Aren't you making a copy before opening the backups?

In regards to opening in safe mode just try it.

If you are opening projects that have only been used 8.5.3 in Sonar 8.5.3 and have not touched later versions there are probably other issues at play such as missing plugins. If you post more detailed info here on specifically what is going on you might be able to get help here. Check the windows event viewer for error messages maybe.

Sorry if you were to take this to court you would be told backup of your data is your primary responsibility and besides you signed up to the terms and conditions. Sorry but often files 'corrupt' for a number of reasons and Sonar may or may not be at fault, I suggest you try to get down to the bottom of it.

Yeah the 32 bit vs 64 bit was a good suggestion.

I'm sorry I know these things are a pisser it happens to everybody.

The reason I was asking about hardware/system changes - this is from the Sonar documentation about External Inserts:
 
"Loading a project that uses the External Insert plug-in
 
When you load a project with the External Insert plug-in (or select a preset in the External Insert interface), SONAR checks to see if the exact same ports are assigned as when the project was saved. SONAR’s port assignments can change if you load the project on a different hardware configuration or change driver models. If there is any discrepancy between the port assignments that were saved and the ports that are used in the current configuration, the ports are set to “None”. Doing so avoids accidentally loading projects and having audio routed in an unexpected way."
 
And, if you had only opened an 8.5.3 project in 8.5.3, without opening it in X3, there is no reason whatsoever that I am aware of where X3 would have done anything to that project.
 
I believe if an 8.5.3 project opened only in 8.5.3 is having routing assignments and such messed up, then it is most likely due to some change in your system hardware/configuration.
 
Bob Bone
 

And if it isn't?

jonnewyork

John
Did you save the projects in X3 and then tried to open them in 8.5.3?

No. Why would I want to save the destruction?

OK your premise is faulty and why I asked the question. A project is read when loaded. If there is no writing to it X3 could not have done anything to it. In order for a project to be modified it has to be written to.  Something is screwed up on your system. Blaming X3 without thinking it through is not all that helpful.
 
 
Edit to add. I have projects going back to Pro Audio and every version since. I have never ever had a problem opening an older project in a newer version. 

Some of us are music producers, not coders or hackers. Can you blame me for thinking Sonar is at fault when EVERYTHING ELSE on my system works perfectly?
 
 
I've got projects going back to 6PE and I've never had a problem with older projects working with upgrades.
 
Until now. And no comment is more utterly worthless than, "It works for me!"

jonnewyork
Some of us are music producers, not coders or hackers. Can you blame me for thinking Sonar is at fault when EVERYTHING ELSE on my system works perfectly?
 
 
I've got projects going back to 6PE and I've never had a problem with older projects working with upgrades.
 
Until now. And no comment is more utterly worthless than, "It works for me!"

Well I understand you are perhaps a little upset but I am a user just like you trying to be of some help. I offer what I can in order to help figure out why you are having problems with X3. I do not do this for money or for anything other than coming to the aid of a fellow Sonar user. You may think that it is of little help when a statement is made that denies the issue but it is no less useful than an affirming statement. 
 
If others don't have the issue than it is very helpful and gives rise to the notion that your system is in some way the issue. It may not be, however, often these issues are system dependent. 
 
Bob has been very helpful in trying to help figure out what is causing this. My first question was an important one but unfortunately you seemed to have missed its full meaning. And now you are being sarcastic and rather rude.
 
Good luck with your non functioning Sonar. 

jonnewyork
I've got projects going back to 6PE and I've never had a problem with older projects working with upgrades.
 
Until now. And no comment is more utterly worthless than, "It works for me!"

No, it's not worthless because if people don't have problems opening older projects and you do, then it is something specific to your system. Trying to find the solution therefore needs to shift away from Sonar to what else might be causing the problem.
 
John is right, if you open something in X3 it is NOT overwriting the original file unless you tell it to. So I suspect something has changed since you last opened a project in 8.5.3. 
 
I think the next question to ask is if you open up a project in 8.5.3 that has NOT been opened in Sonar X3,. does it exhibit the same symptoms? Also, having the same hardware doesn't guarantee the configuration hasn't been changed. Take a deep breath, and think logically about tests you can do to isolate the problem. Rest assured that X3 will "destroy" a file only if there's some problem and you deliberately choose to overwrite the file anyway.

I apreciate your taking your time to try to help.
 
As far as being sarcastic and rude, obviously it isn't your hours of painstaking work seeming to disappear, leading to hours of unanticipated detective work
 
I have some more clues: I may have upgraded hardware since last opening that project -- I have to look up the receipt. I don't have the latest firmware on the h'ware, a Lynx Aurora 16.
Project is 2 years old but still important.
 
There were 'clicking' issues with my drawn crossfades on a couple of comped tracks (when working with 8.5.3 PE).
 
I don't know if these are useful clues for the Sonar Sleuths, but maybe I can come up with more over the weekend.
 
Otherwise Monday morning, barring anything unexpected I'll call Lynx, get my firmware updated and then call Cakewalk.
 
The rest of the songs were salvageable, so I won't be twiddling my thumbs. X3 works great when it works
 

jonnewyork
As far as being sarcastic and rude, obviously it isn't your hours of painstaking work seeming to disappear, leading to hours of unanticipated detective work

 
But it isn't any of us who caused it to "disappear," so any sarcasm and rudeness is misdirected. More importantly, that means you're focusing on the problem, not the solution, which can delay finding a solution.
 

I have some more clues: I may have upgraded hardware since last opening that project -- I have to look up the receipt. I don't have the latest firmware on the h'ware, a Lynx Aurora 16.
Project is 2 years old but still important.

If I recall correctly, known issues involving Sonar and non-updated Auroras have surfaced before. I highly recommend getting the hardware updated to the latest firmware if it isn't already, and then take stock of which problems do or do not remain.
 
Meanwhile, I'd still like to know what happens if you open an 8.5.3 project that has NOT been opened in X3 in 8.5.3. If you experience the same issues, that takes Sonar X3 out of the equation.

Anderton

jonnewyork
As far as being sarcastic and rude, obviously it isn't your hours of painstaking work seeming to disappear, leading to hours of unanticipated detective work

 
But it isn't any of us who caused it to "disappear," so any sarcasm and rudeness is misdirected. More importantly, that means you're focusing on the problem, not the solution, which can delay finding a solution.
 

I have some more clues: I may have upgraded hardware since last opening that project -- I have to look up the receipt. I don't have the latest firmware on the h'ware, a Lynx Aurora 16.
Project is 2 years old but still important.

If I recall correctly, known issues involving Sonar and non-updated Auroras have surfaced before. I highly recommend getting the hardware updated to the latest firmware if it isn't already, and then take stock of which problems do or do not remain.
 
Meanwhile, I'd still like to know what happens if you open an 8.5.3 project that has NOT been opened in X3 in 8.5.3. If you experience the same issues, that takes Sonar X3 out of the equation.

Me too. It would help set a baseline. I also agree about the firmware update. Plus any driver updates. Once that is done I think we can do a better job of finding the problem.