Sonar Dead via Win10 Update [?]

Can anyone explain to this very inexperienced PC guy. There's a lot of talk around Win10 update potentially killing my Sonar software dead. I've backed up my Sonar and other software and also cloned my drive. All in anticipation of Cakewalk servers going offline. I still feel users will get some sort of activation from Cakewalk to keep me using the software when the end game comes. Thing is, I don't see any obvious way to turn off or disable updates to Windows 10 in the systems settings or control panel. Don't need a very technical explanation,  but interested to know why an update to my operating system would have such a drastic effect on any software. 
 
I have a laptop that I was going to format and run Win7 and just my Sonar and associated music production software etc. Can I put my Sonar there also? Perhaps activate it as a second option and keep it offline? Am I allowed to put it on a second device, meaning I'll have two copies available for use as a worst case scenario as I'd hate to lose use of it.   

I think that's an excellent plan. I have now installed Sonar to 7 computer. My main DAW I re did and used W 8.1 because you can control the updates. I think you can control the W10 updates on the Pro versions but not home, which is what I have. 

Cakewalk was the one offering lifetime updates, StarTekh. It was their prerogative. An AMA on Reddit revealed this: https://www.reddit.com/r/...mer_employee_here_ama/

I'm thinking of disconnecting all my computers from the internet and using a tablet or cheap Chromebook for all my internet needs. Transferring files is an inconvenient but viable solution to what has and may happen.

damn forum

bitman
Search -> Control Panel, Select Large Icons if you are so able to do so. Otherwise / Then select Administrative Tools, in there, Services. Now find the service named Windows Update. Expect it to be running. Right Click on that Windows Update Servive and set it's Start Up Type to Disabled. Click Apply and or OK, close all your windows and restart.
 
And never worry about the Windows Corrupdate Boggie Man again.
 

While the above is good advice, advice I myself handed out at every opportunity, allas, it seems as with most other methods it is not permanent. As I recently discovered, all my PC's and Laptops had Windows Update disabled via the above method since v1511. I fired my main DAW PC up last week and noticed a lot of activity, I checked, and low and behold Windows Update was downloading and installing. I check my other machines to make sure they still had Windows Update disabled, and sure enough they did, over the next few days another one started downloading and updating, in the end I just checked out the first PC it happened to (my main DAW PC), fully updated and everything worked fine (except for reauthorization of XLN and Mercurial stuff) no other problems, so I just went ahead and updated all machines. Everything is running fine on all. So it seems the time will come when Windows will just say "I've had enough of this, you will update today whether you like it or not" and update you will. It does buy you time, but in the end it seems Windows will win.
 
Maybe the Group Policy method will stave off the updates, although I have read that users who have done this experience the same thing, eventually it updates, true or not I don't know, but that is what I have read. It seems there is only 1 sure way, and that is to pull the plug. Who knows, Windows may eventually refuse to start or allow full use until it is updated in that case, wouldn't surprise me.
 
Still Windows 10 is the best, fastest and most stable version of Windows I have used, and at this stage I wouldn't go back for anything, the update situation isn't ideal, but in the end it hasn't really broken anything on my end except for the need to reauthorize a few plugs, I'm ok with that thus far. I couldn't care less if it breaks SONAR

This has been covered extensively and you need to determine your own risk profile. If you you decide to stop updating Windows then you should probably stop updating any other software that you have as well.

For all the doom and gloom about Windows 10 there are plenty of people happily running old software on it with the latest updates.

Most people who have switched from Sonar have not switched because of Windows 10.

bitman
Right Click on that Windows Update Servive and set it's Start Up Type to Disabled. Click Apply and or OK, close all your windows and restart.
 
And never worry about the Windows Corrupdate Boggie Man again.

 
And start worrying about the Ransomware Boogie Man instead. Some of these updates are actually related to security issues, so those who intend to keep the computer online better not.
 
For what it’s worth, I have run Sonar Platinum on Windows 10 for years now without a problem.
 

Personally I'm more worried about Windows 10 updates breaking my UAD-1 or MidiMan 2496 drivers than I am about one of them breaking Sonar. The last Sonar/Windows 10 Update that I remember was with some VSTs and not the main Sonar program. I remember a Beta update for some of the plugins, but personally I am not really sure what fixed this as it did not impact everyone and I don't remember the fixes going live. 
 
This puts into context my earlier comment about keeping other software components the same as well as Sonar. One of my biggest concerns is keeping my legacy hardware working. As long as it does there is no point getting anything new but when/if the drivers finally fail I'll buy some new devices at which point I would personally prefer to be on supported software. So my first concern is around hardware and driver support, legacy for Windows and new for Sonar.
 
Second point is that I think I have everything that I need now so theoretically I won't be buying a lot of VST effects or instruments which would be good for sticking with Sonar. But plans change quickly as mine did on Friday when I got the Korg email and decided that adding the Odyssey to my Legacy Collection would be great given that its not part of Syntronik. Good news is that it works with Sonar but what if it did not, who could I get to fix it? So new or upgraded VSTs would be my second concern if I stuck with Sonar.
 
What swung it for me in the end was cost. The Cubase crossgrade is not cheap but I'm on a qualifying version and I'm not expecting to see a better offer in 12 to 24 months. For me it made sense to switch now, taking up the Steinberg offer rather than wait.
 
Having made the choice I'm finding Cubase has a lot of good points although I agree that some things are not very intuitive (for someone used to Sonar). Support of external MIDI Modules is really good and although its a pain having to go through the steps required to get my modules setup I have found a few things that will make things easier that as far as I know are not possible in Sonar.
 
I think sticking with Sonar is really a very personal choice and depends on a lot of factors like; is this a good time to change, can you afford to change, how scared are you by Windows 10 updates (you should qualify this by asking why you are scared of them), is your workflow tied to Sonar, how long are you prepared to wait to see if a Sonar Phoenix emerges, etc.
 
Not forgetting that you could actually use two or more DAWs so keep Sonar, buy another and use them in parallel until you are happy with the new one or Sonar dies (which could be 10 years or more based on how long some software has survived Windows upgrades).
 
I would say though that if the only reason that you have for going through the pain and expense of switching to another DAW right now is a fear of a future Windows update then that's probably not the best reason that I can think of.

Hi Grum,  well I'm not to great at grammar or PC's and tech , so apologies. Quite bold thinking at 50 yrs I'd get my head around a DAW, but giving it a go.  
 

Grumbleweed_
Shouldn't the title of this thread have a question mark rather than come across as a statement?

Grum.

FettsVett
To the OP, Win10 has broken Sonar at least two times for me. The only option is taking your PC offline.

An interesting statement.

If Win 10 broke Sonar once how is it that it could be broken a second time. Do you mean you fixed it the first time and then another update broke something again? Have you been able to fix whatever Win 10 broke?

Wrong Thread.

z1812
Wrong Thread.

great input! thanks for that! My question relates to Sonar, so I'd thought I'd put in here. First time ever using a forum, I see there's plenty of help and advice from most users. Merry Christmas ;) 

+1 to the comment above about the rollback feature on Win10. I believe it allows the rollback for 30 days after an install, so is an option if an unwanted update gets installed.

slartabartfast

SandlinJohn
 
I think the likelihood of Windows 10 killing SONAR in the short term is very low. Long term, though, many of the libraries SONAR used for some core components will eventually be retired, and at some point after that active support in Windows 10 will be stopped. At that point, SONAR might stop working in Windows 10. 

This is ambiguous. Do you mean Windows support for SONAR? That has never existed. It is up to the developer to keep  up with Windows, although for developers with enough clout MS will sometimes fix a fatal bug/update. I doubt that Cakewalk is in that league anymore, so unless the update breaks a lot of installed software besides SONAR, you will be out of luck. There is nothing to indicate that Cakewalk is making any effort to keep its published software up to date, and every reason to believe that there will be no more bug fixes or compatibility updates, so if Windows updates are no longer compatible with SONAR, you will need to run it on a version of Windows that existed prior to the fatal update.
 

 I think it's rather ambigous to paint a picture of doom and gloom. There's no evidence that Windows will break Sonar in the near term.