Under the tree tomorrow after 8 years will be the Windows 8 Pro system replacing my XP Pro system, and downloaded software upgrade from X1 PE to X2a Producer.  What is the best/most efficient way to migrate all my projects, work, plugins, etc.?  Should I make bundles of all my projects?  That will take a long time. Is there an easier but equally complete migration procedure?  Any way that X1 PE can do this in batch mode?  Don't want to leave any needed project audio behind.  Do I also have to locate and reinstall all plugins?   Any advice appreciated.  Thanks.

Do you have a router in the house?  Most current internet "modems" are routers with multiple wired/wireless connection.  If you do not have a router, get one. You now have 2 computers that need to be accessable from each other.

Create and share a folder on the new computer, and copy all of the Cakewalk folders to it.

Then copy those folders/files to the correct locations.

For presets: on the old computer, use the plugin manager to save all presets to a folder (c;\temp).  Then copy the folder to the new computer and use the plugin manager to import all presets.

The projects do not need to be bundled.

You will have to install/register some of the third party plugins.

I would do a complete install of X1, and all updates. Then install X2, selecting all items in the list of plugs, synths,...   And then the X2 updates.  This way you will have all of  X1's plugs and stuff.  And can use X1 when a project does not open corrently in X2.

If  you have 8.5, install it first.

And: you can install both 32 bit and 64 bit versions of all and every.  if you have been using 32 bit sonar you may be using some 32 bit plugs that will not install with the 64 bit versions.   Some of these will work in 64 bit, but they will not install via 64 intall.

DO NOT DELETE ANYTHING FROM THE OLD COMPUTER.

For grins, run the win8 upgrade advisor on the old comp.  It may have a chip that will allow win8 to install.   If so, you will have 2 similar computers. If not, it will run win 7. 

In any case it can be used as a backup system via the network.

If no router, and in a hurry, use an external device: disk or usb stick.  you can get the plugs, presets, and a few projects at a time this way.  Cuz you do not have to have all the projects on the new comp to start playing.

Santa has been good to you.

I don't know if you can migrate from XP with the upgrade in place option, so you should look at the System Requirements for Windows 8.

I CAN tell you that it is my recommendation that any presets you set up in your plugins after you loaded them into Sonar should get saved off prior to your backup.  I have Kontakt 5, and I had an occasion where I had set up a bunch of routing assignments for a multi-rack I loaded up and I had NOT saved it off.  I then lost my primary drive to a hardware error, and after installing the world again, I loaded up a project that used that multi-rack, and NONE of it was retained.

I learned from that to save off any multi-racks anytime I set them up while inside Sonar.

Good luck with it all, 

Bob Bone

I went from XP (you need SP3) to win 8 pro via MS system advisor and wifi download!. It worked! I opted to keep my personal files most of which were on a separate disc but some were on my system disc and remained intact. Update to Win 8 went very smoothly. What didn't was trying to update drivers. For example not removing my rme card knocked out my wifi until I installed the drivers for the rme card. I spent hours trying to sort out my router etc which wasn't the problem. I think I've also got to spend a load of money on vst plugin updates so that they'll run on win 8. As I understand it anything that runs on win 7 should be OK on win8 but I've got stuff going back to win98 that ran on XP.
Think about what vst plugs you really need and can you afford/get them.