karhide
Do any third party VST effects or instruments you have installed show up and work correctly?

Actually, no.  
Options → Global → VST Plugins tab → Add (ie: C:\Program Files\Steinberg\VSTplugins) → Scan VST folders... 
 
...
 
Nothing happens.  
 
Ever.  :(
 
Some With-Sonar installed DXIs work.  
Cakewalk TTS. Grooveplayer. Cyclone. PSYNII.
 
Izotope Ozone works great.  That's the ONLY non-sonar thing I've gotten to work.
...but that's not a VST or instrument.
 

Kev999
Do you realise that you can have both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Sonar installed together side by side? If some plugins don't work in 64 they may work in 32.

 
I had both 64bit and 32bit on my previous system.  I felt like I was juggling and recording took longer.
The only reason I need 32bit at all is for Soundfonts.  I'd rather not go back to my old setup if I can get (or better yet, if anyone ever has gotten) soundfonts to work in a 64bit environment.
 
The alternative is me making due with the dumpier Microsoft Wavetable.
 

So is the location you set up there where you can see the vst dll files?

What operating system are you using?

Yes.  I can see the files.  I'm using Windows 8.1 - touchscreen laptop.
 
By the way, I never got VSTs to work on my other (Windows 7) setup either so its a possibility it might be user error / a disconnect somewhere.
 
So frustrating.  I even have a soundfont device in my instruments list...  but it still only has the same pool of GS instruments.
Why even have a "Soundfont Device" if its exactly the same as "General MIDI"?
 

 

I've not used sonar 6 on anything other than XP but you could try running as administrator and then trying the scan?

Can you also upload an image of your vst settings?

Hey, thanks for all the help.  :)
Thought of the administrator bit since the beginning.  That's all I've ran it as since I've had this PC.
 

 
This stupid thing keeps popping up every time I start Sonar 6.  It does nothing when I press ok and shows up every time.
 

 
Nothing happens when I press scan.  Is it supposed to?
The VST folders are empty again every time I start up Sonar 6.
 

 
Nothing is ever there.  Plug in Properties is greyed out unless I press Scan VST Plugins.  
Import, Add Plugin, Plugin Properties and Scan VST Plugins do NOTHING when pressed.
Options pulls up another box to do a scan, which does NOTHING.
 

 
Same here.
 

 
I've got two different VSTi's for Soundfonts in the folder.  Running as administrator and I know I have the path right.
 
Again, I've never gotten a VST to work on 3 different PCs through multiple installs and I've been using Sonar 6 since 2009.  I've followed what's in the tutorial and gotten nothing.
 
...am I missing a step to get these to work?
 

It seems like you're scanning 64 bit files with 32 bit Sonar. I can tell that because the Wave Profiler that starts with Sonar suggests it's 32 bit.

But I notice the plugin Manager is x64. Confusing. You could try select rescan failed plugins.

Are the plugin versions you installed the 64bit versions?

Just for a test can you install the sonar 32 bit version?

What are the 64bit plugins you are using?

With those 2 windows that show both 32 bit and 64 bit dialogs I'm wondering if you aren't running Sonar 32 bit and using the VST Scanner from Sonar x64

That 32bit Wave Profiler prompt started showing up when I chose the below driver mode.
 

 
I had to choose that mode or else I would have NO MIDI.
__________________________
 
I definitely don't have a 32bit Sonar because if I did, Livesynth Pro would be working like a charm.
 
I checked both Re-scan for failed plugins / Re-scan for existing plugins.  No different results.
TX16WX, Fantasize, sforzando, etc. are the 64bit plugins that I'm installing / have installed.
 
I did find an SFZ dll in my Cakewalk → VSTplugins folder.  But like anything else, it doesn't scan.
Again, it adds to the frustration that I have multiple Soundfont references in Sonar, but none of them work.