SONAR Crashing on Startup After Windows Update – Anyone Else

[metin zeynep]

Hi everyone,
I'm facing an issue with SONAR suddenly crashing on startup after the latest Windows update (May 2025). I've tried reinstalling SONAR and updating drivers, but nothing has helped.
Has anyone else experienced this, or found a workaround?
Would love to hear your suggestions.
Thanks in advance!

🔹 Option 2: Plugin Compatibility Discussion

Title:
🎹 "Is SONAR Still Compatible with New VST3 Plugins in 2025?"

Post:
Hello fellow producers,
I’ve noticed that some of the newer VST3 plugins are not behaving well inside SONAR. Is anyone else having compatibility issues with recent VST3 releases?
Would love to hear what’s working and what’s not for you guys. Also, any suggestions on stable plugin setups?
Cheers!

You're right—when you click the Mastering icon in the Steinberg Hub of Cubase LE AI Elements 8, it opens a blank project instead of your actual song. That’s expected, since Cubase doesn’t auto-load existing mix projects into mastering templates.

Here’s the typical mastering workflow:

Export your final mix as a stereo WAV file from your original project.

Open the Mastering template (or create a new blank project).

Import the exported WAV into that project.

Add mastering effects like EQ, compression, reverb, and limiting either to the track or the master bus.

If you're new to this process or want a visual walkthrough, I’ve shared detailed tips and tutorials on my website:
🔗 https://AudioModify.com — focused on simplifying DAW workflows and helping you polish your tracks like a pro.

Edited 20 hours ago by metin zeynep

[Promidi]

Which version of Windows?

My Sonar starts normally after the May 2025 Windows 10 update.

You might want to try reinstalling your Vdist Runtimes.

I am assuming you have uninstalled and reinstalled (not just update) your Windows drivers (including graphics drivers, not just audio interface drivers).

Have you told Windows quality updates to never touch any of your drivers. 

See:

https://www.makeuseof.com/windows-stop-automatic-driver-updates/ 

[Amberwolf]

Windows updates often include or force hardware driver updates, or trigger reinstallation/repair of drivers that you have previously uninstalled that left bits behind. 

 

If you use Nvidia video hardware, they have not-infrequent compatibility issues with various softwrae, where reverting to previous versions of the driver (wehre possible, someitmes previous versions can't be used with newer OS updates).  

Other hardware / drivers can have the same problems. 

 

If there were any "unreal" ASIO drivers, such as asio4all, steinberg, magix, you might check if those "came back".