(Don't tell me it is my system, all my other software works just fine).

 
Herein lies the problem.

Technically, whether you like it or not, a "proper" Windows uninstaller should leave some user registry keys behind, in case you reinstall later.

**** at MS for that, or ask CW for the SONAR unistaller to give you an option of removing everything (not to blindly do it, as you really may not want to have to go through and re-set each and every setting).

Yep, I agree on that. I'm not saying that other software is ruled out, just denying that it's somehow clear it must be the culprit.

Why should I go **** at MS? I like windows. I find an option for a complete (well, as complete as possible) uninstall wouldn't be to much to ask Cakewalk to offer. If there are keys that need to be deleted in order to do a clean reinstall, the uninstaller should be able to do that is what I meant to say. CW Tech Support should also be quiet happy with that idea, I figure.

You may not want to hear this but given the information you gave in an earlier post. I would suggest dumping Comodo. I have had multiple problems with that AV on customer systems. Software works then a day or so later it doesn't. Not Sonar other applications particularly backup software and drivers. Removing Comodo and reloading the "other" software again fixed it permanently. If you are using the free version I would suggest using the Microsoft Security Essentials instead. Worth a shot and may save your investment.

 
 
Good Advice!

Goseba


I've listed my specs before and nothing came of it. I seriously think this time was the last for me with Sonar. I have had my fill of uninstalling and reinstalling it again and again.

I see. I also got some nonsense advise from Cake-support. Certain individuals are more interested putting you to work rather than doing something themselves, like carefully reading the bugreports you made with all possible details. Instead I got questions about what was already in bugreport.
 
It took a while, but eventually I was put through to people that knew something. Unfortunately I had to be quite rude to this guy until he gave up and understood it was beyond his horizon. I don't know why anybody would just continue with a usuall list of suggestions irritating customers when they could just admit they have no idea and leave to another instance closer to developers.

I'll make a very long story short and let you know that the problem was (and I'll never understand why a software programmer would do this) that software package B either changed or replaced a Microsoft dynamic link library during its installation. I fixed the problem by copying the dll from another machine running the same OS. Software A wouldn't run....but it was Software B's fault.

 
Great comment, Keith.   I literally just had a very similar problem due to a 3rd party PLUGIN installing a wrong DLL that was a system dll.  Very bad - and took about 2 days to figure it out.  And, actually the 3rd party plugin vendor is the one who came forward with the fix realizing what they had done (by accident they claim).
 
So yes - that's a great point you made.
 
 

I have seen this also as a beta tester where the newest versions of the plug in would expose a previously unnoticed defect in a host. I've even seen where a host developer did a fix for a third party plugin as the 3rd party developer simultaneously did a fix for the host and it caused another problem. It happens

 
I believe that's called the "Catch-22" scenario lol.
 
 

I indeed do not know very much about this stuff.
Yet something tells me it's not likely that software incompatibility is the root of this case. The problem came up between two runs of Sonar. First sucessful, second not, with no software install or run of other software in between. I'd think that would rule out dll trouble (if Windows Updater didn't replace the file itself in the meantime) and would indeed much more point to an energy-saving-mode wake-up problem.
Though he never mentioned his mainboard brand and version yet, he did say it only supports 2 GB RAM which makes me think it might be quite old.

I guess I was a bit stressed out by crg puffing his cigarette and going "Say no more, case is rested. You got other software installed - herein lies the problem". Sorry.

No, as long as there's a séparée for smokers. I'd hang out there as well from time to time.

My PC exceeds the minimum specs therefore I expect it to work, as simple as that.

I may be able to offer a bit on insight on this, as I'm a 23 year computer professional and have been both a UNIX and Windows system programmer.

When a program states minimum system requirements, it does so in a vacuum.  Let's say I made a box of juice and said you would need a glass that was 12 oz to hold the juice in the box.  This is, all things being equal, true.  However, if you fill up half your glass with something else, then try to put my box of juice in it, you'll get a 'failure' of the glass to contain the juice.  The same is true for requirements on a computer system.  With Windows, you start filling up your glass immediately, with items that the Sonar creators can't predict (although they pad the req's to try to anticipate), even if you're running Windows with 'nothing else' on it.  You have to have drivers for all kinds of things, and those are made by third-parties who may do them efficiently or they may be a huge pile of crap.  If you install any other software, you may also install a whole bunch of unreported services that take up memory (Google Updater is a good example).  If you go to Control Panel|Administrative Tools|Services, you can see what services are running and disable anything you don't need (be careful that you understand what you're disabling though!).

Now, next comes whatever sampling stuff you're using.  How much of what are you loading into memory?  Have you run the taskbar (or better yet the excellent free system monitor Process Explorer) when you're loading Sonar to see if maybe you've surpassed system memory (not unlikely with 2 gb)?  Your problems smell to me like memory issues, and crossing over into using virtual memory (hard drive as memory) can cause all kinds of bad things to happen.  If you have a motherboard that can't go over 2Gb then I suspect your system is underpowered for what you're trying to do.  If you are absolutely unable to afford better hardware, then it might be that a less sophisticated program with a smaller footprint might fit better into the space you have.  It's just too bad that, having bought Sonar, which isn't cheap, you don't have the hardware to really use it effectively.

Personally, I had a 4 gb system running XP and I'm using both Kontakt and Garritan, and I watched my memory chewed up in the wink of an eye when I loaded samples (of course this was for a full marching band).  I ended up buying a much larger system because I didn't want to have to worry about it.  Now, I still have the occasional crash (auto-backup works well for me though), but I'm using this computer for everything else, including my professional work (including both Oracle and DB2 databases), and I never take it off the network.  I just have to close any programs that try to use the sound card.

The final thing I'll say is that Windows has gotten much better, but it's still a terrible operating system compared to UNIX.  You will always have challenges using Windows and will always have trouble figuring out what's wrong.  If you're running a program that doesn't cross a lot of hardware boundaries (e.g. a word processor)  then you may be just fine.  Something that deals with more hardware complexity like a music synthesizer will be another matter.

There's a decent chance that you will just end up solving another (or maybe the same) set of problems with something new.

Maybe I should become a beta tester, I obviously have an untested set-up.

 
You either have a hardware or a hardware driver problem.  I'd bet on that.
 

Maybe I have, maybe I haven't, but it doesn't affect the fact that my other hosts and software run on the PC without a problem. I want software I can use, not spend hour after hour having to troubleshoot - Sonar has been unique in this respect for me. And having paid a fair chunk of money for 8.5PE I think I have the right to feel agrieved.

Do as you wish but what I get from the quote is you are pouting and not doing what needs to be done to have a reliable machine to work with. Aggrieved you say when I and the vast majority run Sonar with no crashing or problems what so ever.

The wise man sees what others are doing and how they do it in order to improve himself.

Why we are wasting our time with you is now a question that is becoming the real question. 

Goseba

ba_midi

Maybe I should become a beta tester, I obviously have an untested set-up.

 
You either have a hardware or a hardware driver problem.  I'd bet on that.
 

Maybe I have, maybe I haven't,  but it doesn't affect the fact that my other hosts and software run on the PC without a problem. 
 
I want software I can use, not spend hour after hour having to troubleshoot - Sonar has been unique in this respect for me.
 
And having paid a fair chunk of money for 8.5PE I think I have the right to feel agrieved.  

Goseba, I am sorry if this is a bit too much but, why don't you listen to the advice you have been give from at least one expert (Jim Roseberry), stop posting about you leaving and going Cubase and spend all that saved time sorting your problem out.
 
For the record I have not got any problems with running Sonar on 2GB memory, but my system is 100% tweaked for audio and nothing else, and anti virus and net access is a NO NO on a DAW imo.

Telecaster

Goseba

ba_midi

Maybe I should become a beta tester, I obviously have an untested set-up.

 
You either have a hardware or a hardware driver problem.  I'd bet on that.
 

Maybe I have, maybe I haven't,  but it doesn't affect the fact that my other hosts and software run on the PC without a problem. 
 
I want software I can use, not spend hour after hour having to troubleshoot - Sonar has been unique in this respect for me.
 
And having paid a fair chunk of money for 8.5PE I think I have the right to feel agrieved.  

Goseba, I am sorry if this is a bit too much but, why don't you listen to the advice you have been give from at least one expert (Jim Roseberry), stop posting about you leaving and going Cubase and spend all that saved time sorting your problem out.
 
For the record I have not got any problems with running Sonar on 2GB memory, but my system is 100% tweaked for audio and nothing else, and anti virus and net access is a NO NO on a DAW imo.

I haven't kept posting about leaving and I have never said I am going to Cubase. I am posting away from home so am not wasting time that could have been spent troubleshooting.
 
Thanks for confirming 2Gb is adequate though.
EDIT: Unless I am missing something, please point me to a suggestion by Jim relating to my problem.