Bob Bone
 

Hi, and welcome back.
I started with SONAR XL2.2, then upgraded to SONAR 4 Producer. From there I upgraded to X3 (which was quite a jump, but not too bad), and am now on Platinum.
With X3, and especially now on Platinum I feel like it is a pure joy to work with.
The basic buttons are the same, but there is SO much more, and on my end it is extremely stable.
If you take in a little at the time, you will be enjoying it as never before.
I do things now, that I never dreamed about in 2.2, or 4 
And as others have mentioned, the ProChannel stuff is way better than the old fx.
I think Cakewalk will get you sorted with regards to your old account. They did with me years ago, when I lost access to my old mail account.
All the best.

The Cakewalk folks have been quite active and responsive to account issues, and they made a point of committing themselves to doing so, which they done well at honoring.  :)
 
Bob Bone

mileskb
 
Regarding the TW stuff, it's not really a matter of good or not.  I'm sure there's something current that will outclass it, but problem is...  It's what was used so if I try to open any of that era projects, and it's not available, I loose 100's of hours of mastering work.
 
...more the "what do I do with the 100's of buns I have now that were all created on older technology?"  I later got into the habit of creating both final raw and processed tracks before mastering just in case something happened so that will help with some stuff.  I wouldn't expect new projects to be an issue.

As scook mentioned above, in order to access 32bit DX plugins (including the Timeworks plugs) you'll need to install the 32bit version of SONAR.   You can have the 32bit and 64bit versions of SONAR installed side by side, using the 32bit version to access old projects and the 64bit version for new(er) projects.

Does anyone have access to the Timeworks plugins as standalone files.  They were bundled with Sonar 2.0 XL I believe, but I can't seem to get around the Direct X 8.1 check that halts the install of 2.0 XL.

In hindsight, my old system (WinXP 32 bit) could and did run a 75 track project of Audio & Midi containing multiple, unbounced V-Vocal clips, extensive automation and a vast quantity of fx plugs, all without even blinking.
 
So I'm not going to knock the platform for what it was, it's just that things have moved on, mostly for the better, and it's a 64 bit world of computers laden with 32/64 Gb RAM

Same here - WinXP with 2GB RAM ran lots of projects loaded with audio tracks + plugins, and MIDI tracks mostly using outboard gear.
 
However, when it comes to VST instruments that's a different story...  loading an instance or two of Kontakt using a relatively modern orchestral library (or really anything) would quickly show just where those 32bit limitations lie.