1.  If installing from downloaded files, did you suspend any antivirus software prior to doing the downloads?  If not, you can check the download file integrity using the check sum info and such, published by Cakewalk.  It is possible that the downloaded files got messed up - this has happened to me, and to others.
 
2.  Did you have your antivirus software suspended during the install?  This too can cause trouble.
 
3.  Did you launch the install with the EXPLICIT 'Run As Administrator' option?  (I do not mean just having an account with admin privileges, I mean right-clicking on the install icon and clicking on Run As Administrator.  If not, this may well be cause for some of the issues you are having.
 
If you end up needing or choosing to do an uninstall and install again, there are a couple of registry keys that you would need to delete, after running the uninstall program from Control Panel, and there are a couple of hidden data folders you would also need to delete.  If you DO choose to uninstall/install and want a better set of steps, please just indicate that and I will flesh out those steps for you.
 
Bob Bone
 
 

Run what ever versions versions work for you. I choose to keep my software current. Should you experience problems with your software, expect the first recommendation to be "run the current version"
 
The box is empty in Edit > Preferences > File > Initialization file because by default there are no entries in the Cakewalk.ini. That is normal. If you want to change the way the plug-in scanner determines the plug-in names, enter the VSTPlugInNameFormat  variablewith an appropriate value.
 
BTW, if you are making the leap from 8.5 32bit to X3 64bit, there will be some plug-in issues. Having the 32bit version of X3 as a fallback plan for 32bit plug-ins and projects that fail to load in the 64bit version is a good idea.

robert_e_bone
1.  If installing from downloaded files, did you suspend any antivirus software prior to doing the downloads?  If not, you can check the download file integrity using the check sum info and such, published by Cakewalk.  It is possible that the downloaded files got messed up - this has happened to me, and to others.
 
2.  Did you have your antivirus software suspended during the install?  This too can cause trouble.
 
3.  Did you launch the install with the EXPLICIT 'Run As Administrator' option?  (I do not mean just having an account with admin privileges, I mean right-clicking on the install icon and clicking on Run As Administrator.  If not, this may well be cause for some of the issues you are having.
 
If you end up needing or choosing to do an uninstall and install again, there are a couple of registry keys that you would need to delete, after running the uninstall program from Control Panel, and there are a couple of hidden data folders you would also need to delete.  If you DO choose to uninstall/install and want a better set of steps, please just indicate that and I will flesh out those steps for you.
 
Bob Bone
 
 

thanks for chiming in again...
 
1) Sonar is installed from discs.
2) DAW pc not connected to www so no antivirus running.
3) Yes
 
Thanks for the offer - I will take you up on that if it becomes necessary.

What is the maintenance level of your Windows?  (how out of date on applying maintenance are you)
 
Also, what precise version of X3 are you running?  (did you apply the X3 maintenance updates, and if so, which ones did you apply?)  You can get that information by firing up X3 and clicking on Help>About Sonar.
 
And, did you run all maintenance updates with Run As Administrator, if you applied any maintenance?
 
Bob Bone
 

scook
Run what ever versions versions work for you. I choose to keep my software current. Should you experience problems with your software, expect the first recommendation to be "run the current version"
 
The box is empty in Edit > Preferences > File > Initialization file because by default there are no entries in the Cakewalk.ini. That is normal. If you want to change the way the plug-in scanner determines the plug-in names, enter the VSTPlugInNameFormat  variablewith an appropriate value.
 
BTW, if you are making the leap from 8.5 32bit to X3 64bit, there will be some plug-in issues. Having the 32bit version of X3 as a fallback plan for 32bit plug-ins and projects that fail to load in the 64bit version is a good idea.

I usually keep up to date myself - didn't think to check for updates as I don't use it much now really, but I want it there for when I open any older projects that might contain it.
 
Yes, that was the reason for having the 32 bit version alongside 64. I knew there would be possible issues, so it was supposed to be the fallback while I ironed out the wrinkles with 64 bit. The strange thing is that the majority of the problems are actually now with the 32 bit version.
 
This is where I am at now......
 
Since opening EZD in X3 64 and finding that it worked in now works fine in both X3 and 8.5 32 and 64 bit apart from the name thing ( I will do as you say and see what happens there). I have now also updated to v1.33 and still working fine other than the track name, so I'm all but there as far as EZD goes.
 
Sampletank -  x3 64 works fine       8.5 64   works fine       X3 32 not listed in scan or menu       8.5 32   not listed in scan or menu
 
Miroslav      - X3 in menu but fails to insert    8.5 64  in menu but fails to insert      x3 32   - in menu .....crash !!!   8.5 32 works fine
 
Confused ? You will be..........

robert_e_bone
What is the maintenance level of your Windows?  (how out of date on applying maintenance are you)
 
Also, what precise version of X3 are you running?  (did you apply the X3 maintenance updates, and if so, which ones did you apply?)  You can get that information by firing up X3 and clicking on Help>About Sonar.
 
And, did you run all maintenance updates with Run As Administrator, if you applied any maintenance?
 
Bob Bone
 

It's a brand new professionally installed and up to date install of W7 as of last week.
 
Installed X3 from discs and then downloaded X3c and installed. Can't swear 100% if I did the update with Run as Admin, but I usually do, so I would expect so.
 
These issues existed prior to X3c as I installed that afterwards before I posted anything in case it resolved the problem somehow.
 

The thread is pretty easy to follow for now. For your stability issues, you need answer Bob's questions about windows and updates.
 
One thing to keep in mind, when using older plug-ins, it may be necessary to run SONAR as  administrator to have the software run reliably.
 
 Make sure the Sampletank dll is in 32bit scan path. The 32bit and 64bit versions of SONAR have separate plug-in scanners working from separate configurations.
 
Miroslav ... I do not know what you mean by crash. Does it display an error message and shut down SONAR? If so what is the error message.  Or does SONAR just disappear? Is there a newer version of the product? I don't have any firsthand experience with IK software.
 
You might have to do some sleuthing in the Windows Event viewer for clues.

scook
The thread is pretty easy to follow for now. For your stability issues, you need answer Bob's questions about windows and updates.
 
One thing to keep in mind, when using older plug-ins, it may be necessary to run SONAR as  administrator to have the software run reliably.
 
 Make sure the Sampletank dll is in 32bit scan path. The 32bit and 64bit versions of SONAR have separate plug-in scanners working from separate configurations.
 
Miroslav ... I do not know what you mean by crash. Does it display an error message and shut down SONAR? If so what is the error message.  Or does SONAR just disappear? Is there a newer version of the product? I don't have any firsthand experience with IK software.
 
You might have to do some sleuthing in the Windows Event viewer for clues.

I thought I just did - it's a brand new install of win 7 that was professionally installed and fully up to date as of last Thursday.
 
I just ran all versions as admin and had to re-authorise Sampletank and Miroslav, which has changed things a bit....
 
Now I have .......
 
8.5 32  everything works (except for EZD name - haven't done that bit yet)
 
X3 32   EZD as 8.5       ST   Crash !     Miroslav     Crash !
 
Crash =   " Runtime error - this application has requested the runtime to terminate it in an unusual way. I have no choice but to click Ok and then I get "SONARPRDR.EXE has stopped working - Close Program"
 
X3 32 run as admin   EZD as per 8.5  ST and Miroslav both load fine
 
 
8.5 64  EZD is fine including correct name   ST  ok   Miroslav - failed to load error
 
8.5 64 as admin  as above
 
x3 64  same
 
x3 64 as admin   same
 
 
In summary then...
 
ST and Miroslav only work in X3 32 if I run as admin yet they work in 8.5 32 without having to run as admin.
 
ST works fine in both 8.5 and X3 64 whether I run as admin or not - Miroslave gives "failed to load - synth may not be installed correctly" whether I run as admin or not.
 
Progress of sorts then and light at the end of the tunnel. Too late to do any more today.
 
Thanks for the help guys, much appreciated. I'm away tomorrow, so will update when I can.
 
 

It sounds like you need to talk with IKM about their software and Sonar. Shake the bushes, there's usually one of those IK guys lurking about.