Hi Steve:
 
That's actually some great advice Doktor just gave above.
 
Since you said SONAR chrashes without any Slate plug ins in a project, try to check for problems with Windows and hardware. Run malware/virus scans, do "error-checking of your HDDs running your Operating System and SONAR Projects. Do memory tests, and if you're overclocking, stop it, at least 'til you figure out the problem/s. 
 
This is a great forum for help. Eventually, users here or Cakewalk Tech Support will help you find out what's wrong. Don't get so mad or frustrated that you stop troubleshooting 'til you get to the bottom of the issue/s.
 
Goodluck, fellow.

So, despite what the "settled science" guys say we've been cooling for 15 years or so and soon we're going into a mini ice age....
Real science is NEVER settled.
 
But I digress.... I have no idea what that off the cuff and very authoritative sounding comment had to do with Sonar, so I may as well get my dig in.....
 
back to your regular programming.

Re the thread title, it's not a question of making anyone feel better. Either your priority is getting assistance, or your priority is venting. There are a bunch of people here who already feel good about Platinum, and your experience won't change theirs, nor do they need validation. They simply want to help you to experience what they experience.
 
Disciplined troubleshooting, as opposed to blindly reinstalling things or whatever, is often a process of elimination. Going back to an older restore point will help determine whether the problem is something that was added recently. Doing memtest should be the first thing you do--it's free and simple. Besides, microapp is a credible source of information who merits your attention. If the problem is RAM, you'll never find it by messing around with the software. If it is (and remember, RAM does get hot, and has a finite life span), problem solved without having to go any further.
 
Running memtest from the Mac's CLI solved a Mac problem that had seemed intractable, and for which no one could offer a solution. It took me six months of dealing with a computer that always had problems, albeit intermittent ones. I wish I'd done memtest first. As to your situation, it can't hurt, and could help.
 

 Just for those that have not been here awhile. My listed join date is incorrect. I have been a member since day one. I have used Cake since 1997.  I should point out that it is difficult to ascertain a posters intent from the written word.  I know this well as I am the founder one of the largest guitar internet forums.   So, I'm not surprised when folks take my comments as if I am attacking Cake. The Cake bakers and this forum have been a part of my life for a long time. I have nothing but the greatest respect for them.  I apologize if they feel my post was in any way a personal attack.
 
I posted my experiences after trying to fix it for over nine hours straight.  Frustration would be a bit of an understatement.
To date:
Directly following the written guidelines in Sonar Platinum help files, I did a complete and clean install of Platinum.  This specifically takes you through editing the registry. I followed it meticulously. I also backed all registry elements up prior to any "messing around".  I did have to reinstall some prior components to get my VS700 working.
I disabled all Slate VSTs.  I have every single one of them, except the most recent release. (Every project I have done for the last two years was done through his virtual channel and virtual mix buss. In fact, my standard template for a project dropped those in.)
 
When looking at my event history, I realized that a huge windows update had occured on my system on July 17.
.... I removed all windows updates today
I have went through the system utilizing common microsoft and builder tools.
There are no bad disk areas.  There is no issue with memory
I have specific software that is used by computer builders to verify system components. Every single area checks out.
Using RealTempGT as the monitor, my system is not overheating or being stressed. It has not been overclocked for over one year.
 
FYI, the Slate website officially lists Sonar as a nonsupported DAW.  I have sent them all of the information as well but since they point out that they don't support Sonar, I expect nothing.
 
Ok... what is working?
1. Any new project I open seems fine.
2 What's not
Any attempt to open a project created prior to today results in a immediate fatal crash.
VST scan does not complete.  It stops due to some type of runtime error.
 
My "other"DAW software has not crashed.... (at least not recently. I far prefer Sonar, so I don't use it much)
 
I don't know what is causing this. The bakers have quite a few memory dumps sent via the reporting system.
I don't care what is causing it. I need to get it working dependably.
 
I will contact support tomorrow.
 
best. steve
 
 
 
 
 

Have you done a plug-in reset and re-scan, not just a re-scan? That can solve a lot of plug-in related problems.

Steve - can you open a project in safe mode? Start the plugins individually and let us
know where the crash occurs

Anderton
Re the thread title, it's not a question of making anyone feel better. Either your priority is getting assistance, or your priority is venting. There are a bunch of people here who already feel good about Platinum, and your experience won't change theirs, nor do they need validation. They simply want to help you to experience what they experience.
 
Disciplined troubleshooting, as opposed to blindly reinstalling things or whatever, is often a process of elimination. Going back to an older restore point will help determine whether the problem is something that was added recently. Doing memtest should be the first thing you do--it's free and simple. Besides, microapp is a credible source of information who merits your attention. If the problem is RAM, you'll never find it by messing around with the software. If it is (and remember, RAM does get hot, and has a finite life span), problem solved without having to go any further.
 
Running memtest from the Mac's CLI solved a Mac problem that had seemed intractable, and for which no one could offer a solution. It took me six months of dealing with a computer that always had problems, albeit intermittent ones. I wish I'd done memtest first. As to your situation, it can't hurt, and could help.
 

If it's RAM I generally would expect PC to freeze or BSOD. Or at the very least report something in the windows event viewer. I wouldn't expect a single specific app to crash unless the manufacturer of the product really had it in for cakewalk.
 
A trip to the windows event viewer should be the first course of action. Paste the full error messages here. Yup vst reset is good start as well and see my previous post. Paste errors here.
I doubt this is caused by anything to do with window update unless it's not full up to date, not sure a rollback will help unless you have real evidence. Best to update everything first then remove out factors one by one. How would you know an update would not resolve the issues until you have installed it first? Rolling back without a smoking gun just throws in more guesswork. Best technique is update everything (check it each time). If that does not get anywhere then you start ruling things out by taking things away one by one. A brand new project with blank template is a good start.
 
 Ta.

Doktor Avalanche
 
If it's RAM I generally would expect PC to freeze or BSOD. Or at the very least report something in the windows event viewer. I wouldn't expect a single specific app to crash unless the manufacturer of the product really had it in for cakewalk.

 
With the Mac incident I experienced, certain programs would crash and others wouldn't. The worst was updates from Apple, they would crash the most often. The computer itself kept working.
 

I doubt this is caused by anything to do with window update unless it's not full up to date, not sure a rollback will help unless you have real evidence.

Well, it might not be a Windows update, it might be a new plug-in or installing some other program. The OP didn't give much to go on so anything is a possibility. Again, I like simple, non-invasive procedures to rule out the obvious. If there's still problems after rolling back, okay, you didn't gain anything. But if everything worked prior to a certain date and didn't afterward, then you have to think about what might have changed, particularly if you've signed up for auto-updates of Adobe, graphics cards, etc.

I am wondering if you have some 32-bit plugins in the projects that are failing.  Many folks have tried to minimize or even eliminate the presence of 32-bit plugins in their projects.
 
So, maybe try a blank project, and do some audio recording with no plugins, then kind of build on it a little at a time, and see if you can get it to a point of failure, then make note of what plugin was being worked with at that time and try to reproduce. If it is repeatable, then something with that plugin may not be playing well with Sonar.
 
Also, you could open a failing project in Sonar's Safe Mode, by holding the Shift Key while opening the project.  It will give you the option to load or skip the load, of each plugin.  Try first skipping the load of all plugins, so that it opens with just the Sonar engine and any track data.  Don't worry about how it sounds or whatever, you are just trying to see if not loading the plugins changes the stability for the better.  If it DOES become more stable, then it points to one or more plugins being problematic.
 
You can then continue to go through the exercise of closing the project, and opening again in Safe Mode, and loading 1 plugin and seeing if that works, then next time try 2 plugins, next time 3 plugins, etc., until you get to where it fails/crashes.  Then remove that plugin from the project and continue the exercise.  Hopefully, you will end up with a project that fully loads, but will be short one or more plugins.  You will at least be able to load and work with the project at that point, and you can either research the issues with whichever plugins you had to drop, or you can find other plugins to provide similar functionality to the ones you had to get rid of.
 
And PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, make a full copy backup of the project folder prior to messing around with the project, so that no matter what, you preserve the way things were prior to the project going through the changes of testing.

Anderton
Have you done a plug-in reset and re-scan, not just a re-scan? That can solve a lot of plug-in related problems.

 
THIS yes THIS I was at wits end till I followed Craigs suggestion, and found some VSTs that worked fine in X3 but until I reset then in Platinum, cause all kinds of performance issues..and removed them until I can troubleshot
 
of Course YMMV and cant hurt to try it