Help! Sonar Suddenly Stopped Working

**ejr** · 06-30-2011, 06:00 PM

Moved into my new home and set up my DAW. System exactly the same except I had to install a wireless LAN adapter (USB).

- Win XP Pro (32 bit)
- Sonar 6
- GPO, JABB (Kontakt versions), etc.

Windows keeps playing system sounds, although I shut them off. Nothing turns them off, except disabling the Windows Audio -- which then kills ALL the audio. Turn it back on and everything but Sonar works (Adobe Premiere, Windows Media Player, A/V content on the web, etc.)

Sonar displays the following error message on startup:

"The following driver(s) either do not support the current audio format or are in use by another application." It then lists the audio ports for my Roland Edirol FA-66 and gives me the choice of either disabling the drivers or using them anyway. Either choice yeilds the same result: no audio and the error message keeps displaying.

I updated the Edirol drivers. Still no difference. And no way to permanently disable the system sounds. No idea why this is happening. System has been stable and substantially unchanged for a couple of years. Any suggestions welcome. Thanks.

**ejr** · 06-30-2011, 06:20 PM

Okay, I figured out the most serious problem of not getting sound in Sonar. I must have accidently moved the sampling rate switch on the back of the audio interface (FA-66) when moving the device. When I changed it to 44.1, the error message went away. When I profiled the device, it selcted the wrong I/O ports, so I had to correct that manually.

I am still unable to turn off Windows system sounds. I have two other computers, running the same OS, one of which is also connected to the others with a wireless LAN, and I am not seeing the same problem. Selecting No Sounds as the theme. Creating a theme with no sounds assigned to system events. Disabling the Themes service. Non of the usual tricks work. As I said above, the only thing that stops the system sounds is disabling Windows Audio, but that kills everything -- even audio in Sonar.

**chad** · 07-01-2011, 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by ejr

Moved into my new home and set up my DAW. System exactly the same except I had to install a wireless LAN adapter (USB).

- Win XP Pro (32 bit)
- Sonar 6
- GPO, JABB (Kontakt versions), etc.

Windows keeps playing system sounds, although I shut them off. Nothing turns them off, except disabling the Windows Audio -- which then kills ALL the audio. Turn it back on and everything but Sonar works (Adobe Premiere, Windows Media Player, A/V content on the web, etc.)

Sonar displays the following error message on startup:

"The following driver(s) either do not support the current audio format or are in use by another application." It then lists the audio ports for my Roland Edirol FA-66 and gives me the choice of either disabling the drivers or using them anyway. Either choice yeilds the same result: no audio and the error message keeps displaying.

I updated the Edirol drivers. Still no difference. And no way to permanently disable the system sounds. No idea why this is happening. System has been stable and substantially unchanged for a couple of years. Any suggestions welcome. Thanks.

Did you try purging/resetting your SONAR ini files? Perform a file search for (Click to display the "More Advanced Options" and make sure there is a check in "Search Hidden Files and Folders".):

AUD.INI and CAKEWALK.INI

Then this will force SONAR to rescan your audio hardware.

**Jeannot Welter** · 07-01-2011, 05:42 PM

Under system sounds there should be an option to choose "none".

JW

**reberclark** · 07-01-2011, 06:03 PM

Originally Posted by Jeannot Welter

Under system sounds there should be an option to choose "none".

JW

Yes, this is the way to go. Do not use a "blank" windows theme.

**ejr** · 07-02-2011, 01:39 AM

Setting "none" does not work. That's why I am asking for other ideas.

**reberclark** · 07-02-2011, 10:54 AM

Originally Posted by ejr

Setting "none" does not work. That's why I am asking for other ideas.

Did you try resetting (deleting) the .INIs? - SONAR recreates them. Also - the SONAR boards are fairly active and sometimes helpful. I have had good luck calling SONAR tech support, but there is usually a long wait time.

I wish I had other suggestions. If you find a solution please post it here. Good luck!

**ejr** · 07-02-2011, 12:59 PM

Thank you, but Sonar is now working as it should.

The problem is with Windows XP system sounds associated with events like startup, shut down, beeping on error, etc. These can no longer be turned off withoud completely disabling audio for applications that use audio (Sonar, Premiere, Windows Media Player, etc.)

**reberclark** · 07-02-2011, 01:55 PM

Have you considered moving to Windows 7? I moved from XP to 7 (skipping Vista altogether) and have been very happy with it.

**ejr** · 07-02-2011, 06:00 PM

Eventually, yes. But I can't afford to upgrade anything right now.

I have two other computers running XP at the moment and none are experiencing this problem. Nor have I ever seen it in all the machines that I have had and serviced since its release. The only thing that's new is that I had to go from wired to wirless networking when I moved because laying all that cable would have been expensive, time consuming and impractical, since I needed the wireless LAN anyway for my laptop.