To the original poster: good luck with whatever you choose to do.
 
I recommend Avast's free version of their antivirus software.  It has a good rep, and does not interfere with Sonar in any fashion.
 
If you still have questions about getting the downloads and installations performed, please post them, and folks here in the forum will generally bend over backwards to assist, as long as reasonable courtesy is followed.
 
I have used Cakewalk products for over 20 years, and have NEVER once had any infected files from them.
 
Many antivirus programs do allow someone to opt to allow downloads to continue, even in the event of a warning message, perhaps yours has that buried somewhere.
 
Bob Bone

It's not unheard of for a virus to infect a commercial application. It's happened before, usually when a company has contracted a third-party to fulfill orders. All it takes is for one programmer to be lax protecting his own development machine to infect a distribution build. However, most vendors and their subcontractors go to great lengths to vet packages' integrity before they're released.
 
Far more likely are false-positives from anti-virus scanners. False-positives are quite common, especially in software installers. Just google "site:kvraudio.com false positive" to see a long history of bogus malware reports for products from reliable companies such as iZotope, Native Instruments and ToonTracks.
 

I understand the anger and frustration that was felt--it's just that it should have been directed toward the faulty antivirus and not Cakewalk.

Endeavor to persevere...Finally got the files to download. I didn't count the attempts
but did get them at about 1MB/sec. Did get a two hours of sleep too.
 
And I did get my question answered.
So...Cakes file download process can fool anti-virus software into false reporting malicious adware. Why they have the process as such is because
it protects the users. ( I don't know how and don't care because I've been informed it is a good thing) So far...they are the only ones
that have that process in place to protect customers. (but I'm not finished - there may be others and it's been quite some time since
I've had to reload a new DAW)
Doesn't explain why I had to make numerous attempts that failed but I'll probably never know. May sound weird but I really
do believe it's like a mojo thing with me and the X series. Just any and everything it can do to rub my ass.
 
I can start X2a and hear my guitar...all's good.
 
For the help and moral support...thank you. For the rest- sorry, I don't know how to help you. I can offer that; name calling and
insulting remarks are not good character traits.
 
And...I will be glad when we get past X2a and it's history..I don't know how many times it's made me be "done with it"
and I just keep fighting with it. I do know it's been a three year run of fighting. Started for me with X series in 2010.
 
 
 
 
 
 I don't know what the format issue is...doesn't look the same as what I typed. Oh well.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

jerrypettit
I understand the anger and frustration that was felt--it's just that it should have been directed toward the faulty antivirus and not Cakewalk.

 
LOL....You sound just like my wife!  She yelled, "well it wasn't the computers fault was it?" when it landed in the can. "I don't know but it just
doesn't matter...problem solved." Maybe not the way others do it but it worked out very well for me. :) Well...maybe not...now I'm having to
start over and so far it hasn't been very smooth.
 
 

I can appreciate the type of guy you are(even though sometimes I think your rather stubborn)
but I do think your a real kind of guy, if I hadn't I wouldn't even have bothered.
im glad its working out for you, hope the x series gives you a fair shot, and you it in return.
 
im not going to ask you what possessed you to buy system pro.
ill just say avasts free av is light and doesn't even need to be shut down when using sonar.
its also free.
 
good luck spacey.

I used the free Microsoft Security Essentials with Windows 7. With Windows 8, Windows Defender is built-in and you don't need another AV or firewall program. 

MSE gets high rankings in the AV software shoot outs and is light/unobtrusive enough to leave it on while doing audio work. It was recommended to me by Cake (I knew about it but I'm an Avast man) and they said there should be absolutely no reason to disable it. It has never interfered with my downloads, installs or general day to day Sonar fiddling (AFAIK). I do however keep the DAW rig completely isolated from the internet unless I'm downloading something from Cake or the other software providers I use for audio. I use my laptop for my general internet usage and on that I have Avast and a bunch of other stuff installed because I just feel a little safer with it as I've been using it for years without any problems.
 
I know you probably don't give a flying fart what I say or think but yanno... after all the problems you've been having you might want to consider a different AV software. They can wreak havoc on system performance and if you don't use your DAW for general internet stuff or only visit reputable sites and use browser addons like AdBlock and Noscript (with the proper settings) you should have no problems at all. The other thing to do is create a restore point and an image of your fully functioning system so that if something DOES go wrong and you get a virus you can simply use the restore point to get rid of it (will keep your files but not any newly added programs or registry changes) or in the worst case scenario your system image (will put everything back to the way it was when the image was made but you lose any new files too so make backups as you work).
 
Seriously I have been forced to work on computers that had resource hog AVs on them and they make the computers sluggish and a real pain to use. AVG and Spyware Doctor were some bad ones.

I totally agree with Beep. Except for the "don't give a flying fart" part. I do listen to Beep. As for MSE I never leave home without it.

Cool you got there in the end, would not want anything getting in the way of your playing or Luther skills my fiery, but very cool, friend.
 
Stay safe Spacey and I would recommend Avast as well.