I just bought Sonar X3 Studio, after using Sonar all the way back to XL - a version for which I was a beta tester.  I loaded the software, started just fine, started the Session Drummer, it locked up, and then never worked again.  When I start the program it goes to the splash screen then... hangs. 

I have an ASUS i7 laptop which I used to edit feature length films and music videos.  The laptop is about 4 months old.  I bought it with Windows 8 already installed.  I have never had a single issue with another piece of software loading.  This is literally the first technical issue I have had since I purchased this laptop. 

At this point I have removed the software from my system.  What now?  Or am I stuck with  worthless piece of garbage software suite that doesn't work? 

Welcome to the forum!
Obviously, what you're experiencing isn't normal, not even common. Otherwise you'd surely notice it in the forum posts. All I can suggest is a re-install after making sure that all the registrys etc. of the flawed install are cleaned.
 
I did experience a similar issue years ago. I installed Pinnacle Studio 8 on the same partition as SONAR 4, and I could not launch SONAR at all. The comment from Pinnacle technical support was: An unsolvable conflict between Pinnacle and SONAR. I had to make a double boot system, one for video, one for audio.

Obviously what I am experiencing is Cakewalk releasing a faulty release.  Considering I was a beta tester for them I know about their their "quality control."  I didn't expect the 20th version of the software to be ****. 

That being said, as an industry  professional working with numerous 2014 Grammy Nominees, who is unable to deliver a project because Cakewalk can't put out quality software, I do not recommend, for any reason, purchasing Sonar X3 if you need to do professional work.  Now, I'm headed to a Pro Tools post studio.  The end.

Did you apply the d patch?

Whydidibuythisjunk
That being said, as an industry  professional working with numerous 2014 Grammy Nominees, who is unable to deliver a project because Cakewalk can't put out quality software, I do not recommend, for any reason, purchasing Sonar X3 if you need to do professional work.  Now, I'm headed to a Pro Tools post studio.  The end.

Funny, isn't it? You, the once beta tester, were the one to receive the faulty individual software, when others are using X3 without problems (or with the normal case-dependant quirks)! Visit the PT forum, there's more than enough posts like that, too.
 
So, you're a Grammy-level professional, and you've set dead-lines without testing your new software first and not having earlier/another functioning installation of a suitable software on your machine???
Just wondering.

I bought a disc.  I put it in my machine.  I installed it.  It didn't work.  What I learned is that the 64 bit version doesn't work, specifically, on a full 64 bit machine.  That is something that Sonar might have wanted to share with me before I popped down $250.

I don't particularly have deadlines, but I do like to finish projects in a timely manner.  I thought, "Hey, instead of taking a trip all the way over the Laurel Canyon just to adjust some levels, why don't I get some software and just do it myself."  Seemed simple enough. 

As far as Grammy level professional.  I am that, indeed, I guess, but I also live on the road 365 days a year flying by the seat of my pants making videos for rock stars so one can't always plan for every eventuality, especially when you have limits to how much stuff you can carry at one time. 

I can't express how hard it is to find a good post studio outside of LA.  I have wasted days of my time looking for studios.  I decided to buy Sonar X3 to cut out the wasted time.  Rather, I have wasted days trying to get software to work that should work.