Hi all,
 
My rig has been running very nicely.  Last night the audio engine stopped a few times on the project, but started right back up each time.  So this morning I install drivers for Focusrite 18i8, just to compare it to my RME.  Did fine except that CPU works way harder at same latency, so reconnected RME.  Now Sonar freezes for about 10 seconds each time I stop playback of a project.  After closing it, no version of Sonar will start (X2, X1, 8.5.3).
 
So far I've done this:

1. Uninstalled Focusrite drivers and apps
2. Reset configuration file to defaults
3. Cleaned registry (CCCleaner)
4. System restore prior to Focusrite (failed to restore)
5. Reliability Monitor reports no trouble

 
I'm backing up projects now.  What's worse, I was in the process of writing Song of the Year for 2015.  
 
Hopefully I may get some suggestions before I pull the trigger on the image restore..
 
Thanks,
 
Donny
 
.

Projects/audio backup done.

Have you actually deleted the AUD.ini file and allowed sonar to create a new one automatically on start up? Not saying this is the answer but it is known to solve a few weird problems.

Bibs

Thanks for the response Bibs.  I actually didn't delete it, but I've gone ahead and started an image restore on just the system drive, leaving samples and audio drives as they are.  Should be complete in a jiffy.  Paragon is doing very nicely.  If I still get the same results after the restore I'll actually delete the .aud file...I may do that anyway.

Well...that's much better and so far everything is behaving.  Took twice as long because I pointed the restore incorrectly, but second time was the charm.
 
Upon opening the last project I got a message about a problem with a 32 bit plugin, so I deleted it from the project.  I'll have to investigate my setup for that.
 
Anyway, that sure beats a clean install.
 
 

Glad ya got her up and running again Donny.
 
I have to ask. What exactly is the 'Reliability Monitor'?
 
Mike

Some 32-bit plugs do not play nicely in 64-bit Sonar, using BitBridge.  Sometimes, their errors go away with JBridge, but not always.
 
Glad you are back up and running.
 
Even happier you had somewhere earlier in life learned the wisdom of backing up the world.
 
Bob Bone
 

Here is a blurb on the Reliability Monitor:
 
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/how-to-use-reliability-monitor
 
Bob Bone
 
 

Thanks Bob.
 
Mike

Yes, it should have taken just one hour to get the system drive back to a known good state of 8-20-13.  This was the first time I'd used Paragon for an image restore and I had a little hiccup pointing to the correct restore location.  The 32 bit plugin in question...I'm just about to toss, at least from my VST list in Sonar...everything I use most is 64 bit...
 
This is only the second time in about one year I've done a system restore off an image.  Very handy.