I had this problem earlier - never was able to solve it. A computer accident caused me to re-format the HDD and re-install Sonar X3. No auto-load of the normal template at first - which is good.
 
Then, I installed the X3C patch - now I have the same problem again: Sonar cannot open without loading the Normal template. The settings in "Preferences | Advanced" have no effect on things.
Thoughts?

No one else has this problem??

Edit -Prefs -Advanced - deselect "On startup load the normal template"

Yep - have tried doing that about 2 dozen times.
It doesn't "take."
So . . . what the heck is going on? Wait for X3D???

Is that ini file's attributes set as "read only" by chance?

I can look - I didn't set it that way - where is that file located?

Okay - I found two instances of Cakewalk.ini - neither were "Read only"

I'd rename one of them Cakewalkini.bak or something like that and see if that helps. I think I remember your last thread about it. Not sure what to say to fix it but it should work, or it does here anyway. Renaming those files and starting again would be a good starting point. You can always go back to them if you want just by changing the name back.

Pretty sure this setting is stored in the registry, so you may need to look there for permissions.  Try renaming the registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Cakewalk Music Software\SONAR Producer\X3 to X3.bak.
 
If it fails, it's a permissions error and registry permissions errors are a pain in the backside.  If it works, try running SONAR again (you'll have lost some personalisation, but you can go back by renaming the key again) and see if you can get that setting to stick now.

I've never had to do anything like this before - what is up with X3 always loading the template??