From Win 7 to Win 10 Pro

[studioguy1]

 

Ok, I am finally taking Noel's advice and moving to Win 10.  I see the writing on the wall.   I have a new laptop coming this week with Win 10 Pro installed as well as DDR4 Ram and SSD.      Now the question...since I am a long time user through all the Sonar paid versions, I need a step by step tutorial on how to move everything to the new laptop from Win 7 to Win 10.  Any guidance will be appreciated.   All my project files are on external disks, so I think I am good there and I do have all the install files backed up on another drive.    I just need to get my daw files and, of course, my vsts and vstis over to the new unit.   Thank you for any guidance on this transition.

[Starship Krupa]

I was not a SONAR Platinum user, but I've been watching from the sidelines as people have brought their systems up to date and hey, congratulations, new computer day.

Laptops are notorious for coming with a bit more than the usual load of unnecessary programs, so if you know someone locally or online who can assist you in a good Windows 10 de-shovelware, that would help get the full value from your nice new system. Heck, just from installing Windows 10 on my old computer I was picking Office and Solitaire installs off of the hard drive for days, and SSD's still aren't that big around my house.

The heavier hitters will be around to advise you later and let you know if I miss anything, but here's how it goes:

Set up the last version of 64-bit SONAR Platinum on your new computer, get everything squared away just the way you want it, using the install DVD's and website downloads and serial #'s and all that. Install all the plug-ins that you need to load the projects you still want to work on, the bundled stuff from SONAR.

Cakewalk by BandLab is a 64-bit program, it can host 32-bit VST's and VSTi's and 64-bit DXi's. Its tech specs are similar to SONAR Platinum, so if you could load an effect or instrument in Platinum, you can load it in CbB.

Set it all up, your audio interface, everything the way you want it. The Windows 10 UI isn't all that different, they even let you use a Start menu. I held out until about a year ago and I have to say they won me over. The plug 'n' play works better all the time, boot times are faster. The only issue is that I see people complaining that Microsoft's updates cause issues with the kind of complex hardware that audio/video people use, so who knows.

Then once it's all dialed in, download BandLab Assistant, which among other things acts as a downloader/installer/license validator/updater. BandLab Assistant has options to have it always running in your tray or you can switch it off and check for updates manually.

Click on the Apps tab, follow the prompts and BA will install Cakewalk by BandLab right alongside the installation of SONAR you just set up, and it should use all the same settings as well, so you won't need to tell it where your plug-ins and project and template folders are.

Then you're done.

Oh, except download the new Reference Guide and learn about the pile of new features Cakewalk's gotten since the reboot. Yee-ha!

 

[scook]

 

[studioguy1]

Thanks Scook.  was looking for an existing thread but failed.  Must be senility creeping in.  Appreciate the re-direct.