I currently have Sonar X3 Producer installed on my C drive, which is an SSD with not much space left.  Most of my Cakewalk and Native Instruments plugins are installed to other drives to save space. 
 
I'd like to install Sonar Platinum on my F drive, which is another SSD with 28 GB free.  I want to avoid installing anything Cakewalk related to the C drive, and plan to uninstall X3 (once I trust Platinum), which will free up additional space on the C drive.
 
I've read that Cakewalk Command Center does not let us control the installation folder for Sonar, and that I should instead perform a "manual installation" by downloading Sonar (and other files) from the Connected Products page on the web site.  So, I'm doing that now.
 
I'm trying to figure out which of the many files on the Connected Products page I need to download and install.
 
First in my list is Rapture Session, which has a main download link (version 2.0.3.96) and five "child" links:
  - Session - Atmospheric (version 1.0.0.7)
  - Session - Guitars (version 1.0.0.7)
  etc.
 
Since the main download is smaller than Session - Atmospheric, this means the main download does not contain the child downloads.  So, it looks like I'll have to download all 6 files (Rapture Session, plus all 5 "Session - *" files), correct?
 
Next in the list is Sonar Platinum, with about 20 child files: Classic Creative FX Suite, Engineering FX Suite, etc.  I'm guessing I'll need to download each of those, correct?
 
After that comes Melodyne Essential, which has a date of 11/11/2013. Then Rapture (9/6/2012) and D-Pro (9/6/2012).  I assume I've already downloaded and installed those a couple years ago.  Do I need to reinstall them for Sonar Platinum, or can I just leave them alone?
 
In the Other Products list, I see things from 2014 and earlier.  Some are videos, some are plugins, some are old versions of Sonar.  Dimension Pro is listed there, with a date of 11/11/2013.  So, that's strange; I've got D-Pro and Dimension Pro listed.  Hopefully I can ignore both for the purposes of upgrading to Sonar Platinum, correct?
 
If I download and install Rapture Session, Sonar Platinum and all their child files, will that enable to get to Sonar Platinum up and running, with access to all my Cakewalk and Native Instruments plugins?  Or will I have to reinstall some of the other Cakewalk files as well?
 
And, will I have full control over installation paths when installing from files downloaded via the Connected Products page?  Or will I need to restore to additional configuration (and possibly symlinks) in order to prevent Cakewalk files from being installed on the C drive?
 
Has anyone created a step-by-step guide to installing [or moving] Sonar Platinum (and its many plugins) to locations other than the C drive?

 
Getting everything off your C drive will not be a simple matter and will require constant maintenance to keep it that way.  There are many things I've relunctantly let stay on my C drive just because it would be too much trouble to move them and they're all fairly small in size.
 
I don't think uninstalling X3 after your done is a good idea.  Who knows what it'll get rid of that is also part of Platinum.  What's unique to X3 is insignificant in size anyway, so I'd just leave it there.
 
The simplest way is just to get a huge SSD and let things install where they want to go.
 

Buying a huge SSD is not really an option for me: it's too expensive (I live in New Zealand) and time-consuming (either reinstalling Windows and all the programs, or finding a reliable way to clone a boot/system SSD to another).  I'd rather buy a new computer, which I don't plan to do any time soon.
 
There is a second simple option: symlinks.  Since this is a semi-independent topic, I'll discuss it in a separate post: http://forum.cakewalk.com/Symbolic-links-symlinks-and-Sonar-Platinum-Do-they-play-well-together-m3344892.aspx 
 
Even if I go the symlink route, I still need to find out which of the various files I need to install, and which are redundant with what I already have installed as part of Sonar X3 Producer.  For example, are the Engineering FX Suite files redundant with those in X3, or are they intended to replace them (or sit along side them as separate versions)?
 
 

Tripecac
Even if I go the symlink route, I still need to find out which of the various files I need to install, and which are redundant with what I already have installed as part of Sonar X3 Producer.  For example, are the Engineering FX Suite files redundant with those in X3, or are they intended to replace them (or sit along side them as separate versions)?

 
Which is why I said it wouldn't be a simple matter .  There are a lot of pieces all over the place, not just from Cakewalk and not all in the Cakewalk folders.
 
I tried once to symlink the Users folder and I made a mess of Windows.  I discovered there are hundreds of symbolic links, at least in my version.
 
 

Here are the download packages for Sonar Platinum on the "Connected Products" apge:

SONAR Platinum
- Classic Creative FX Suite
- Engineering FX Suite
- Studio Instruments Suite
- Artist Instrument Collection
- Platinum Instrument Collection
- Studio Mixing FX Suite
- Cakewalk Loopmasters Content Collection
- Cakewalk Sample Magic Content Collection
- Cakewalk X-MiX Content Collection
- Cakewalk Drum Replacer
- Boutique FX Suite
- Cakewalk Sound Center
- SONAR Tutorials
- Anderton Collection
- Boz Digital Labs ProChannel Collection
- NYC Showroom Impulses
- SONAR Local Documentation

Using the first "child" package (Classic Creative FX Suite) as an example, I see this description:
 
"The Classic Creative Suite is made up of powerful and easy to use Cakewalk effects including Multivoice Chorus/Flanger, Classic Phaser, Tempo Delay, Compressor/Gate, Para-Q, HF Exciter, Alias Factor, and Modfilter."

My main question is this: should I install this package?

To help answer that question, there are these sub-questions:

1) Are these plugins the same as the ones in Sonar X3?  Or are they updated versions?

2) Will these plugins overwrite the ones in Sonar X3, or will they install to a new location, so that I end up with two versions of each plugin (one for X3 and one for Platinum)?
 
3) Will these plugins work with both Sonar X3 and Platinum?
 
4) If the plugins install to a new location, and they work with both X3 and Platinum, then can/should I uninstall the old (X3) versions of the plugins, and have both X3 and Platinum use the new ones?  If I do that, will it mess up my X3 projects which use those old plugins?  Or will the old projects automatically use the new plugins?

5) If I do not install these plugins, will Sonar Platinum still be able to use the ones from Sonar X3?

There maybe some new style dials included. I would install everything except sound center. I see no use for it. 
 
I would also encourage you to use CCC. It will make the process a lot easier. Keep in mind often there is no change to older plugins. However CW has updated some depending on need. Concrete Limiter has had an update for example and is in the CCC if you have it.  

Okay, I've managed to install Sonar Platinum and all its "child" packages using CCC.
 
In CCC I also see these:
 
- Rapture Session (with 5 "child" packages: Session Atmospheric, Session Guitars, etc.)
- Rapture
- XLN Audio Addictive Drums 2 Producer
- Melodyne Essential
- D-Pro
 
Questions:
 
1) Is Rapture Session a stripped-down version of Rapture?  If so, is there any reason to install it?  Does Rapture included all of the instruments in Rapture Session's 5 "child" packages (Session Atmospheric, Guitars, etc.)?
 
2) Is D-Pro different from the one I installed with Sonar X2 (which did not change for X3)?  Do I need to install D-Pro for Sonar Platinum, or can I have Sonar Platinum use the old X2/X3 version?
 
3) Is Melodyne like Autotune? 
 
4) Does Addictive Drums 2 Producer come with kits, or is it just an engine, to encourage you to purchase kits?
 
 
Thanks!
 

1. Rapture Session is an Rapture Pro player. The content is a subset of RPro not Rapture. Like RPro, the synth can also play Cakewalk Sound Center, DPro and Rapture programs.
 
2. DPro has not changed in years. The version bundled with Platinum is the same one that was bundled with X2/X3. Only the installer was changed to work with the Command Center. Skip the install if the synth is already on the PC.
 
3. I do not have Autotune. Melodyne is the replacement for V-Vocal.
 
4. Platinum includes the AD2 Producer pack which allows you to choose 3 ADPaks (XLN's term for their drum kit packages), 3 MIDIPaks (XLN MIDI clip libraries) and 3 kit pieces. Redeem the code supplied with Platinum in the XLN installer to make your selections.

Is this the set of ADPaks from which we get to choose:
 
http://www.xlnaudio.com/products/adpak
 
 

yes