Today Sonar would not allow me to import an audio file using the drag and drop method. I tried running Sonar not as administrator and it allowed it. So there's another reason not to want Sonar to be run as administrator. This is getting annoying.

It is the operating system preventing drag and drop not SONAR. The media browser in SONAR always supports drag and drop between it and the rest of the application.

scook
It is the operating system preventing drag and drop not SONAR. The media browser in SONAR always supports drag and drop between it and the rest of the application.

 
I've never used the media browser. I'll check it out.

I do not believe I have ever seen anyone try to isolate the registry entries that require administrator access. If the IKM synths fail like Pentagon I, it may be possible to locate and change the permissions in the registry.
 
Sysinternals procmon should be able to identify the failures. I do not have any IKM synths but here is what Pentagon I looks like in procmon when not running as administrator (NOTE: the filter settings).
 
Access is denied for HKLM\SOFTWARE\rgc:audio Software\Dxi\Pentagon I
Changing the entry to allow Users "Full Control" like this (it starts with right-clicking "Pentagon I")
 
allows SONAR to run Pentagon without administrator.
 
IKM may have similar issues with keys in HKLM. My guess is HKLM because these are usually restricted access in modern OSes. It may not be a registry issue at all. Regardless, whatever is blocking regular user access should show up in procmon and may be fixed with targeted permissions changes instead of running SONAR as administrator.
 
Something to try.

Thanks Scook for those suggestions. I'll pursue that when I get some time during this weekend.

And thanks for reminding me about Pentagon. I use it sometimes and I'd forgotten to install it this time round.

I've now altered the permissions on all the IK plugin folders. It doesn't seem to have made any difference. Launching Sonar as non-admin, the plugin scan still rejects the IK plugins.

I also tried installing X3 to see whether it would accept these plugins as it did on previous setups. But no, it doesn't like them now.

Kev999
I've now altered the permissions on all the IK plugin folders. It doesn't seem to have made any difference. Launching Sonar as non-admin, the plugin scan still rejects the IK plugins.

Folders in the registry or on disk? I do not believe the problem is access on the HD but I am just guessing not having the plug-ins to test.

scook

Kev999
My previous setup was Windows 7, not XP. My current setup is Window 7 too. I'm using the same versions of everything. The only difference is the hardware.

Was this post made about the old Win7 machine?...

 
My last three DAW setups, athough abandoned, are all still operational. I have been revisiting the last two W7 installations trying unsuccessfully to discover why the IK software worked differently there.
 
2011 setup:
i7-950 PC running Windows XP (x32) and Sonar 7PE. All IK plugins worked without any issues.

2012 setup:
Same i7-950 PC (now dual-boot) running Windows 7 Ultimate (x64) installed on a partition of the same drive. Running Sonar 7, later X2 and X3. IK plugins worked normally, although there were some issues with SampleTank.

2016 setup:
same i7-950 PC (now triple-boot) running another instance of Windows 7 Ultimate (x64) installed on a new SSD. Running Sonar X3 and Platinum. Again, IK plugins worked normally, aside from SampleTank.

New 2017 setup:
i7-6850k PC running Windows 7 Ultimate (x64) and Sonar Platinum. Most IK plugins not accepted by Plugin Manager unless running Sonar as administrator.

There must be something different about the new setup compared to the previous two. Could hardware differences account for it? Or maybe a Windows update present on one and absent on the other?

whereabouts are they installed? if under the "program files" hive, try installing them outside of there like c:\somefolder\... this will mean the security trimming on program files folders won't be a part of the issue... this is why it's good practise not to install VSTs under "program files" (even though daws tend to default to there, a hangover from the olden daze) and that's why you have to "run as admin" in the first place...
/hth good luck