Solved! Help Uninstalling Dimension Pro

I got this from another thread




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This was the procedure I followed after contacting Cakewalk Technical Support over the issue. Hope it works for you.

-  Completely un-install Dimension Pro from your computer. This is
normally done from Start | Programs | Cakewalk.
-  Click the Windows Start button and select Run. At the prompt type
REGEDIT and click OK.
Backup your Registry before making edits - you do this by clicking the
Registry menu, Export Registry File.
Now delete the following Registry keys
(skip any of the keys if they don't exist in your registry)
 HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Cakewalk Music Software\Dimension Pro
 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Cakewalk Music Software\Dimension Pro
 HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Cakewalk Music Software\dp
 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Cakewalk Music Software\dp

-  Now reinstall Dimension Pro and only the VST version. 

First install the 1.2 update because it is needed in order to patch
the 1.5 update.
http://www.cakewalk.com/support/kb/reader.aspx?ID=2005302
After installing the 1.2 VST you should be able to properlly update to
1.5
http://www.cakewalk.com/support/kb/reader.aspx?ID=2007013166
# On the "VST Folder - Browse to where your previously installed VST
plug-ins are located" window, click the [Browse...] button and select
the parent folder that Dimension Pro/LE is installed to. NOTE: Do not
select the Dimension Pro/LE folder itself.
   * The default location Dimension Pro/LE installs to is C:\Program
Files\Cakewalk\Vstplugins
   * For 32-bit Dimension Pro/LE on a 64-bit OS, the default location
is C:\Program Files (x86)\Cakewalk\Vstplugins
   * If you have installed Dimension Pro/LE to a custom location,
select the parent folder that your Dimension Pro/LE plug-in folder is
installed to
# Click [OK] and make sure the correct path (see Step 4) is listed
under VST Folder
# Click [Next]
# If you are prompted with a "Browse For Folder - Select the folder
where your VST plug-in is currently installed" window, select the
parent folder that Dimension Pro/LE is installed to. NOTE: Do not
select the Dimension Pro/LE folder itself. This path is the same as in
Step 4.
# Click [OK] and then click [Install]

Do  asearch within the registry for all references to Dimension Pro.

Delete the lot.

Make sure you back up your registry before you attempt this, just in case anything goes in a flatulent direction.

Beagle


yeah, I would just do what Bristol_Jonsey suggested then.  search for anything resembling Dimension Pro or DimPro (make sure it's the correct DimPro and not an abbreviation for something else) and delete everything in the registry (after backing the registry up, of course.
 
Thanks, Bristol_Jonsey and Beagle,
 
I started thinking that doing what you both suggest might be the best way to go. 
 
Can either of you tell me how to back up the *entire* registry in Windows 7?  When I looked, the option for backing up seems to apply to whatever registry key you are currently looking at, but not the entire registry.  The help files do not, as far as I could see, explain how to back up the whole registry, though the help files do say that it can be done.  It is apparently different than in Windows XP, where it was easy to backup the whole registry.  I'll also do a system restore point just to be on the safe side.
 
Thanks,
Bill

Hi, again, Beagle,
Bill - I assume you're opening the registry editor by going to the RUN command prompt and typing in "REGEDIT", correct?  that brings up the registry editor window.  then just choose FILE>EXPORT
a dialog box will pop up and there's an option to choose ALL or SELECTED BRANCH.
 
Yep, that's what I did but the only option I got was to save the branch, not the whole registry.  That's what confused me because I'd done many registry saves in XP and it was very simple.  Windows 7 seems to be slightly different or else I just had some sort of glitch when I tried to save the whole registry last night.  I'll try it again tonight and see if it gives me both options. 
 
Thanks again for all of your help, it's most appreciated. 
 
Best regards,
Bill
 
 

 
 
Hi, Bristol Jonesey,
 
Bristol_Jonesey

I'm taking a keen interest in this Bill, as I too am still running DP 1.2 on my system - the 1.5 installation with X1 failed spectacularly.

Let us know how you get on please.
 
Well, here's the latest development.  I followed your and Beagle's advice and edited all references to Dim Pro out.  I then installed Dim Pro 1.2, 32-bit, from the Cakewalk disk and tried to open it in a new, empty project.  No joy.  It came up with the same "Failed to insert soft synth.  The synth may not be properly installed." message that I've been getting repeatedly.  I am running as administrator and I even tried using the run as administrator option by right-clicking on the Sonar icon before opening Sonar.  Nothing worked.
 
I decided to try installing the 64-bit version of Dim Pro to see if it would work.  After installation, I tried opening Dim Pro in a new project.  At first, it gave me the same infuriating message.  I then scanned my VST's and tried opening Dim Pro again.  Amazingly, it opened just like normal and presented me with a request for the registration number, just as you would expect.  I entered my number and it gave me the message that Dim Pro was now registered and fully functional.  So I closed Dim Pro and tried to open it again in the same empty project.  Nope.  I got the damned "Failed to insert" message.  And I haven't been able to get it to work despite trying for hours last night.  Pretty frustrating.
 
What's really weird, and I wonder if this is what happened to you, too, is that 1.2 was working perfectly for me in both 32-bit and 64-bit.  Then, one day this week I tried to open the 32-bit version and got the dreaded message.  The 64-bit version still worked.  When the 32-bit version stopped working I thought maybe upgrading to  1.5 might solve the problem.  No way.  After that, 64-bit stopped working and that's when I decided to post on this forum for advice how to completely uninstall Dim Pro so I could do a fresh install.  I have no idea what to do now, except to contact Cakewalk tech support and see if they can get Dim Pro working for me again. 
 
If you should discover any secrets, I sure hope you'll let me know.  I'll do the same for you if I get it working again. 
 
I'm considering re-installing Sonar 8.53 to see if that makes any difference but I'm not really thrilled by this idea since Sonar is running really well for me.  I'm one of those "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" kind of guys when it comes to computers.  On the other hand, Dim Pro was one of the big reasons I upgraded to Sonar 8.5 and I *would* like to get it to work......
 
Best regards,
Bill

Here you go Bill, that was quite painless:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Cakewalk Music Software\Producer\8.5
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Cakewalk Music Software\Producer\8.5

Bump, so the folks who asked me let them know if I solved this can have a chance to see the thread.
 
Bill

Hi, Bristol_Jonesey,
 
So, did it work then Bill?
 
Sure did.  Reinstalling Sonar and Dim Pro (both in 64-bit versions) did the trick, though it gave me a scare the first time I tried to open Dim Pro and it gave me the same "Can't install soft synth" message I'd been getting all along.  So I opened Sonar as Administrator and tried again and all worked as it should.  I upgraded to version 1.5 and it's working fine. 
 
The weird thing is, though, that it made me open Sonar as Administrator by right clicking on the Sonar desktop icon.  Since I run my machine all the time as an administrator, I can't understand why I had to do that.  Even weirder is that Dim Pro works fine now even if I don't right click on the Sonar icon and select "run as administrator".  Makes no sense.
 
I have not tried installing Dim Pro in 32-bit yet since it's working in 64-bit and I'm afraid I'll screw it up again if I try installing the 32-bit version.  I'm leaving well enough alone for the moment. 
 
Thanks again for all of your help and advice in solving the problem.  I really didn't want to have to reinstall Sonar but since it did the trick, I'm not complaining.
 
Best regards,
Bill