Launching Sonar Xi- Is This A Bug?

The issue is your USB drive and Windows not Sonar. If Sonar can't see the folder locations it's been pointed to it's going to wonder if it's settings are correct (for good reason).
 
After you start Windows you may need to wait for a little while before you start Sonar.
 
There could be several USB and driver fixes for this.
Please run Windows update several times and this.
It may also be a dodgy USB cable (unlikely but possible).
 
Hope this helps...
 
Alex
 

Its DEFFO not a sonar issue.

If Windows is losing the mapping to the USB drive then Sonar loses it and will get into a flap, you'll need to trouble shoot the USB drive connectivity from Windows and take it from there.

Having said that I just reread it...
 
But, selecting Cancel doesn't seem to matter and Sonar resets all those folder locations to the C:\ drive.
 
Hmmm. I would have thought that CANCEL would just quit Sonar, giving you the option to save any projects if necessary (an unlikely scenario), and keep your settings intact...
 
Need to get this reproduced in X3D...

Steps be tested in X3D (I haven't tested this so please correct my steps if necessary):
 
1) Start Sonar
2) In preferences change file locations to a removable USB drive (or other external hard drive, although this scenario hasn't been tested).
3) Quit Sonar
4) Disconnect USB drive
5) Start Sonar
6) As expected a dialogue appears about Sonar resetting Preferences. Two buttons are displayed, Cancel/OK.
7) Click Cancel


EXPECTED

If a project is open and unsaved for some reason user is prompted to save or discard.
Otherwise no settings are changed. Sonar quits.

ACTUAL
Sonar discards settings such as folder locations (behaviour is destructive).

NOTE
Rather than have a "CANCEL" button I think the button should say "QUIT".

Nope not tested, can you test it specifically under X3D please? (Download the X3D patch from Sonar, I notice your footer says X3B).

Cheers....

For SONAR to work at all, it has to find a good project file location. The project location is used for temporary files. The default is "C:\Cakewalk Projects". When SONAR starts if it cannot find the Project File location defined in preferences, it will automatically reset to "C:\Cakewalk Projects" and update the registry entry. IIRC, if SONAR then cannot read/write the "C:\Cakewalk Projects", it will fail.

Sounds good Alex.  Thanks.

The only behaviour possible would be to Close Sonar or continue and update/reset settings.
Ignore would mean in the OP's instance that the project folders would save to nowhereland. Imagine "ignoring" when you've removed a soundcard? Dirty great big crash that is what will happen. The scenario just doesn't work.

Actually, just two buttons should suffice:
 
"Continue" and "Quit" (as suggested earlier in this thread)
             --or--
"Continue" and "Ignore" (which might correspond to the original, intended functionality of the two buttons).

Alex, an "Ignore" button would work in the following scenario:
 
1. You start Sonar and receive the warning message about your settings
2. This makes you realize that one or more of your external drives are not connected to your system
3. You click "Continue" to proceed into Sonar (without it making any changes to your previous paths)
4. You plug in / power up your external drive(s) *before* playing or editing anything
5. You make some music...
 
Now, yes, I realize that just having "Continue" and "Quit" buttons would also work in this scenario, but it would involve a few extra steps.  Certainly not a big deal.  And I fully realize that Cakewalk would never add a third button given all the other (more important) things that they have to address.  Cheers...

Thanks for providing my big laugh of the day.  Cheers...