Okay, here's one for you computer coding experts. I'm having a twilight zone moment with some .vsts. I have un-installed some plugins that I no longer use. I have even deleted any installation folders left over after install. Yet, when I go to the plugin list in the browser, they're still there. It gets weirder, when I go to plugin manager and select the plugin, it shows the path of the plugin, but that path no longer exists, and strangest of all, when I drag the deleted plugin to a track it still loads. How is this possible and how do I clean this up? Thanks in advance for your help.

After uninstalling a plugin, you need to run Plugin Manager's scan function again to actually remove those entries from the registry.

dbmm001
Okay, here's one for you computer coding experts. I'm having a twilight zone moment with some .vsts. I have un-installed some plugins that I no longer use. I have even deleted any installation folders left over after install. Yet, when I go to the plugin list in the browser, they're still there. It gets weirder, when I go to plugin manager and select the plugin, it shows the path of the plugin, but that path no longer exists, and strangest of all, when I drag the deleted plugin to a track it still loads. How is this possible and how do I clean this up? Thanks in advance for your help.

So if you can load a deleted plugin (and by that I assume you mean that it actually functions when loaded) there is something mone than a registration issue. In that case the plugin has not actually been deleted by whatever process you used to try to delete it, and suggests that a working copy is stored somewhere other than where you deleted one. If you mean that the drag seems to move the plugin into Sonar but it does not actually function that is a different issue and is consistent with Sonar accepting a pointer or registry entry that no longer actually links to the dll. 

That's the weird part. I've done a search through windows explorer, looking for traces of the plugin, and it finds nothing. Yet, in Sonar it's there and actually works when I load it!

Searching with Windows search on some versions will only find all files if you have all locations indexed. It will only index (and search using the index) in locations specified to be indexed. In some versions you need to have Explorer set to show all file types. Dll files are grouped with system and hidden files so you need to either unhide them or set explorer to show hidden and system files. Depending on which Windows version you have those settings are a little different. Google "show system files" "windows [your version]" and "index settings" "windows [your version]" to find out how. In non-indexed locations a file search can take a very long time. 

Thanks for the suggestions, but I always set up Windows to show all files including system files and hidden files. The only thing I can figure is that Sonar made a duplicate copy of the plugins somewhere that aren't visible by traditional search methods.

You may have VST 2 and VST 3 plugins. Deleting one doesn't delete the other.

VST 3 files are found in C:\Program Files\Common\VST 3

You could also look for a Steinberg folder in either Program Files or Program Files (x86)

Many plugins create the Steinberg\VSTPlugins\ as a default folder on installation as the VST standard was created by Steinberg. Hope that helps.

Yep been to all those locations, no trace. I did just do one thing, through plugin manager I selected disable plugin, then got an error saying it doesn't exist would you like to remove it from registry, I select yes, and it still shows up in the registered plugin list. BUT now it doesn't show up in the browser in the main program at least...

You might have to *carefully* trawl through the Windows Registry.

I figured that, not goin' there...lol, now that I don't see them, they don't bug me at least...took the "Splat" plunge last night, (Kudos to the genius that thought up that acronym btw.....)Love it so far.......Thanks for the suggestions everyone.