I have had this problem since at least ver 8.5, but I never lost data so I didn't dwell on it. (BTW, I am currently on X3).
When I export a final mix of a project after Sonar has been in use for more than a small amount of time, the resulting WAV file is either empty or missing tracks.
So if I sign off and reload Sonar fresh, the export works and the entire mix comes out.
I don't think it is the settings or selections because after I re-load Sonar it works correctly with no changes to settings or selected data.
This has been going on for years. I have had it on three generations of computers, and many generations of Cake/Sonar.
Tonight I decided enough is enough and posted this item. But like I said, it is only a nuisance, nothing to really make someone angry. But it gets old having to reload Sonar each time I want to export.
Anyone else encounter this, or am I just a tortured soul?
 

No, I've never seen anything like this and I've been using the Export function since Sonar 6PE
 
Any time I have had a problem it's always been down to pilot error somewhere along the line.

I've never seen such or heard of such. I'm on 8.5 PE and I've never had any sort of problems with export (or bounce)
 
My first thought was there is something that heats up rapidly and goes unstable, but if everything else works properly, and this has happened on several machines and SONAR versions, then it can't be any kind of overheating. It's unlikely to be´something with the installing, either, as there can't be a similar install hickup every time. What kind of VSTs are involved? I have no idea if a malfunctioning (memory leak??) VST could cause such.
 
Actually, what you are describing sounds impossible to me, as the never-heard-of issue is similar in different machines and with different SONAR-versions.

To the OP.
 
There are several things you need to ensure are configured properly before an export will work
 

1. Make sure all of your tracks & busses are routed to your master bus (this is the bus which YOU need to create)
2. Mute the master bus, if you can hear anything than at least one track is routed directly to your Main Outs (Interface) - rectify this
3. Either select ALL (Ctrl + a) or select NONE (Ctrl + Shift + a). Now try your export
4. Select Main Outs as your source when exporting. If you intend this to be for burning to a CD, make sure you select 16 Bit, 44.1 KHz and enable dither. If you want to burn an MP3, I always do the CD export first and create the MP3 from that. If you're planning to import this into another project, say for album compilation, then export at 32 bit with NO dither.

Solid as a rock for me. It sounds like a learning curve issue.

In the past I've had this happen and discovered that a track or clip(s) weren't selected.
I now scroll through the project to see that everything is selected before hitting the Export or Bounce button.

I've had what happened to the OP several times. Every time it was pilot error. Jonesey's checklist is really good. Maybe it should come up every time the export function is invoked

Anderton
I've had what happened to the OP several times. Every time it was pilot error. Jonesey's checklist is really good. Maybe it should come up every time the export function is invoked

Thanks for the comments

Yes this is my general approach.
 
After the export comes out blank or partial mix, I sign off and sign back on. Nothing gets changed on the setup. Then it works properly. Since no settings get changed, I it doesn't make sense that it is pilot.
 
But I have been wrong many times before. Perhaps some settings in Sonar get tossed out when you sign off and sign on again.  I notice the from/ to gets reset, for instance.
 
You guys are very kind to help me out.
 
By the way, (slightly different topic) if the bakers are thinking of reworking the export, I hope they figure out a nice way to have the resulting WAV file only as long as the longest active track.
 
I don't care for Sound Forge, and I do my final mastering for a CD in Sonar. I put each song on a track, so I can listen to the "CD" as a whole. Then I export each track one at a time.
 
Without intervention, all exports will come out the length of the longest song. I know you can set from/to or use other work-arounds, but it would be very nice if Sonar would just export the WAV file at the length of the active track automatically.
 

pharohoknaughty
After the export comes out blank or partial mix, I sign off and sign back on. Nothing gets changed on the setup. Then it works properly. Since no settings get changed, I it doesn't make sense that it is pilot.

 
Some settings persist and some don't, so closing SONAR and opening it might reset some settings to defaults.
 

You guys are very kind to help me out.

 
Anyone who, like you, who has a problem and is courteous will always have people trying to help. This forum is one of SONAR's greatest assets. 
 

By the way, (slightly different topic) if the bakers are thinking of reworking the export, I hope they figure out a nice way to have the resulting WAV file only as long as the longest active track.

 
Try this:
 
1. Click on the track number of the track you want to export. This selects the track, but the selection in the timeline will be the longest track.
2. Click on the clip within the track (I'm assuming at this point it's a single clip, otherwise you'd need to select all the clips that make up the active track). The resets the timeline selection to the active track.
3. Export.
 

Anderton

pharohoknaughty
After the export comes out blank or partial mix, I sign off and sign back on. Nothing gets changed on the setup. Then it works properly. Since no settings get changed, I it doesn't make sense that it is pilot.

 
Some settings persist and some don't, so closing SONAR and opening it might reset some settings to defaults.
 

You guys are very kind to help me out.

 
Anyone who, like you, who has a problem and is courteous will always have people trying to help. This forum is one of SONAR's greatest assets. 
 

By the way, (slightly different topic) if the bakers are thinking of reworking the export, I hope they figure out a nice way to have the resulting WAV file only as long as the longest active track.

 
Try this:
 
1. Click on the track number of the track you want to export. This selects the track, but the selection in the timeline will be the longest track.
2. Click on the clip within the track (I'm assuming at this point it's a single clip, otherwise you'd need to select all the clips that make up the active track). The resets the timeline selection to the active track.
3. Export.
 

A question about this technique Craig - in the past this would cause any reverb or other added fx tails to be cut off at the end of the exported track as the wave file created was only exactly as long as  the clip selected. It is the same for midi tracks if you select them to bounce to audio - any triggered sound will cut off exactly at the end  of the selected clip, though this is a more obvious outcome. Is this still the case, or will Sonar extend the exported wave to the end of any fx added? It would be brilliant news if it did! I haven't tried it for some time.