dave coomber

@IgoRr Thanx for the reply. In a certain world, your suggestions make sense. However.... Before starting with this at the beginning of the year, I did a lot of research on Cakewalk installations, in particular because the computer I have has a 128GB solid state drive and a 1TB hard drive. Lots of people do I what I have. Besides this, the Cakewalk installer at the time allowed for creation of subfolders to organize VSTs and other resources, as well as supporting multiple drives for the installation. I had X1 installation media, and found others doing exactly what I did - install components paid for but not included with Bandlab's version. As I said, I have a perfectly functioning CAKEWALK [not Sonar] installation, that these updates seemed to have a problem with. Also note that in the "Plugin Manager" there is a facility for inclusion of folders that Cakewalk will scan for plugins. This works, as I just tested it by removing the X1Plugins from this list, and it scanned and found 13 fewer plugins. Putting it back in the list returned to the original total. It just does not make sense for Bandlab to allow creation of this facility during an installation, and then failing the update because the window for selecting the folder for various items are greyed out. There, but not usable. Not sure if I want to try doing an update with the X1Plugins folder removed from the list.

I put Cakewalk onto my new computer in February 2021. My first update went smoothly, although I did not record the version. It was probably then that my Cakewalk became version 2021.6. I currently have operating on my computer Cakewalk.exe file version 27.6.0.53, product version 2021.6 Size - 32.9 MB. In the download folder I have "Cakewalk_by_BandLab_Update_Setup_27.09.0.145.exe" [file version 27.9.0.145 = product version] size = 49,441KB, which came when I said yes to a suggestion to update. When I double click on this update file, it produces "This installer requires Cakewalk by Bandlab version 2021.6" It was suggested to me on this forum to try an install file "Cakewalk_by_BandLab_Setup_Web_27.09.0.145.exe" [563,005 KB download 10/9/2021]. When I tried this, it behaved well until it came to selecting the option for VST folder. I have a folder named "I:\Recording Resources\VSTs" where I place all the VSTs. This folder currently has all the VSTs that cakewalk wants to install. In this folder is a subfolder named "I:\Recording Resources\VSTs\X1plugins" which as the name implies, is the stuff from previous Sonar. THIS is where this installer wants to put everything. Today [11/23/2021], I tried again when I started Cakewalk on my computer and a notice said there was a new update. The file it then downloaded was "Cakewalk_by_BandLab_Setup_27.11.0.018" [563,026KB download 11/23/2021]. This file executed OK [not telling me I needed version 2021.6], and I decided to let it go, but it ended up not being able to handle the Sonatus stuff, and a few other items to which I said "OK" and it then proceeded to bomb, saying it could not find "MSVCR120.dll" which I subsequently found in "C:\Windows\SysWOW", basically, where it belongs. I do remember giving up on an install of Sebelius because it kept messing this file up. I have repaired the Visual C++ 2013 files. So, I have a few problems with these updates. I started with the update thinking I did not have 2021.6, which I did, and both of the subsequent updates, which seem to be full program installs do not allow me to tell it where it should put its VSTs, and it bombs because it cannot handle registering a dll that is required to run the program [suggest having a copy in the install package?]. I currently have a nicely working Cakewalk program. I do not want to have to clean up after this installer doubles up my VSTs. I am DAMNED GLAD I have done a complete system backup before running these installs. Is it really necessary to have these updates in order to continue using Cakewalk? I would be very happy to continue using the system I have than to have all the flashy new features in a broken system. Can I just continue to log into Bandlab to re-activate Cakewalk every 6 months? I have run a repair on Visual C++ 2013 [x86 and x64]. Is it possible to get an install that lets the user specify where things go and does not crash?

Referring to: https://discuss.cakewalk.com/index.php?/profile/9553-dave-coomber/ Does ANYBODY know where I can obtain the 2021.6 update? My thought is that something happened with it that does not seem to affect operation, but blocks the 2021.9 update. I think it is worth a try to run this update and see if the 2021.9 will install then. It seems I deleted 2021.6 update during a disc clean-up. I have seen lots of software sites that keep previous updates available for these kinds of reasons. How about you Bandlab?

https://discuss.cakewalk.com/index.php?/profile/65-scook/ I have a folder named VSTs where I place all the VSTs. This folder has all the stuff that are shown as what will be installed. In this folder is a subfolder named X1plugins which as the name implies, is the stuff from previous Sonar. THIS is where the installer wants to put everything. The structure I have is currently working. I do not want to have to clean up after this installer doubles up my VSTs.

Well, I figured out the Private Message - a little envelope, etc. Followed its directions to download a 550MB file - ten time the size of the "update". Norton said it was safe, so who am I to judge? This program ran without the 2021.6 issue, BUT it looks like a complete install of everything. I MIGHT go ahead with this, BUT... this program wants to install VSTs in the wrong directory from where they currently are. I was assuming this would be a "cleanup". The selectability of where the VSTs will go is greyed out, so I cannot correct this. There seems to be no way to just install cakewalk.exe only. Thus I do not have the faith to move forward with this. I have a currently working system that I spent a lot of time setting up, and you may guess by my lack of attendance here, I do not have that kind of time. Is there an update version that is not so fussy about the current version [doesn't need to check it] that uses the registry settings I currently have and will leave my disc structure alone? Is the update even needed? Is it AT ALL possible to get the 2021.6 update, and maybe I could start there with a redo of that?

OK, rude interruption in my life, but I'm back. I had posted [page 7] https://discuss.cakewalk.com/index.php?/profile/9553-dave-coomber/ and got a reply that a private message was sent to me. Uhmmm..... ? Where? How do I read it? I did see the reply from Syphus telling me to look in Downloads\Cakewalk. Thank you - I can be dense at times. But my problem is unchanged: I have operating on my computer Cakewalk.exe file version 27.6.0.53, product version 2021.6 Size - 32.9 MB In the download folder I have "Cakewalk_by_BandLab_Update_Setup_27.09.0.145.exe" [file version 27.9.0.145 = product version] size = 49,441KB. Double click on the update file still produces "This installer requires Cakewalk by Bandlab version 2021.6" Any help would be apreciated, or advice as to if this update is worth having. Meanwhile I'll be working on finding where "Private Messaging" operates.

Just thought to check cakewalk.exe properties. Date = 7/13/2021; version = 2021.6 Looks like there's a problem with the 2021.9 update, which I can't find - don't know its name.

OK. Check "Downloads" - not there. Check "Programs\Cakewalk" - not there. Note Cakewalk.exe modified 7/13/2021. It would seem this would be the 2021.6 version {?}. Don't know where else to look. Relevence?

Been away from recording for a while. Started up today and got a notice that an update is available [2021.9]. I downloaded it, and pressed install. Went thru a couple machinations and said that 2021.9 requires the 2021.6 update to be installed. OK. When I looked around, I could not find a link to download 2021.6. Any searches I did would only produce "features" Sorry for my attitude here, but: if the person [people] programming the install of this update knew enough to have an interrupt like this, they should be able to, in the same message, say where it can be found. Or even [?] automatically sequence it? Can anybody help me with this?

Wow! Thanx for all these comments. I kinda got lost in setting up my computer, interface and other related stuff and hadn't looked back here. I do need to make one confession. I do have a microphone. I used to be in a band in the 60s and I have an Electrovoice 664, which is a pretty good dynamic cardioid. One of its outstanding features: the president of the company would go out on a stage at sales conventions to demonstrate this mic. He'd walk out on stage with the microphone in his hand. Then, on a table he took a 2x4 and used the mic to pound a 16p nail through the 2x4. He would then screw the mic onto its stand and deliver his talk. I will probably start with this mic for a while. I just tested it out last week, and its pretty good. I think I may want to explore others, probably next fall or so. I do sing, but I also do some classical guitar, which the 664 did not seem suited for. Thanx again for all this response dc

Thank you all for these informative replies. This all started when I went looking for a cello vst and stumbled across "pocketBlakus Cello" which was labeled a "for Kontakt". It looked interesting, so I pursued it and in the process went to Native Instruments, and saw "Komplete Start" and thought what the hell. Then I saw all that was involved, their need to install where they wanted etc. My post, and even now is just a rant. I saw what looked like a decent cello, and I wouldn't be able to try it out - well - because. I really do not think this would be for me. I am aware that I will eventually find what I am looking for; I agree that what I want to do is record and refine my skills. That is good advice. You guys will probably hear from me in a few months when I start sorting out exactly which microphone I may want for my vocals. Thanks

I am just now setting up my recording computer and like any rank beginner, I have done some searching through the web for what VSTs I could get that were free and actually worth having. I came across a VST Cello for Kontakt. So, curious, I looked into Kontakt. Gee, they have a free 6GB suite of things. I read further. I need the Native Access control which will download and install KOMPLETE KONTROL, and the library. I read some more. It will install stuff and I would need to run it and then I tell cakewalk to scan for VSTs, which it will find. Is there a reason for all this? Or am I mistaken, and once cakewalk has the VSTs, I can remove the Kontrol and the Native Access? Why does it need to be so complex for "free" VSTs? Other VSTs go into my VST folder and everything is fine. Is this system that good that people put up with this?

@JohnK Glad you posted this. I came to this thread because I have a 128GB SSD and a 1TB HDD. Mklink does seem to be the way to handle this. Many people are aware of what the winsxs folder is for, and this is how it works. I just didn't know it was available to ordinary users. For others getting this far here is a link I found from my searches to understand how this works. Explains it simply and understandably: https://www.howtogeek.com/howto/16226/complete-guide-to-symbolic-links-symlinks-on-windows-or-linux/ It's of particular use after you have installed a program, and then create junctions using copy/paste to get things right. Now I gotta go find out what happens when you want to make a backup image of your drive.