"For anyone concerned that downloading Cakewalk by BandLab via BandLab Assistant might mess with your system or existing software – we’ve put a lot of effort into making sure that it doesn’t affect previous SONAR installations - Cakewalk by BandLab and previous versions of SONAR can run on the same machine with no issues."
 
I have found this not to be the case.
 
I had still been running my Sonar X3 on a windows 7 machine and having read this statement I assumed it to be true and decided to install Cakewalk by Bandlab. It downloaded and installed without issue. When running it for the first time it correctly prompted me to import my settings from the X3 install which also seemed to go okay. However as soon as I opened an existing project that is when the issues started. Existing VST and plugins from 3rd parties would no longer load and reported that they were not licensed. I assumed that this may be an issue with bitbridge as i have quite a few legacy 32 bit plugins that I use. I reverted back to X3 to test the same project only to discover that those plugins wouldn't load correctly in there now either.
 
I am therefore making an assumption that the installation of Cakewalk by Bandlab had overwritten the BitBridge files and it caused both CbB and X3 to cease to function correctly. On further investigation i found that this applied to all of my legacy 32 bit plugins. As some of these are now longer available this caused me a lot of concern as it meant that I could no longer go back and edit some older projects that I have been working on. Some personal projects have been ongoing for a number of years.
 
I am assuming that this has been caused by the UAC and the installer for CbB no longer having the ability to install "for all users" option. Thus the permissions for BitBridge to access the relevant VST, plugins and registry keys. The only way around this is to run both my X3 and CbB "as administrator" which isn't ideal.
 
I have been a long time Cakewalk user and have never experienced this issue before. I have upgraded from 7 to 8.5, no issues, 8.5 to X1 Producer, no issues, all the way up to X3 producer without issue. I still have them all installed on this same machine, so that I can go back and re-edit in the original environment if needed, they all now have BitBridge issues.
 
I cant, as far as I can see, uninstall Cakewalk by Bandlab to roll back the system to its previous state. I am assuming an uninstall will also remove things, like the Studio Instruments and more importantly BitBridge completely. I would appreciate if anyone else can clarify this.
 
The Cakewalk by Bandlab installer need to be modified to address these issues. The statement that it installs in a completely different location and will not effect previous installs is competely untrue and you should make users aware of that.
 
I applaud the Cakewalk by Bandlab Team for the release of this version and wish them every success with the move forward. You do however need to address the installer issues I have outlined here.
 
If anyone has a better fix for this than always running "as Admnistrator" i would appreciate some help.
 
Regards.
 
Neal.
 

NealClark
 If anyone has a better fix for this than always running "as Admnistrator" i would appreciate some help.
 Regards.
 Neal.

Neil,
Thanks for the heads up on X3.

This is one of the most telling posts I've ever seen for a reason to be using a partition imaging program like Macrium Reflect.
In a situation like yours rolling back would be bullet proof with Macrium Reflect because it copies a complete image of the OS partition, or any other partition you choose, to one file, that can be restored, putting your OS back to the 'exact' state when you created the image.

I have X3 running along side of SPLAT 2017.01 on my audio PC.
Before installing CbB I created an image of that OS called "SAFE_Before_CbB".

I installed CbB and had a quick look around, but didn't check to see if X3 was working perfectly because I'm mainly using SPLAT 2017.01. Even so, once I had a good look at CbB I restored my SAFE image thinking I'd wait a bit and install CbB later when I have more time to make sure everything was good with other software on the OS.

Restore took about 12 minutes, and my OS is exactly as it was when I created the image.
Restore requires booting from a USB stick that can be created using tools inside of Reflect.
It works with any version of Windows.

Macrium Reflect is as bullet proof as it gets, and it's free and very benign.

I highly recommend anyone wanting very safe roll back start using some form of partition imaging.

Also an other hot tip. Avoid Acronis.
It requires payment and is not nearly as stable and reliable as Macrium Free.

P.S. I'm not associated With Macrium in any way other than being a very happy user of the free version.

It could be that your "missing VST's" paths are not in the Cakewalk Plugin Mangers Scan Paths have you checked?

If it has installed correctly you should have a new sub-directory in your Cakewalk Tree in the Programs Directroy
C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Cakewalk Core
This contains the core CbB program.

Then In your Cakewalk Content directory, on whatever drive that is located, three new directories
%drive%:\Cakewalk Content\Cakewalk Core
%drive%:\Cakewalk Content\Cakewalk Sample Data
%drive%:\Cakewalk Content\Cakewalk Themes

Nothing is over written or lost.

Teksonik

julianochrisway
1- This app that connects to my account is very invasive

I'm sorry for the sincerity but frankly, they're looking for worries to worry about. The Software is amazing the app does not bother anything at all.

I'm sorry for the sincerity but frankly you need to educate yourself on the definition of invasive. Anything that gives itself permission load at Startup without asking the user's permission is invasive. It's prudent not to trust developers who take liberties with your system. (this is in reference to the first version of the download files)
 
I uninstalled it and spent the next half an hour pulling out leftover files from the installation including an .exe that was still set to load at Startup.
 
Like I said before offering this version of Sonar for free is a generous gesture but the bloatware it comes with makes it not worth installing if you already own another version of Sonar.
 
I'd rather pay a one time fee to upgrade my Sonar X3 to the latest version without all the Command Center or  Bandlab Assistant bloatware. Sometimes "free" is not the best value.... 
 

First the App is beta
Second you already have the update that to disable the App on Windows startup

Now you can go make your donation to the team of Cakewalk and Bandlab 
Exercise your gratitude and patience ...

Steve_Karl

NealClark
 If anyone has a better fix for this than always running "as Admnistrator" i would appreciate some help.
 Regards.
 Neal.

Neil,
Thanks for the heads up on X3.

This is one of the most telling posts I've ever seen for a reason to be using a partition imaging program like Macrium Reflect.
In a situation like yours rolling back would be bullet proof with Macrium Reflect because it copies a complete image of the OS partition, or any other partition you choose, to one file, that can be restored, putting your OS back to the 'exact' state when you created the image.

I have X3 running along side of SPLAT 2017.01 on my audio PC.
Before installing CbB I created an image of that OS called "SAFE_Before_CbB".

I installed CbB and had a quick look around, but didn't check to see if X3 was working perfectly because I'm mainly using SPLAT 2017.01. Even so, once I had a good look at CbB I restored my SAFE image thinking I'd wait a bit and install CbB later when I have more time to make sure everything was good with other software on the OS.

Restore took about 12 minutes, and my OS is exactly as it was when I created the image.
Restore requires booting from a USB stick that can be created using tools inside of Reflect.
It works with any version of Windows.

Macrium Reflect is as bullet proof as it gets, and it's free and very benign.

I highly recommend anyone wanting very safe roll back start using some form of partition imaging.

Also an other hot tip. Avoid Acronis.
It requires payment and is not nearly as stable and reliable as Macrium Free.

P.S. I'm not associated With Macrium in any way other than being a very happy user of the free version.

I second the Macrium vote. I'm considering getting the paid version, because it allows you to access things directly from the image, without actually restoring it. so you could, for example, find a synth you had configured in a project, before Windows annihilated itself, and you had to reinstall it, and lost all your projects etc. You could even access all the saved projects and bring them on to your new system.

Paul P

Toddskins

Saxon1066
Thumbs down to the name. Weak.

I really do agree with you on this point.

A company is trying to win new clients, then they should use a name that seeks to achieve that.  'Guess it's too late for them now?

CwBBL

quibble, v.

To raise a petty objection; to argue about a triviality; to evade the point at issue by a quibble.

I beat you to it. Also, you could pronounce it "cowbell."

Steve_Karl

NealClark
 If anyone has a better fix for this than always running "as Admnistrator" i would appreciate some help.
 Regards.
 Neal.

Neil,
Thanks for the heads up on X3.

This is one of the most telling posts I've ever seen for a reason to be using a partition imaging program like Macrium Reflect.
In a situation like yours rolling back would be bullet proof with Macrium Reflect because it copies a complete image of the OS partition, or any other partition you choose, to one file, that can be restored, putting your OS back to the 'exact' state when you created the image.

I have X3 running along side of SPLAT 2017.01 on my audio PC.
Before installing CbB I created an image of that OS called "SAFE_Before_CbB".

I installed CbB and had a quick look around, but didn't check to see if X3 was working perfectly because I'm mainly using SPLAT 2017.01. Even so, once I had a good look at CbB I restored my SAFE image thinking I'd wait a bit and install CbB later when I have more time to make sure everything was good with other software on the OS.

Restore took about 12 minutes, and my OS is exactly as it was when I created the image.
Restore requires booting from a USB stick that can be created using tools inside of Reflect.
It works with any version of Windows.

Macrium Reflect is as bullet proof as it gets, and it's free and very benign.

I highly recommend anyone wanting very safe roll back start using some form of partition imaging.

Also an other hot tip. Avoid Acronis.
It requires payment and is not nearly as stable and reliable as Macrium Free.

P.S. I'm not associated With Macrium in any way other than being a very happy user of the free version.

 
I appreciate that Macrium would have solved the issue. Shame I didn't think of that before. I did assume that the statement about the install was correct. I've been in working in IT long enough to have known better. Oh well. Thanks for the reply Steve

Wookiee
It could be that your "missing VST's" paths are not in the Cakewalk Plugin Mangers Scan Paths have you checked?

If it has installed correctly you should have a new sub-directory in your Cakewalk Tree in the Programs Directroy
C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Cakewalk Core
This contains the core CbB program.

Then In your Cakewalk Content directory, on whatever drive that is located, three new directories
%drive%:\Cakewalk Content\Cakewalk Core
%drive%:\Cakewalk Content\Cakewalk Sample Data
%drive%:\Cakewalk Content\Cakewalk Themes

Nothing is over written or lost.

 
The paths to the VST's are all there and fine. It definitely seems to be that ability of BItBridge to scan them, so I am almost sure it is a permissions issue. When i run "as administrator" and rescan they are all there and work as expected, well almost ....
 
I would suggest that some files must have been overwritten, changed or added as the new version of CbB still uses the folders listed here:-
 
C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Shared Utilities
C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Shared Surfaces
C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Shared Plugins
C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Shared MIDI Plugins
C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Studio Instruments
 
Those aren't replicated in the new install folder so it must use or re-install these.
 
Thanks for the reply
 

CbB uses them all. While CbB installs as a new product/upgrade, it is basically SONAR 2017.11 with Platinum features. Like all versions of SONAR and its derivatives, there are a common set of utilities and plug-ins. These files are in the "Shared" folders.

scook
CbB uses them all. While CbB installs as a new product/upgrade, it is basically SONAR 2017.11 with Platinum features. Like all versions of SONAR and its derivatives, there are a common set of utilities and plug-ins. These files are in the "Shared" folders.

i appreciate that is the case but the notes in the announcement regarding CbB, and I quote it again here for clarification :-
 
"For anyone concerned that downloading Cakewalk by BandLab via BandLab Assistant might mess with your system or existing software – we’ve put a lot of effort into making sure that it doesn’t affect previous SONAR installations - Cakewalk by BandLab and previous versions of SONAR can run on the same machine with no issues."
 
and that hasn't proved to be the case. I was just pointing this out to make others aware and to seek some clarification.  The "it doesn’t affect previous SONAR installations" is completely untrue, and misleading, as it clearly does.
 
Neal.