SoundID Reference installation issues

If you're experiencing an issue with installing SoundID Reference on your computer, this guide provides troubleshooting tips to resolve the problem.

In this article:

• Common installation issues
  • Compatibility and system requirements
  • Antivirus, Firewall, VPN
  • Blocked Sonarworks domains
  • The "Install SoundID Reference" button is greyed out in the installer
• macOS install issues
  • Perform a full clean reinstall
  • “SoundID Reference.pkg Can’t Be Opened” error message
  • Collecting install log files
• Windows install issues
  • Perform a full clean reinstall
  • Check admin privileges
  • Check access privileges for certain directories
  • Microsoft Visual Library C++ 2015-2022
  • Collecting install log files

Common installation issues

Compatibility and system requirements

Installation issues can be present due to compatibility and system requirements. Before proceeding with any further troubleshooting, check compatibility here: System and hardware requirements for SoundID Reference. 

Antivirus, Firewall, VPN

Official Sonarworks software installers, downloaded from the Download Center or other Sonarworks websites, are virus-free. However, if you are using custom rules for antivirus or firewall protection, the installer can be limited or blocked as potential malware. Since the issue is network-related, check the related solutions first:

1. Check your Antivirus software:
   • Open your antivirus program and look at the list of blocked or quarantined applications.
   • If you see anything with “SoundID” in the name, mark it as safe or restore it.
   • Some antivirus tools may block the app if you’re using strict or custom security settings.
   • Temporarily turn off the Antivirus protection for 10-15 minutes.
2. Review your Firewall settings:
   • Open your firewall settings and check the Outbound Rules.
   • Make sure the SoundID Download Manager is allowed to connect to the internet.
3. Try a different internet connection:
   • Switch to another network (for example, a mobile hotspot).
   • This refreshes important network details like your IP address and DNS.
   • Disable or close the VPN service if in use. 

Blocked Sonarworks domains

The installation process may fail to start or download the required components due to blocked Sonarworks domains. See here how to check the Hosts file for any potential issues: Editing the Hosts File.

The "Install SoundID Reference" button is greyed out in the installer

If you encounter the "Install SoundID Reference" button staying greyed out in the installer and none of
the buttons are clickable, there are likely some connectivity issues with our host. To resolve
this, check if the Hosts file has any Sonarworks entries present and remove them. See the guide above.

macOS install issues

Perform a full clean reinstall

If you’re having trouble with installation, we recommend a clean reinstall. Fully removing the software and installing it again often resolves unexpected issues. Follow the steps here: [MAC] How to uninstall SoundID Reference. 

“SoundID Reference.pkg Can’t Be Opened” error message

If you see a "SoundID Reference.pkg" Not opened message when running the installer, this can be related to the Privacy & Security settings applied on your machine.

1. Open System Settings > Privacy and Security.
2. Change the 'Allow applications downloaded from' to App Store and identified developers, and run the installer again.
3. If you see a message: "SoundID Reference" was blocked from use because it is not from an identified developer. Return to the Privacy & Security window and click on the 'Open Anyway' button.

Disable Gatekeeper

If you do not see the "SoundID Reference was blocked..." message in Privacy & Security settings, make sure the app is not blocked by a macOS feature called Gatekeeper:

1. Open the Terminal utility.
2. Enter the following command in the Terminal window, and press the Return to execute the command: sudo spctl --master-disable
3. Enter your admin password to authorise the action, and press the Return to confirm.
4. Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Security > Allow applications from and select the Anywhere setting.
5. Run the SoundID Reference installer again.

To enable the Gatekeeper after a successful installation, repeat steps 1-2-3 using this command instead: sudo spctl --master-enable

Collecting install log files

If the issue is not resolved with the troubleshooting steps above, see this article on how to find and prepare the installation log files: [MAC] SoundID Reference installation log files.  Submit a support request below and attach the log files to your support request.

Windows install issues

Perform a full clean reinstall

If you’re having trouble with installation, we recommend a clean reinstall. Fully removing the software and installing it again often resolves unexpected issues. Follow the steps here: [WIN] How to uninstall SoundID Reference. 

Check admin privileges

Installation of the full version of SoundID Reference requires administrator privileges on your Windows computer because an audio driver is installed with the SoundID Reference standalone app. 

If you run into any issues while installing SoundID Reference on Windows, it is worth checking your user account status.

1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
2. Go to Accounts > Your info.
3. Under your account name, look for Administrator. If it’s shown, your account has admin rights.

Note: If you do not have an administrator account on your machine, you will need to create a new administrator account or arrange the installation with the user who has administrator privileges on your Windows machine. 

Check access privileges for certain directories

If you do have an administrator account but you are still experiencing issues while installing the SoundID Reference software, there is a chance that you do not have install or access privileges to certain directories. To double-check that you do have the required access privileges to install SoundID Reference, please do the following:

1. Navigate to the Sonarworks folder in Program Files:
    

   C:\Program Files\Sonarworks

2. Right-click on the Sonarworks folder and click Properties.
3. Navigate to Security > Edit to open the Permissions window.
4. Select Administrators and check the Full control box below.
5. Click on Apply > OK to apply the changes.

Microsoft Visual Library C++ 2015-2022 

If the SoundID Reference installer aborts the installation process and closes the process without any error messages, the issue can be related to the Visual Library C++ Redistributable package that is installed on your computer. By default, the installer will detect the library or install it. An issue can occur when the library cannot be updated, which forces the installer to end the process. To resolve the issue, follow the steps below:

1. On Windows, go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
2. Find Microsoft Visual Library C++ 2015-2022  Redistributable (x64/x86).
3. Click on the three-dot menu > Uninstall and restart the computer.
4. Reinstall SoundID Reference (download here) and restart the computer.

Collecting install log files

If the issue is not resolved with the troubleshooting steps above, see this article on how to find and prepare the installation log files: Installation log files for Windows. Submit a support request below and attach the log files to your support request.