Upgraded from X3e.  Platinum VST scan won't finish, never gets to the end, causes my laptop fan to go crazy, endless hourglasses, have tried multiple reboots and installs, can't use program at all, very very very frustrating.  Is there a way to delete Sonar's stored plugin database and start fresh, with nothing listed in the plugin manager, so I can then tell it to scan a directory with a limited number of plugins I want to start with? I need to know the name of the cache/database file to delete so I can start a new scan on a completely clean slate.  Thanks.
 
Edit:  Ok, I figured it out.  The list of scanned plugins is in a key in the registry.  I deleted everything under that key, started a fresh scan limited to directories containing VSTs I wanted to use, and now things seem to be working normally.  Phew!
 
Edit #2:  I take it back.  I can get all VSTs scanned cleanly into Sonar, but only if disable autoscan and it do through the plugin manager, so at least the program is usable.  But f I turn on autoscan or start the scan from the preferences box (i.e., so that the little background scan box goes on), the scan goes on endlessly with the message in the box just saying "Scanning ..." and can be stopped only rebooting the system.  So autoscanning are background scanning for new plugins are not usable . Only manual scan from plugin manager works.  Anyone have any ideas what might be causing this issue?

You can also use VST Settings in Edit/Preferences.  I had a similar issue and the Plugin Manager was searching everything in c:\program files.  Deleting that entry solved it for me.  Glad to see you've got it sorted!

Thanks -- I found a partial solution but as stated in my edit #2 above, I am still having the scan-never-finishing-and-hanging-the-program issue with autoscan and background scan (or more generally any scan started from the edit/preferences box as opposed to the plugin manager utility).  As a result I can successfully scan new plugins only manually from the plugin manager (the vst directory paths in both edit/preferences and the plugin manager are set correctly, so that's not the issue).  Any other thoughts anyone has would be greatly appreciated.

I'm having a similar issue when doing a rescan of my existing plugins via autoscan and through the plugin manager utility.  It starts to scan and then halfway through I get the windows message that it has stopped working.  When it fails it doesn't consistently fail on the same plugin - it's always different.  I've tried running it as an administrator and not and get the same result both times.  Any thoughts or help would be appreciated.

Mine got stuck at vst scan too when first installed.
I isolated it to two 3rd party vst: "tube preamp" ad Waves H2 compressor demo that was expired. 
After those two vst were deleted scan was normal.

mikedocy
Mine got stuck at vst scan too when first installed.
I isolated it to two 3rd party vst: "tube preamp" ad Waves H2 compressor demo that was expired. 
After those two vst were deleted scan was normal.

I can't figure out which problematic plugins it could be.  Problem for me is that when it fails it's always on a different plugin.  I don't have any demo vsts and my scan completes in X3e.

Interesting. I notice Platinum takes longer (much) to load than X3, but not intolerable. I'm past due a VST weed out and this might be the nudge I need.  Also, someone mentioned mapped drives as a slow down too.  I have a wireless NAS device I should probably disconnect while using Sonar.

my sonar platinum is saying "the following vst failed to load" the vst is boost11 
any suggestions?
 

Is the scan hanging whilst waiting for a plug-in that has thrown up an error or query that is hiding behind the Sonar main window? I have had this happen with plugs that are looking for a pointer to a folder or that require authorisation, and the scan just sits there until you realise that there is a hidden pop-up and deal with it. 

it is not scanning as well and while trying to select the boost11 vst its say that "the following vst plug-in failed to load" but the other fx are working