200bpm
Crazy concept:
 
You own the software, at this point would downloading a cracked torrent of the software be unethical?
 

In my opinion, yes.
But only because I believe once you start messing with cracked downloads, your apt to start downloading more.
However if Cakewalk went lights out and we had no way of activating our fully paid for versions then I wouldn't blame someone.

I would never go back to those days. My son being at the time in his 20's set me up with everything under the sun and most was cracked versions of this and that. The best thing was I got hooked on things like Wave Lab and first chance I bought it. So that old splash screen " Try before you Buy don't use wares software to make money"  stuck in my brain. 
I had a legit version of Guitar Studio 2002 ? but soon was using the cracks of Producer 6 and then 7. I bought 8.5 from a studio owner for $100 who had bought it and never used it. I never registered it as it wasn't necessary back then. 
I just installed it this morning bare bones to get back a few missing pieces. Sure got my $100 out of that. 
 
If I like software I'll buy it but I would rather spend my money on hardware so out of all those deals offered to us I stay with Sonar and I only splurged $30 on MixBus4. 
 
I don't see myself becoming so desperate as to return to a Crack of Sonar. But I personally see no crime in it as that's just the way the world spins these days. Kid's won't buy music or any app that costs more than $14.99. 

chuckebaby

200bpm
Crazy concept:
 
You own the software, at this point would downloading a cracked torrent of the software be unethical?
 

In my opinion, yes.
But only because I believe once you start messing with cracked downloads, your apt to start downloading more.
However if Cakewalk went lights out and we had no way of activating our fully paid for versions then I wouldn't blame someone.

I'd really be surprised it would come to anything like that. Even if Gibson unscrupulously tried to put the screws to everyone who's paid for this for years. I would bet that with this great community of users in the several forums would find a solution. Possibly a former Cakewalk employee would go rouge and help us. I hope we'd not have to resort to cracks.
 

I rate those people who are sticking and want to continue making music on Sonar. Talk about Bruce Willis when will you ever learn. Companies when they die out are not thinking about the end user. The cakewalk shop has closed the windows are shut accept for the little window above the basement toilet. Making your computer to fit with one solitary DAW and forsake everything else is just crazy thinking. I would rather by a new DAW or a new PC or MAC. It makes no sense holding on to the past and my son SONAR Is the past!!!

Yeah, I used cracked pirated software for years, when I 1st decided to buy music creater 6, I was instantly educataed by the benefits of buying legitimate software, the customer support, and then the updates, kinda like I never paid more than $1000 for a car, when I finally bought a new car, how can you ever go back......its kinda that thing where you don't know what you're missing if you have never had it before......no....ive paid for a %100 awesome legal legitimate set up......I have 2 new computers with sonar installed and updates off..........that should keep me goin with sonar for another 6 years ish,.....hopefully they do release the licenses.......Yeah, nah, cracked software will crack......fruity loops 12.5 looks great, there heading more and more down an audio road now, another company that started mainly midi.......give em 5 years, ill be prepared to faulk out thousands of dollars in 5 years for a new daw etc......full version of fruity loops being about $1200 aud,........I actually just spent about $20,000 on my set up, and that is why I'm especially not leaving sonar straight away, monies been spent, coin jar is empty!!!

dappa1
I rate those people who are sticking and want to continue making music on Sonar. Talk about Bruce Willis when will you ever learn. Companies when they die out are not thinking about the end user. The cakewalk shop has closed the windows are shut accept for the little window above the basement toilet. Making your computer to fit with one solitary DAW and forsake everything else is just crazy thinking. I would rather by a new DAW or a new PC or MAC. It makes no sense holding on to the past and my son SONAR Is the past!!!

Cakewalk is the best DAW option for me at this time.  If something works do you throw it away?  How many versions of windows XP are still being used?
 
Anyways, I trust this statement!
 
CW FAQ:
But what if the servers do go down?
If or when the servers are taken down, we will make sure you have a way to authorize your products without using any of our current online authorization steps. We're working on a mechanism for if this does occur, to ensure our users will not lose functionality moving forward.
 
As for the main topic, anyone using Windows 10, system backup util?  I would like to backup data on one drive and make a full "C" image backup on another drive.  Something I should have been doing anyways...

I think that people who are jumping ship are people who do not have years and years invested in learning the intricacies of this DAW.  I have tabbed notebooks that tell me step by step how to navigate through various tasks.  For me to give up on Sonar would be a total disaster.  So if it quits working, then I'm just done.

GregGraves
I think that people who are jumping ship are people who do not have years and years invested in learning the intricacies of this DAW.  I have tabbed notebooks that tell me step by step how to navigate through various tasks.  For me to give up on Sonar would be a total disaster.  So if it quits working, then I'm just done.

Same with me, I've thought long and hard about it since I heard about Gibson doing this and from the beginning, it made no sense for me to jump ship. I've spent countless hours over decades working out methods, macros, keyboard shortcuts, documenting workarounds, solutions to all sorts of problems I've encountered over the years.
 
I have a highly efficient system I've developed with Sonar. I have my own folder for Sonar related problems, bugs, workarounds, methods, etc. If I run into a problem and can't remember the solution, I just look up the notes I saved on it to refresh my memory.
 
When I bring in session players or session singers in I want things to be very quick and easy for them and not have them waiting around for me to figure something out. I love efficiency and that only comes when you really know your program inside and out. Year ago I purposely decided that I'd stick with one program and not confuse my mind with some other program that did pretty much the same things but in a different way. I've invested way too much time and energy into Sonar to stop using it.