Sorry for such a long explanation, but I thought better to be thorough not to waste people's time. I recently purchased the 32 bit VB3 Virtual Tonewheel Organ plug in by GSI. By the manufacturers instructions it does not come with an installer. You put the 2 dll files they provide into your Cakewalk virtual plug in folder, which I did. It opens perfectly, runs fine, and sounds fantastic. The issue is that all of the other plug ins I use are 64 bit. When Sonar X2 starts, it loads the dll's in the 64 bit folder, and is not even directed at the 32 bit folder in preferences, even though all of those same plug ins have their dll's in the 32 bit folder. So instead of putting the VB3 dll's in the 32 bit folder, and directing Sonar to load all of the 32 bit dll's, I opted to put the 32 bit VB3 dll's in the 64 bit folder. The only issue is that since I've done that, every time I shut the PC down at the end of a session I get the blue screen of death, and Windows says that it recovered from an unexpected crash, and restarts itself. I am sure it is due to this plug in because whenever I work on another song that does not use the VB3 plug in it shuts down fine. Does it make sense, that I move all of the other 32 bit dll's to another folder for safekeeping, put the VB3 dll's in the 32 bit folder, then set Sonar to load that folder? My concern once again is that I don't know what would happen if I left all of the 32 bit plug ins in their present location and let Sonar load them in addition to the 64 bit versions of those same plug ins. More specifically, if I am using all 64 bit plug ins, does it even need the 32 bit version of those same dll's? I am concerned that if I move them, or direct Sonar to load them it might create some sort of conflict and render the system unstable. So thought I'd ask for some guidance first. Thank you in advance Here is the problem signature Windows shows after the blue screen crash: Problem Event Name: BlueScreen OS Version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.768.3 Locale ID: 1033 Additional information about the problem: BCCode: 1000007e BCP1: FFFFFFFFC0000005 BCP2: FFFFF88005902EB6 BCP3: FFFFF88002FCC9D8 BCP4: FFFFF88002FCC230 OS Version: 6_1_7601 Service Pack: 1_0 Product: 768_1

I divide my 32bit plugs into 2 folders.

Call them unique 32bit and common 32bit (common=there is a 64bit version).

In SONAR 64bit I point to my 64bit folder and the unique 32bit folder.

In SONAR 32bit I point to both the unique and common 32bit folders.

HTH.

Also, out of curiosity....

Have you made copy of the crashable project and remove the 32bit "offender" plug and closed the project just to be sure it's the 32bit plug that gives a BSOD? 

Two really good suggestions, thanks. I do not appear to be as advances as you are so forgive me if I ask a dumb question. As far as I know, I am only using Sonar X2 64 bit, so there would probably be no point in me creating the common files folder, except as a storage place rather than deleting those dll's. That is unless there's some reason to have a 32 bit version of Sonar in the future..? I do not have a professional studio, its only me and my own material. That would leave the scenario I described, only I like your naming scheme better, to name the folder "32 bit unique". And only put the VB3 dll's in that, then redirect Sonar to that folder in addition to the 64 bit folder. I have not done the second suggestion you offered, but let me reiterate your question so I understand it. By making a copy of the project you save a copy that has not been opened, and this should enable you to remove the dll and open the original project to see what effect it has. That way if the results are that it corrupts the project, you can move the dll's back into place and only use the copied project. Did I get that right?

I'm not sure I have run the VB3 in X2a, I'll have to test.
I didn't make the jump to Sonar x64 until X2.
I've had some issues, Sonar X2 "locking up" with IK's CSR and Ampeg SVX.
These became hard crashes with the "a" patch installed.
I did get a BSOD or 2, it wasn't consistent; Sonar X2a crashing was, just not the BSOD.
I keep all my VST's in separate folders inside the VST Plugins folder.
I point "Plugin Manager" to the specific x32 VST's that I want Sonar to use.
Sort of like Bapsi, only different...

Tom

RMCALL.

What I mean is to make a full separate copy of the project with VB3 in it.

Open that copy of that project and then delete VB3. Close the propject. Does it BSOD? If so, it's not VB3 that is causing the BSOD. It may eb a corrupted project in some other way and having VB3 in the project is "making" you think it's the culprit.

FWIW, I just downloaded the demo. Put in a project. Closed the project. Closed normally.

Wow I really appreciate the help So you downloaded the demo and put it in a project, closed normally... did you put the dll files in a 32 bit folder or a 64 bit... I am not sure I understand why they cant be in the same folder...

Also forgive my lack of knowledge on the subject, but lets say the project file is corrupt, and that it VB3 has nothing to do with the problem. If you make a copy of that project, will the corrupt data copy itself too?

RMCALL


Wow I really appreciate the help So you downloaded the demo and put it in a project, closed normally... did you put the dll files in a 32 bit folder or a 64 bit... I am not sure I understand why they cant be in the same folder...

Basic rule of 64bit Windows, as laid down by Microsoft.
 
64bit stuff goes in C:\program files\whatever.
 
32 bit stuff goes in C:\program files(x86)\whatever.
 
Or, to put it another way, you can't just put anything anywhere and expect it to work.
 
Think about it- if it didn't matter then MS wouldn't have bothered splitting 64 bit and 32 bit programs/dlls like that in the first place. By putting 32 bit dlls where Windows expects 64 bit ones you are quite possibly subverting the processes Windows uses to run 32 bit software in a 64 bit environment.
 
BCCode: 1000007e seems to generally imply a corrupted memory issue, which is perhaps not surprising - as you say, the problem started when you put a 32 bit dll into the 64 bit program files directory then tried to load it. Which may give you a small pointer to the solution to the problem :-)  
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-windows7-vista64-support-32bit-applications.htm explains some of this.
 
Remember - although Sonar is 64 bit, the plugin is not. Sonar needs to bridge 32 bit plugins so that they will work (and to know they are 32 bit).
 
I suggest you create a folder called e.g. c:\program files(86)\vstplugins (unless Sonar has already created one under c:\program files(x86)\cakewalk, in which case use that). Put 32 bit plugins in there and add it to the plugin locations in Sonar (utilities menu/cakewalk plugin manager, options button). Then re-scan plugins. That should work and make the plugin available in Sonar. I suggest anything you've moved around gets uninstalled then re-installed into the correct location to be on the safe side.
 
Yes, you can install 32 bit and 64 bit versions of the same plugins at the same time. If you install two copies of Sonar, one 32 bit and one 64 bit that is what will happen to the plugs suppied with Sonar.
 
The 32 bit ones are redundant if you only use 64 bit Sonar, so no need to install them. 64 bit Sonar can however load both 32 and 64 bit versions of the same plugin, even at the same time. The only time you might have a problem is with third party plugins that don't like being bridged to 64 bit.
(edited for typos)