Lately, the project I've been working on, when I close it I get the Windows dialog box "SONARPDR.EXE has stopped working" with options to check for an online solution or to Close the program.  I select "Close the program" and that seems to be the end of my troubles until the next time I try to close the project.  At some point a couple of crash dumps were created and at least one went to Cakewalk, but no crash reports since.
 
I've been able to modify the file, shut it down (with the OS complaint) and reopen the project with my changes, but I'm wondering if that's the best strategy.  I do version saving for up to 50 versions, so I have a lot of history to work with.  I'm wondering, am I gambling with the integrity of the project file and subsequent changes to it?  Should I try to back up to a version where the OS doesn't complain?  Or is this nothing to worry about - just press ahead with the current project file?  Thanks.

I find that the usual cause of a crash for me is a plug-in.
If I restart, find that plug-in that caused the crash, remove it, I typically won't have a crash again.
Never had it corrupt my project file though...
 

is this occurring when you exit sonar with your project still open? because that happens to me a lot. I have to close out the project (which takes a few seconds) and then X out of sonar. 

perfectprint
is this occurring when you exit sonar with your project still open? because that happens to me a lot. I have to close out the project (which takes a few seconds) and then X out of sonar. 

I get this message only after having shut down Sonar from within an open project; the Sonar GUI is already gone when I see the message from the OS.

sound like what i have been seeing also. i have just gotten into the habit of closing the project first (getting a loading icon and having sonar go offline for a few seconds proportional to the size of the project) and then exiting sonar.
 
 
no idea whats going on, but I know what you are talking about.

perfectprint
sound like what i have been seeing also. i have just gotten into the habit of closing the project first (getting a loading icon and having sonar go offline for a few seconds proportional to the size of the project) and then exiting sonar.
 
 
no idea whats going on, but I know what you are talking about.

I just tried closing the project file from within Sonar (you technique above), leaving Sonar running, and I get the Windows dialog box "SONARPDR.EXE has stopped working" before the Sonar application GUI is dismissed.

I am guessing also that this project has one or more plugin problems - probably 32-bit, that are not playing nicely with Sonar X3, and this is why things are getting messed up.
 
I cannot tell you one way or the other if this particular project could get corrupted in one of these failures.  A certain amount of 'who knows' sometimes applies when things crash, as it is usually a result of uncharted territory within code or exception processing that these kinds of things run through.
 
I would suggest going through all of the plugins loaded into that particular project and figuring out which ones are 32-bit, as a starting point, and then you have to figure out which one(s) cause the crash upon exit, and remove/replace them to get a clean save.
 
Many of us have completely eliminated the use of non-Cakewalk (3rd-party) 32-bit plugins in a 64-bit Sonar, for precisely these kinds of reasons.  
 
A lot of times, the larger companies will have released 64-bit versions of their plugins, and you might be able to download those and swap them out.
 
Otherwise, you could consider trying bridging software called JBridge, rather than using the default equivalent from Cakewalk that comes with X3, which is called BitBridge.  Some folks have been able to continue to use certain 32-bit plugins in 64-bit Sonar with JBridge.  I believe it runs around $20.
 
And the other course of action would be to use some different, and hopefully equivalent, 64-bit plugin.  A different reverb, or expander, or whatever.
 
The above is all supposition, based on the likeliness of the issues being a 32-bit in a 64-bit Sonar problem.  So, if that is NOT the case, then there will be some different cause and resulting actions to take to resolve things.
 
I hope any of the above helps.  Good thing I just had a giant cup of coffee.  My fingers are mad at me, so that's the end of me typing for a bit.  :)
 
Bob Bone
 

robert_e_bone
I am guessing also that this project has one or more plugin problems - probably 32-bit, that are not playing nicely with Sonar X3, and this is why things are getting messed up...

Bob,
 
Awesome post, as usual, but 32-bit plugins have been forever banished from the studio.  But I am starting to suspect maybe one of the very few x64 VSTs in the project though.  I think I should probably just get started on the VST Easter egg hunt... 

Agree with Bob plugins is first point of call. In some cases though you need to update your audio interface drivers, update the audio interface firmware and maybe perform a VST reset followed by rescan. Running windows update several times is advisable as well...

This happens to me on occasion too and I have a feeling the culprit is Channel Tools, will have to do some more detective work. Other suspects include ARC2 and Melodyne clips.