I don't know if I like to change the pathways. If Sonar ONLY uses it for installation, and never looks back at these files, then I should be ok to install everything I need and THEN move the downloads to another drive.
 
I need the answers to following questions if it is possible, please:
 
1). Can I have Downloads location on C drive and on D drive and change it when I want to? 
 
2). I will need to install Rapture Pro with expansions. Would it have problem to find its samples if I change Downloads location? Where would I put the Samples? The samples go to C:\Cakewalk Content. Let's say I installed all Sonar stuff on C and my Content folder is on C. What if I change location to D:\Cakewalk Content only when install Rapture- would it be ok to find its samples, or will I need Registry Edit to change pathways after installation?
 
I cant remember how I installed Rapture last time. Most likely I downloaded it manually from my Cakewalk account. It used Windows installer and offered to change path for Samples folder. But after install, the Programs did not work because samples were missed. While I changed the path during the installation, it was still pointing to C drive inside the program. The Cakewalk staff said- they will look in to it but I had to fix it with Reg Edit. So what would be the best method to install Rapture Pro on the new computer?
 
3). I remember I had many expansions for Rapture- do you know if all of them are offered to be installed through the command Center?
 
4). Melodyne: Is it updated version that available through Command Center? I remember invitation from Celemony to update version 4. Did Cakewalk ever updated it for CCC?
 
5). D-Pro- is it included in Rapture Pro?
 
6). Is there any way to install Session Drummer without DropeZone, Groovesynth or Square 1?
 
Thank you.

Hi Vlada. I am out of town tonight and back in the morning and will respond to each one of your questions before Noon Saturday.
 
Bob Bone

@bob_e_bone and others
 
I just stumbled on this thread and have the exact same issue. Not only that, I got mixed up with drive letters and placed some things where they didn't belong.
 
On your --and I can't see it now.. but I believe item 4 about uninstalling vs registry edits, can you point me to that?
 
I somehow got Cakewalk installed to C: and it was basically everything... with the exception of Rapture in which I got the samples on the other drive but because I got my letters mixed up that ended up being the wrong drive too. Sooooo...
 
No idea where the IRs went and Add Drums I had to move after the fact. So basically I could not have screwed things up much more than I did.
 
I just want to start over.
 
Here is what I have.
C:\ 960G M.2 SSD -- I know this is way large for just an OS drive but that's ok. I may run across something I just want the whole deal on that drive or lots of progs down the road.
 
S:\ SSD 950G -- This is where I want samples, synth data, record my projects, etc.
 
P:\ 2T conventional 7200 -- This is where I want downloads say from Browser, if Cakewalk stores files for recovery, rollback, whatever. It will also be for off the wall progs that I may or may not keep.
 
.. and that's pretty much it
C:\OS + Progs
S:\Working Drive
P:\Storage and off the wall stuff\ backups\odd stuff that doesn't get much access \ maybe samples that I get that need to be tested, sorted, kept or discarded, etc.
 
 
C:\ --- Here is what I have gathered over the years and need to install on this new PC.
Sonar Plat - already installed wrong
Harrison Mixbus - installed, I think I'm ok here and I'm fine with it having it's internals on the C:
Magix Vegas + Soundforge - Already installed, I'm not certain I can change anything about this one.. only that I can point it to additional VST's once they are installed.
I need to install
Kontact - I'm really concerned about this one but I think their web installer will let me pick the drives.
East-West Pianos
ToonTrack SD2
 
After this I just have an array of VSTs and VSTi that I want in the proper S:\VST Plugins folders.
 
 
So on S: I have
S:\
--VST PLUGINS
-----32
-----64
--PROJECTS -- self exp.
--??Cakewalk Content --- Should I put the Cakewalk Content here?
P:\
--Programs -- This is for off the wall little programs I may seldom use or delete.
--?? Cakewalk Command Center\Downloads --- Should I this here? This is basically use and store type data?
 
So I'm basically looking for uninstall advice and perhaps a more well thought out re-install structure. Since I just did this in the last day or so, if would not hurt my feelings to wipe everything and reinstall Windows if need be.
 
Any advice you have or anyone for that matter. It sounds like you are set up in a manner that is pretty much what I have been trying and failing to get.
 
Thank you
 
Tom B.
 
 
 
 

One thing, why are your data drives lettered P and S??  I'm not sure , but that might cause issues after something like a famous windows update that will change these back to defaults. ??  
I have found that Windows likes to name drives in the order they are plugged into the MoBo. sata ports. 
A drive was always floppies so we just never see that anymore. 
B I guess was a second floppy.
C is always the OS, I don't think this can be changed   and the drive plugged into SATA port 0 or 1. 
D is normally the DVD drive and is also port 0 or 1.  
E will be the drive plugged into the next port ( 3 ) 
F the next ( 4)  
External drives ( or sticks)  will share the same number G 
If you leave one plugged in  and plug in a second external it will be H and so on. 
 
I could be dead wrong but this is the way all my computers seem to be and somehow I don't think it wise to change this. 
 
 

I assigned those letters. That should not cause a problem.
 
I had intended to name the Volumes
 
P:\ for PROJECTS -- which would hold the Sample data as well
 
S:\ for STORAGE --
 
I got them mixed up though.. At any rate the SSD is now S:\ and I've given it the Volume name STUDIO CONTROL. Which is fine .. S for SSD.. Studio.. all I need is a little memory jog to be sure I'm working on the correct drive.
 
But the assignment of letters should not matter and software should not randomly forget where something is when it has in it's settings something like S:\Cakewalk stuff goes here\

Once I learned about makelink from scook, I started using it in preference to the other methods mentioned.

There is also a utility that created a right click menu item that makes it as simple to create a link as selecting the destination and the source folder for the link.

Here's a link to my OneDrive where there's a folder with all the necessary files included.

https://1drv.ms/f/s!Ahg7GEVUP0Hfx0MrOR1Fbrn72zMj

There is no harm on naming the drives as you want. I have G, H, M, V, Q- the Windows don't really care.
 
I also have 960 Gb M.2 drive and 2x 1TB SSDs. I wanted to have separate drive for all Native Instruments, but SSDs went up in price and I can not afford any more SSDs- spent $1400 for 3 drives already.
 
Native Access allows to select location. The same question apply to it: can we delete Downloads? Do we need it for anything else after it installed? I just deleted everything in Downloads folder.
 
Robert (above poster) recommended to me back in 2013 when I was building my current system to not use SSD for recording audio because SSDs not performing well with frequent read/write operations. They don't like to be erased and re-written again. From what I read, I agree to this. SSDs use TRIM to defrag their space and TRIM is not always works well. Also they write on their chip and if you write something that is larger than the last chip space allows, they go on and use next available square (if you open SSD, the little blocks you see). So you have a lot of empty space and they don't go back and use it. SSDs get filled fast and they don't easily give up the space that was already used even if you delete what was written there- if it has at least something, it will hold the entire block. I am not explaining it right but general consent is to record Audio on HDD.

In the Native Instruments Service Centre there is a setting to Delete files after installation. If you need the files later you can always download them again from your online NI account.

Well, I wiped everything out.
 
Started over from blank drives.
 
Everything was going fine but for some reason Dimension Pro put it's content on the C Drive.
 
I have C:\BOOT OS -- and will install the raw progs here too. M.2 SSD
--- Harrison Mixbus32C -- all here, no prob. It's plugins are it's own deal anyway. No sharing.
--- VST PLUGINS
------ 32
------ 64
------ VST3
--- Program Files
------ Cakewalk
--------- vstplugins
-------------- rapture ~~~ why?
-------------- D-Pro ~~~ why?
----------Rapture ~~~ why?
----------Dimension Pro ~~~ why?
--- Programs Files (x86 )
 
S:\SAMPLES and PROJECTS 2.5 SSD
--- Cakewalk Content
--- Cakewalk Projects
--- Mixbus32C Projects
 
R:\Reserve Storage 2.5 HDD 7200
--- ( System Reserve on separate partition )
--- Browser Downloads
--- Windows downloads for Music, Messages, Apps, Etc. ( likely never to be used )
--- Cakewalk Command Center
 
So basically everything went well except Rapture and Dimension Pro? Addictive Drummer placed it's samples and data in correct VST folders and the S:\samples drive. Why would Rapture and D-Pro not follow the rules in place that everything else followed?
 
At this point, I'm not going to change it or worry about it, but am curious as to why when it's clear to everything else you are trying to divide up the install points, why don't these recognize that fact?
 
===== on a side note.
Has anyone installed SD2 from the web installer. I still have DVDs and it took forever the last time I did this. Also a couple of files did not copy so they had to send me those individually. Does the web interface allow me to download all my products and place them where I want? With SD2 on C:\Program Files and all the Samlpes on S:\Toontrack?
 
Sounds like I will be ok with NI, but worried about SD2... any wise words of advice?
 
TB
 

on windows your vst3 folder should be under "C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3"