First off I'm really sad to see the news and especially so for all the people who work at Cakewalk.
 
If I download all the files and my serial key, is it possible to authorise Sonar offline so I could continue to use the software even if the servers are shutdown?
 
~ Tony

I would hope that we have the option to download all of our software with an installer so we can still install it without authorization. :( 

How long before a Windows update stops a bit of Sonar from working?

At the moment, even with offline authorization contacting servers is required. Not only that... some time ago Sonar could revert to Demo without any changes in Windows/Hardware. There was something with badly set time-stamp, it has "expired" and had to be updated. That was "fixed", probably by updating that something, not by removing the "time bomb" completely. So there is far from zero probability that Sonar will work for limited time only, even when computer stay offline.
Till Gibson is declared bankrupt or selling CW, users are safe. Shutdown of authorization service is definitive violation of the license. If one of these two things happens, then...
 
But there was a promise about FAQ, lets wait it.
 

I'd like to see a 2017.11 with nothing but "no longer checks server for authorization" feature.

stickman393
I'd like to see a 2017.11 with nothing but "no longer checks server for authorization" feature.

Lets hope

This is my main concern, I love Sonar and shall keep using it, despite it`s may quirks and bugs. They should at least provide a full version with serial and activation like the old cakewalk days, like many, in the event of hardware failure and need to reinstall windows I want to be able to reinstall Sonar without having to worry about it not be activated. I have used sonar for years, have spent a lot of money with the company, have always upgraded, even got the lifetime update plan, but if push comes to shove I wont hesitate to use a cracked version if need be. Hopefully it wont come to that, so please provide us customers with an offline activation solution, its the least you can do! 

So I have latest Platinum .. I have also downloaded all MY PRODUCTS installs from my account. Each has a serial, some have reg codes.
 
In our accounts / MY PRODUCTS area is also OFFLINE ACTIVATION feature / tab. It asks to upload an activation request file from our Platinum software. The way to create this in previous versions was via the HELP MENU. BUT in recent online activated Platinum that feature is NOT in the help menu. 
 
How do we offline activate our online activated software??
 

I'm sorry - but I will download a crack for SONAR - if the servers for authorization are down.
I payed for livetime for a lot of computers.

I don't think there is a crack for the latest version, I think the reason they developed the on line system was to stop the huge amount of piracy that Sonars had with the old system. All you needed was the 2 numbers which any user could easily share with the world and Sonar would be activated. And I guess there was always a key genorater too.  I still have a crack of Sonar 6 and 7. I bought 8.5 but I bought it used which I found out was not allowed later. Those can be installed a million times using those codes offline. The cracks have a txt file with a couple of serials. Sonar must have been the easiest DAW to crack and the only good thing about that was it possibly built a user base. My guess is that this forum back in those days was a mix of half and half. 
 
Now I cannot see how one could crack the on line registration without digging deep within the code, who would bother? there's certainly nothin it it for that person. So this is why even offline registration needs a code from Cakewalk to get out of demo mode. The differeance is you can install Sonar to a machine that is not on line. That is all. You still need to contact Cake and use the supplied code to activate. I did it once a long time back, it was way easier just to use CCC. I had to buy a wireless USB stick as I got tired of lugging my DAW downstairs where the CAT 5 cables are. I've since run a long CAT5 to the studio. 
 
Anyhow.. I'm still optomistic that Sonar will live on because the code is worth money and is pretty good stuff. Someone will put it to use and probably under a new brand.