Suspect WAVES Plug-In Crashes or Errors? Try this!

I wanted to display a procedure for fixing many Waves-related plug-in issues. Waves uses a different method for loading their plug-ins than do most other plug-in manufacturers. They see this as more efficient, since parts of the software can be re-used or preloaded so plug-ins work more efficiently. I believe, however, this presents more of a challenge for the DAW bakers, and more frustration for users.
 
So, if you are having issues with Waves plug-ins, and are using 64-Bit Windows, Sonar, and hopefully, Waves plug-ins, but you're having issues, try going through this procedure and see if it helps.
 
Disclaimer: This procedure has not been validated or vouched for by Cakewalk or Waves. There is NO WARRANTY for mishaps, and no liability for lost settings or other failures. Please use this procedure at your own risk! Back up your Projects before attempting this.

NOTE
All "clicks" in this procedure are left-click only unless otherwise specified.
 
WARNING
In X1/X2, I have seen cases where Resetting the plug-ins for your project have wiped out the settings of your Waves plug-ins. Be sure you have a backed up version of the project you're currently in,
at the very least. Verify whether your Waves settings in your currently opened project(s) were impacted by the Reset All. This was never a problem for me in X3.
 
Uninstall Waves

1. Run the Uninstall Waves {Complete} Vx (Complete will show if you installed the complete downloaded installer, which I always recommend. X is the version, such as V9), found in the Windows search tool under the Start button, or in your Waves installation directory. Do not use the Windows=>Control Panel=>Uninstall Programs method.
2. Click Yes at the Windows Security alert asking if you want to do this.
3. Click Yes at the Waves – InstallShield Wizard asking “Do you want to completely remove…”
4. Waves software should be uninstalling. It may also remove the License Tool. This is fine. We will re-install that later.
5. When you see the “Uninstall Complete” window, note the version of Waves that was uninstalled. Click Finish. Waves does a pretty good job removing itself from your system, but it’s worth the time to search your VST Folders to ensure they in fact were fully removed.
6. Open Sonar. Go to Utilities => Cakewalk Plug-in Manager.
7. Click Options in the Plug-in Manager window.
8. Click Reset all… and then Yes in the resulting pop-up window, asking, “Are you sure you want to do this?”.
9. After the Reset completes, click OK.
10. Close the Plug-in Manager and then close Sonar, having saved any unsaved work you wish to keep.

Download and Install the latest Waves version
NOTE This procedure assumes you are licensed for the latest version of Waves. Although you can install older major versions of Waves plug-ins, this procedure assumes you are using 64-Bit Sonar, and therefore want 64-Bit plug-ins from Waves, only available in V9 or later.

1. Go to www.waves.com. Click the Log In link to log into your Waves account.
2. Click the Downloads link. Select the latest major version. You should see a selection box allowing you to choose Mac or Windows. However, I recommend scrolling down to Download… to install on an offline computer. This will make Waves plug-in repairs and re-installed much faster. Click the Windows button. A download dialogue should appear. Click Save File. Note the file's destination location (where you're saving it).
3. The download is pretty heavy (about 1.0 GByte), so it may take several minutes to download on a hi-speed Internet connection.
4. When the Waves download completes, run it.
5. Click Yes at the Windows Security alert asking if you want to do this.
6. Click Next.
7. Accept the Waves agreement terms (assuming you do agree) and click Next.
8. Now, the next window will suggest Waves will be “installed to the following location”. Click Next, unless you simply want to change this. However, this has nothing to do with 64 vs. 32-bit versions.
9. The next window will state “WaveShell VST 32 bit will be installed…”. This is where you need to change the folder location to hide these from Sonar. Click Browse… and choose a folder location that Sonar will never find. In fact, I typically create a new folder, called, “Waves-32-bit-hideaway”, although you have to create the new folder outside this installer. Select the new Folder and click OK. Now, verify the new folder is shown in the “WaveShell VST 32 bit will be installed to…” window. Click Next.
10. This next window should be where to install your WaveShell VST 64 bit versions. Make sure this folder is where Sonar will find it. You want these to show up in Sonar’s Plug-in Manager. Click Next.
11. Now, select all the Waves plug-ins you have a license for, including the Waves License Center. Click Next.
12. Verify all the plug-ins you’ve selected and click Install.
13. When the installation is complete, click Finish.

Re-Scan Waves Plug-ins into Sonar

1. Open Sonar. If you installed the 64-bit plug-ins into a directory Sonar scans, it should automatically detect the newly installed plug-ins. If not, go back into the Cakewalk Plug-In Manager and add the folder(s) where you installed the 64-bit plug-ins. But don’t add the hide-away folder where the Waves installer placed the 32-bit plug-ins.
2. You should be able to see the plug-ins after they are scanned in. If you receive errors of missing plug-ins when opening a project that has these plug-ins assigned, re-scan for them in the Cakewalk Plug-In Manager and proceed again opening the Project.

NOTE
Mixing Waves plug-ins (i.e. 32-bit and 64-bit, and/or VST2 and VST3) within the same track’s FX bin or FX Chain in ProChannel can cause either crashes, drop-outs, or possibly other issues. Try to avoid this, if possible. To check each plug-in version’s type, open the plug-in so that you can see its interface. In the upper menu bar, which is Sonar’s control of the plug-in, near the center, you should see the VST2 or VST3 version. To see if it’s 32 or 64-bit, click the down-arrow next to the VST version and select Plug-In Properties. Now, click Details. If you enter your cursor into the field, Full Path, you can use your right-arrow key to move the cursor to the right. When you see the WaveShell version in the path, if you see x64 there, it’s a 64-bit plugin. Otherwise, it could be 32-bit.
 
Hope this helps!

I know a few have at least. Waves walked me through a similar fix, but this was the one thing that fixed 99% of the issues I've seen with Waves (including the note at the end of this procedure not to mix VST2/3 Waves plug-ins). Many of the issues are likely being reviewed for future releases, but this procedure fixes many issues with Waves-caused crashes, especially in older Sonar X versions.