Cakewalk keeps crashing even with the latest update made today, March 6th.

[Mauro Gaspa]

I installed the latest patch update just today but, as I previously reported, the problem persists. Every animation and command on the screen freezes graphically even with this latest update. The behavior remains the same: every program function and animation freezes graphically, but the audio continues to play as if the software hadn't actually frozen. In fact, the processSonar.exedoes not appear to be blocked, but in reality, Cakewalk is, and I cannot control any function. Additionally, after a while, it encounters an error and generates the usual DMP file. 

I also tried creating a new project with Spectrasonics Keyscape and a loaded piano sound, and I have the same behavior. I want to clarify that in the other projects, I didn't even use Keyscape, and before the February update, Cakewalk worked wonderfully.

"I am sharing again the DMP file of one of my projects generated today, March 6th, 2025.

https://1drv.ms/f/c/05665151b61353c4/EsRTE7ZRUWYggAW3lQUAAAABi-TsVVMBy1ssf_uBBOLG1w?e=gfTOac

[Bristol_Jonesey]

Send the dump file to support@cakewalk.com

 

[Promidi]

That actually sounds like a PC issue (or driver or even a plugin) rather than a Cakewalk issue.

Edited March 7 by Promidi

[pwalpwal]

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/debugger/

ok just did a quick test using windbg from the above link (fwiw, there are multiple exceptions just starting up sonar (not quite latest version btw))

so, if you can repro an issue every time, and aren't scared by swathes of programmer gibberish, you can try this to identify the culprit:

1. install windbg from above link
2. before starting sonar, run windbg - but don't do anything with it yet
3. start sonar (so the sonar.exe process has started) and switch back to windbg
4. in windbg, go to the file menu and select "attach to process" then select sonar.exe from the list
5. switch back to sonar and do stuff - if an exception is encountered, sonar will freeze and windbg will flash in the task bar
6. switch back to wndbg and see what it's highlighting - usually something benign, but might be something so make a note
7. switch back to sonar and continue doing stuff
8. repeat above steps 5-7 until you hit your particular issue, give this info (and possibly the whole windbg output) to the support@cakewalk folks
9. if your issue is a crash-to-desktop-without-warning-or-crash-dump, this should also catch that

you can also use windbg to read any dump file created, and to analyse other apps causing trouble

/hth+goodluck

[Noel Borthwick]

This is an application hang and based on the two dump files you provided are not in Sonar code itself. One of your dump files is from an old release not the latest.
The relevant information is below.
In both cases the hang is in ucrtbase which is the windows universal C runtime.  I assume that you are running Windows 11? 

Exception Code: CFFFFFFF (Application Hang)
OS_VERSION: 10.0.26100.1

STACK_TEXT:  
ntdll!NtGetContextThread+0x14
ntdll!LdrpGetFromMUIMemCache+0x1cc
ntdll!LdrResGetRCConfig+0x464
dbgcore!g_DownlevelShlwapiL1CallsDesc <PERF> (dbgcore+0x37048)
ucrtbase!__crt_stdio_output::string_output_adapter<wchar_t>::write_string+0x4e
ucrtbase!__crt_stdio_output::output_processor<wchar_t,__crt_stdio_output::string_output_adapter<wchar_t>,__crt_stdio_output::format_validation_base<wchar_t,__crt_stdio_output::string_output_adapter<wchar_t> > >::state_case_type+0x98
ucrtbase!__crt_stdio_output::output_processor<wchar_t,__crt_stdio_output::string_output_adapter<wchar_t>,__crt_stdio_output::format_validation_base<wchar_t,__crt_stdio_output::string_output_adapter<wchar_t> > >::process+0x169
ucrtbase!__stdio_common_vswprintf_s+0x1ba

 

Based on this stack, I'm pretty sure you somehow have mismatched system dlls caused by something installing old components. You have a lot of third party plugins in your project. Perhaps one of the installers put a bad redist on your system. If this is the cause as it appears to be based on past problems like this, there isn't much we can do other than pointing you to this article to do a clean install of your redists. You can also try loading your project in safe mode and skip plugins to see if somehow one of them is causing the issue.

 

[pwalpwal]

oh my posts are being deleted again

[Noel Borthwick]

Yes because they are misleading to users.

 

[pwalpwal]

6 minutes ago, Noel Borthwick said:

Yes because they are misleading to users.

 

about not sharing serial numbers?

[pwalpwal]

28 minutes ago, Noel Borthwick said:

Yes because they are misleading to users.

 

dm me and tell me what caused you to delete my posts thx, take it off public discussion x

[Mauro Gaspa]

Good morning Noel.
I am in contact with Lois from Cakewalk technical support who suggested that I perform some steps to check the status of my computer or the connected hardware.

To recap the steps done so far:
I checked the Windows 11 system files on my computer and they have no problems (run SFC /SCANNOW), furthermore the PC has all the latest updates, even the optional ones from Windows Update.
I updated the video drivers of my Nvidia RTX4060 graphics card to the latest version.
The version of Cakewalk installed on my PC is the latest available (2025-02 build 077).
I deleted all Microsoft Visual C++ installations and installed the latest official available from the Microsoft site.
I uninstalled and reinstalled Cakewalk.
I checked the status of my disks which are in good condition.
I started Cakewalk with the external hardware turned off and unplugged but the crash still occurs after a while on various projects or on a new project with only one plugin open and I even tested the latter by changing the plugin.
I did a further test to make sure that it doesn't have problems with my sound card and I opened DAWs like Luna, Reaper and Cantabile and a crash like in Cakewalk never occurred.

The absurd thing is that the audio remains active but Cakewalk freezes graphically without being able to control it but if I go to look at the Task Manager the Sonar.exe process is not blocked and in fact I continue to hear the audio.

Lois has now forwarded my reports and my DMP files to the development team and will keep me updated if there is news.
For the moment the problem remains that I can't continue with my work because Cakewalk is unstable. Previously I never had problems of this type, even in December everything was working fine.

In the same link you will find, in addition to the DMP files, also two video files demonstrating the block.

[Ben Staton]

Hi @Mauro Gaspa. Thanks for reporting this.

If you haven't already tried it, please disable "Enable GPU Acceleration" in Preferences > Customization > Display, and then restart Sonar and try again. I doubt it'll fix it, but it's definitely worth a try. Let us know if that makes any difference. If not, I would re-enable the option afterwards since it's generally beneficial.

Also, what apps/utilities are running in the background? We've had rare cases where third party apps/utilities cause issues in Sonar, so it's worth checking (eg. look in Apps > Startup in Windows Settings, and maybe the 'Show hidden icons' area of the Windows taskbar). Consider temporarily closing/disabling anything that isn't system related, and then try again. It's a long shot, but it definitely happens so is worth trying.

[Mauro Gaspa]

Good morning @Ben Staton.
I tried to do as you asked but nothing changed.
I tried to disable GPU acceleration but it didn't help.
I removed software in the background and from Windows automatic loading and restarted the PC but the problem persists.

 

On my own initiative I reloaded the default settings from the preferences panel and then it recreated a new AUD.INI file and at first it seemed to work for the first 10 minutes but then after a while the same blockage reappeared.

I would like to be able to install the December version of Cakewalk, with which I had no problems, to further limit the problem and identify whether it is actually a problem inherent to my PC or instead of changes made in subsequent builds incompatible with my computer.
From the Download folder I have the various downloaded files but they are Upgrade and I would need the complete December installer to do this test.

I also still have Cakewalk by Bandlab installed and I could try to create a new project and open any plugin to see if it also blocks.

 

Thanks 

Mauro

[Bass Guitar]

On 3/25/2025 at 3:27 PM, Mauro Gaspa said:

I did a further test to make sure that it doesn't have problems with my sound card and I opened DAWs like Luna, Reaper and Cantabile and a crash like in Cakewalk never occurred.

I just checked and I don't think you posted which Audio interface you are using. This is another factor people have mentioned before. 

Are the drivers up to date and supported by your operating system.  Are you setting Windows at the same sample rate as the Audio interface and Cakewalk? 

Also Have you tried running a project using only a Cakewalk instrument like SI piano or drums? 

[Mauro Gaspa]

@Bass Guitar

Thanks for your reply, my sound card is a RME Madiface XT and my computer is AMD Ryzen 7 7700X 8-Core 4,50Ghz, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB Samsung NvME SSD, 1 TB Sabrent Rocket NvME, 1TB Samsung SSD.
My sound card drivers are updated to the latest version and both Windows audio and Asio audio in Cakewalk and projects use 96Khz and 24Bit sampling rate.
I also tried using new projects with only one plugin active and I tried each time a different plugin and never the same but after a while the problem occurs.

I don't think that trying with SI Piano and SI Drums changes anything.

Edited March 27 by Mauro Gaspa

[Ben Staton]

Hi @Mauro Gaspa,
We haven't forgotten about this. I'll be looking into it in more detail soon, so please bear with us.
Thanks,
Ben

[Mauro Gaspa]

Good morning @Ben Staton
In the meantime I have carried out further tests. I left my RME sound card turned off and unplugged and I tried to carry out the test with another sound card that I had, the Tascam Celesonic US 20x20 but the problem occurs anyway.
As another test I disabled any non-Microsoft service, I restarted and also tried this option but it still crashes and therefore I have not identified the problem.
I tried to disable GPU acceleration and improved screen scaling again, as a further test because I have two 28" 4K screens connected to an RTX 4060, after a while the same thing happens.
I checked my disks again, performed a new SFC /scannow check (successful) and verified that there is only a recent Visual C++ installation
I have finished the tests, I don't know what else to do.

Edited April 1 by Mauro Gaspa

[Mauro Gaspa]

I made two videos with my smartphone of the problem.
They are always in the same folder "Cakewalk DMP" that I shared and I'm posting the link.
In a video file you can clearly see the problem I was talking about in the past few days even with a new project created today and two plugin instruments loaded (Ujam Kandy and Spectrasonics Keyscape).

The file is called "Cakewalk - audio plays but graphics crashes.mp4"

https://1drv.ms/f/c/05665151b61353c4/EsRTE7ZRUWYggAW3lQUAAAABi-TsVVMBy1ssf_uBBOLG1w?e=gfTOac

[Ben Staton]

@Mauro Gaspa Is it possible for you to record a video that shows Sonar working OK and then going wrong? The videos you've shared so far only show Sonar once the problem has already happened. If we can see Sonar working as normal and then going wrong, it might give us some more clues. If possible, please record the whole screen and not just Sonar.

If you're willing, we could do a Zoom (or similar) meeting and you could demostrate it to me, but a full screen before and after video might suffice. Thank you!

[Mauro Gaspa]

Good morning @Ben Staton.
I will record a video from when everything works normally until the moment of the block.
I will resize Cakewalk on a single monitor because I use it extended on dual monitors, this way it will be easier to see from the video recording.
The thing I noticed is that the problem occurs on a project where there is at least one plugin loaded that makes the audio engine work and I noticed that after about 4-5 minutes but not always I see more accentuated peaks in the performance meter and immediately after the block. It would seem to be a problem arising with some Windows update with Cakewalk but I am not sure of this. I hope it is a good clue to be able to identify the problem.
I open the question on a related feature that could be integrated. Isn't there a diagnostic feature on Cakewalk like the "Verbose Mode" of Cantabile Performer? I always use this software to play live and when I had problems by enabling this diagnostic I was always able to find the problems.
As for a meeting with Zoom or Microsoft Teams (which I already have but not on this PC) we can also but unfortunately my English is very scholastic and to write to you well I use google translate, also I don't know in which country you live and if there is a difference in time zone, I am in Italy. Mostly my work keeps me busy from Monday to Friday from 8:00 in the morning until about 18:15 in the evening, we can try.
In the meantime I will make you some demonstration videos as you asked.

Thank you for your patience and your availability.
See you soon
Mauro

[Bass Guitar]

@Mauro Gaspa     Instead of using a Cell phone which makes the video blurry use this--it's free and used by millions of people around the world.  OBS studio. 

https://obsproject.com/download  

Having two monitors makes it easy to capture Sonar on the main screen. Put OBS studio on the second monitor. It even allows you to capture the audio. That way you can explain what is happening. And don't worry about using italian language. It's pretty easy to transcribe audio these days.  

It's not hard to learn how to use it. If you need help send me a PM.