Problems of Sonar Producer beginner having advanced experience with Home Studio XL

Hello, All, and happy Sonaring!

Two weeks ago or so I got Sonar Producer 8.5 at an incredible price. I first thought to continue working in Home Studio and then do some advanced tasks within Sonar Producer. However, my HS7XL projects did not open correctly in Sonar Producer, so, while trying to figure out what the problem is I started to learn Sonar Producer, had one no problem project with it (see here for links for a stereo and my first surround mix http://forum.cakewalk.com/tm.aspx?m=2098583 ) and actually love it. 

So, I wish to continue with Producer as my major sound workplace, but the problem...

The problem is with VST instruments play in Sonar Producer

For example, SFZ+ , SI Drums, SI bass do not want to remember the patch name when the project is saved and re-opened.

Assigning another MIDI track to a different instrument mutes both an instrument, assigned previously and the newly assigned synth, while TTS1 on the majority of tracks (connected first) contunes to play.

My HS7XL template when opened as is (with about 10 soft instruments and a tamplate MIDI arrangement-2-be-substituted with another song set of MIDI tracks) plays well in Sonar Producer, but when I use it for new project generation I get the same problem with some synths playing erratically or not playing at all in Producer.

Perhaphs Sonar producer has more things that I am not aware about, that I should to notice and fix? 

Yesterday I installed 8.5.2 and 8.5.3 update, but this did not help.

Thanks for your input!

I actually do not aware which version I run. I am not that demanding to have 64 bit version, and would likely to activate a 32 bit mode (if I am not mistaken anything), especially because I have quite an old PC, with 2GB memory, and just upgraded storage for a year or so ahead, but as for 64 bit... I noticed it only as an option to export project using 64 bit engine processing. I do not remember that upon installation I was asked which mode to activate. Perhaphs there is an option at Audio setup section, I'll check it now.

...It is boring because with HS7XL I had everything running properly, so, I enjoyed mixing while working on something else, having a convenience of working from home (having vocal, the only live instrumentation, was/is my evening hobby). Now I have to resolve the problem first, but it takes too long.

Ah, no I'm talking about which version of the program, and you would have been given the option to install 64 or 32 bit, if your processor had supported it.

Scratch that, then.

Hmm. Dunno much about this, I'm afraid. Have never used the Home Studio versions, so not familiar with the templates.

For example, SFZ+ , SI Drums, SI bass do not want to remember the patch name when the project is saved and re-opened.

Make sure you start Sonar with "Run As Administrator..."
That solves a number of other items like those you you mention.

...The problem had a different flavor from song-to-song, from midi-to-midi file. There were midi files that had no problems, so, I realized this is the problem Sonar processes MIDI files (that I have from Internet).

Just yesterday I installed MIDI librarian, and resaved two midi files with SYSex generation - Importing edited files into Sonar resolved the problem with MIDI instruments.

I am not sure whether I need it, but an option is to play these files from a librarian program directly into sonar, having multiport midi driver istalled.

As a separate issue:
-------------------------- 

...I wonder whether people still prefer to polish MIDI arrangements with effects and MIDI commands (I learn one of the reason of using librarian programs was to realize full potential of XG midi files/command with a convenient editor), or... soft synths development cause more and more effects are done with audio effects? Any historical view appreciated!