I have been using computer software since the inception of the pc. Many of the programs I have used involve numerous plugins and test the limits of my systems. However, I have NEVER, I repeat, NEVER had the issues I have had with Sonar since upgrading past 8.5. Time after time, I upgrade and things are good for awhile, then suddenly "Sonar has ended unexpectedly and has to close...etc..etc...". My latest fix is to re-install the latest patch, that works for awhile then....CRASH.  I appears I can't rely on this software anymore because I never know when the next crash will occur. It usually happens in between saves of course and precious takes are gone for good. I've tried different drivers, interfaces, updates, patches, nothing works. It really is a pity because WHEN IT WORKS it really is the best DAW out there. I'm so fed up.

@dbmm - I moved this thread for you, as the other forum is for verified problem reports.  You WILL get lots of help here, once you post your issues with some detail.
 
PLEASE please please, do not give up on X3, it is actually quite stable, and I think if we can wade through your issues one by one, we can likely help you get them resolved - most of the crashes and such in X3e turn out to be from environment issues (OS maintenance, drivers), settings, or from 3rd-party plugins.
 
Can you please open a thread here in this forum for each of the issues you are having with X3?  The reason I ask that they be separate is that it makes them MUCH easier to resolve, without a lot of mixed up confusion from mingling multiple problems and solutions.
 
In addition, it would help us to help you if you were to add your system specifications and such to your Forum Member Profile's Signature section.  If you look at the bottom of this post, you will see mine, and you can see the kind of info that others would find helpful.  (or you could look at other member's posted signatures for examples).  To get to where you add that info, click up in the upper right part of the forum screen on 'user_control_panel', and then click on Signature and Comment and add your info.  Please note 2 things: 1st, make sure you also check the box right under the text box where you add your info, that says 'always attach signature to post' or it won't get added, and also, you need to click the Save button to the left.
 
Once you do the above, and get threads opened up for the issues you are having, this forum is FULL of folks who will work very hard on helping you get things resolved, AND you might find that many people have faced and solved the same sorts of problems.  These forums are a HUGE strength of Sonar, and if give us a chance, we will do our best to help you.
 
Bob Bone
 

Bob you just wrote a winner post! Highly impressed. 

The answer to your problems will likely be found in the minidump, which the helpful folks at Cakewalk would be glad to analyze for you. Open a support ticket and they'll email you a link to upload the dump to. 9 times out of ten it'll turn out to be a plugin or your audio interface driver that's causing the crash.

can only help if you list your system spec.  Version of Sonar?  OS version?  Interface?
 
too vague to be of any help.

+1 to all of the above, but to the OP, think about it...if SONAR truly crashed all the time, this forum would be lit up like a Christmas tree with posts about it. Usually there's some specific element which, when isolated, produces the fix. There have been several "SONAR sucks, crashes all the time, I give up" threads where eventually the culprit was isolated and the problem fixed.
 
Also remember that SONAR is tied into Windows on a very deep level. When Microsoft sneezes, SONAR catches the flu. We've had many seemingly intractable problems here because of issues like other programs overwriting the C++ library, driver conflicts, and even graphics cards that hog the system so gamers can get a few extra frames per second out of "Kill Everybody VII." SONAR is delicate in that sense, as it is extremely dependent on the computing environment.
 
I used to tell people with all sincerity that if they wanted a seamless music experience to get a Mac, run Logic, and buy an RME interface. However even that is no longer the case if you look at the RME and Logic forums, where mixed in among various long-standing Logic issues there are complaints of glitches with Yosemite. At least with SONAR most of the time Windows isn't the problem, but some other element.
 

are you on a 64 bit computer using 32 bit plugins in bridged mode? that's got crash written all over it, from my experience (which is why i no longer use ANY 32 bit plugins)

errrrr...
what bob said ("I moved this thread for you, as the other forum is for verified problem reports") is the same reason alex gave for not moving confirmed issues into this forum ("There are problem report issue numbers on pretty much every bug listed on that post... They are already in Cakewalk's databases.")  and then ryan chipped in with "migrate them eventually, but it's a bit premature right now" - so what's up?? only put a thread in the problems forum after getting a bug id (aka official recognition of the bug) or what? where should a user report a (possible) bug?

Here will do just fine. Yes that forum is for bugs that been identified by CW. 

Regarding the 64 bit v 32 bit comment above, some plug-ins (soft synths) will write both a 32-bit and 64-bit dll to your system and they are often, unfortunately, named identically.  Sonar will use whichever it finds first.
 
Not saying that is the main problem or even one of them, but it is worth looking into as this has been a problem for many of us.  Solution for someone running 64-bit is to rename the unwanted dll (eexample,, change the 32 bit orchestra.dll to something like orchestra32.txt).