It seems like Sonar creates a Cakewalk Content directory, which installs a lot of data from the installation disks, but also is the default location for many user-edited files, such as Instrument Definitions, Project Templates, Track Templates, etc. (Yet, for me at least, Drum Maps and Plugin Menu Layouts are off in AppData/Roaming, which is a bit confusing.)
 
Ideally, there would be 2 separate places - one for the stuff that comes with the installation, and one for things the user makes. Sonar could merge them together in the program interface, but when you want to backup your data, you only need to backup your user directories. (If showing a unified view in the program is too tricky, then default to the user directory, but prepopulate that with a shortcut to the Cakewalk data directory.)
 
I appreciate that it's debatable whether various templates should be in My Documents vs. Appdata, but both of those places are recognised locations for user data backups - so ideally anything we modify should be in one of those places, not hidden among the stuff installed from the DVDs.

Kylotan - is that all you have installed? That's all you want to back up? I would recommend backing up everything on your hard disk(s) as a regular practice.

In that way if your disk(s) overall have a problem you can easily get back to where you were. This also helps you have peace of mind. You never know when you either accidentally install something, or something tricky out there can maliciously get installed and your disk environment can cause you a headache or give you heartburn.

If you have a recent backup of your hard disk(s), in that case you can just restore and everything is happy again.

You're right that backing up individual Sonar project folders (songs) is easy by allowing Gobbler to save a song, or just copying the folder to an external location. The various presets are saved elsewhere as you've pointed out. But I would add that if you're only thinking about the presets you're potentially missing the larger picture of everything else you might lose if your hard drives get into trouble.

I have plenty that I like to keep backed up, but because I arrange my data and documents well, I know exactly which directories need backing up and which ones do not. This saves time and disk space, and means migrating to new machines is easier in future.
 
Sonar is pretty much the only program I own that sprinkles its own data across a variety of places and then mixes in user data alongside it.

You can move drum maps to a different location and the other folder as well if I'm not mistaken (under preferences/file locations). I did a reinstall recently and it's all seperated quite nicely indeed between apps and data. Otherwise maybe you can only get granular control of data folder locations via fresh install or registry edit.
 
Sorry this isn't very detailed as I don't have sonar in front of me right now.

You can change all the directories, but then that means you just have Cakewalk's data sat around in a different directory that you no longer access easily from within the program. Ideally you could quickly access both their data and your data, without having to spend much time navigating between them.

@Kylotan I don't seem to have that issue. I have all my apps on one drive and all my data on the other. It took some time to do but it works perfectly and is quick to navigate. Maybe you need to look at your folder preferences and registry entries. Or maybe work around this by creating shortcuts or symbolic links (I never need to myself).

The one issue I had was try to move addictive drums 1 user drum mapping data. XLN won't allow you to point the folder elsewhere(I did contact them and they confirmed). Maybe they fixed it in ver 2.

Also Dim Pro and Rapture was a pain until I completely reinstalled it.

You're misunderstanding me. I have apps and data separate. I am talking about my data and Cakewalk's data. Cakewalk installs Instrument Definitions, Project Templates, Track Templates, and more. So do I, by editing them in the program. By default they go in the same place. I can change the folder that Sonar uses for each of these - but then the data in the old folder is less accessible. An ideal solution would be to have 2 folders - one for the installed data, and one for my data, but to show them all together in the menus etc.

The default templates, definitions etc that Sonar supplies is really in effect default user data to do with what you will. If you are worried about overwriting then back up. If you don't want it then delete it. If you want to alter then edit. I can't really see any real advantage in seperating this data myself?

fwiw, I understand and sympathize. I've submitted an FR for this at least twice in the past few years. I find it a tad frustrating, but, if this is my biggest frustration I guess I can put up with it. Still, nice to know I'm not alone!