Reason 10 will not launch, just hangs on splash screen

[rgdaniel]

So I resolved my issue with the updates and everything was working fine, then I decided I would install iLok license manager (against my better judgement) to try out this new cheap VST I got from Plugin Boutique. The installer for iLok was pretty aggressive, but finally got through everything, got an iLok account set up, and was ready to launch Reason and test the new VST (I have a handful of other small VSTs but nothing serious). Well, Reason just hung there at the splash screen. Rebooted PC (Win 7), turned off all antivirus, tried again, same thing. Finally UNinstalled iLok, the VST, and something called Bonjour (from Apple) which was installed today as well, for some reason. Rebooted, turned off AV and Malwarebytes, tried again. Reason just hangs at the splash screen, never asks me for my login/password. So I reinstalled Reason from my recent download. Also no help, just hangs. Finally, in desperation, I renamed my VSTPlugins folder to VSTPluginsDISABLED so Reason would not find it, in case it was hanging up on something in there. No joy, just hangs.

Any bright ideas, anyone? Last ditch attempt will be to UNinstall Reason entirely, then re install from scratch, but trying to exhaust other stuff first, that seems like it would be a pain to set up all my favourites and so forth again. Although maybe a clean slate is a good thing.

(Forgot to add: Reason is running as Administrator, but also tried without that, no luck either way)

[Loque]

Hum... You catched all your registered vst folders and renamed them?

[rgdaniel]

Hum... You catched all your registered vst folders and renamed them?

Not sure what you mean. I have a handful of small, mostly free but well behaved VSTs in Reason. They are in the main VSTPlugins folder, some in subfolders in there. Has been working fine. I added a new one but was never able to test it because Reason hangs at start. Uninstalled that VST, then finally renamed the overall VST folder just to eliminate. I have since renamed it back, force quit Reason and tried again, still "not responding" .

[Loque]

Rename all your vst folders and try again. Also try to click on the splash screen from Reason or press tab+windows to check, if there is not a hidden dialog open.

Check the task manager, if Reason is really hanging out all doing something on disk or so.

[rgdaniel]

Rename all your vst folders and try again. Also try to click on the splash screen from Reason or press tab+windows to check, if there is not a hidden dialog open.

Check the task manager, if Reason is really hanging out all doing something on disk or so.

Task Manager shows "Reason.exe (not responding)" ... when I click on the splash screen I get the standard "not responding, quit or wait" dialog. I've zipped up the VSTPlugins folder and deleted it entirely, so it won't be finding any of my VSTs unless it checks in the trash or inside a zip file.

It smells like iLok did something, but I have no idea what....

[Loque]

Yea, sometimes I had the feeling that Reason recognizes iLok and is communicating with it somehow. No idea now... You could check the state of iLok on your machine... Just speculating... Good luck....

[rgdaniel]

Yea, sometimes I had the feeling that Reason recognizes iLok and is communicating with it somehow. No idea now... You could check the state of iLok on your machine... Just speculating... Good luck....

So in the middle of all this, including a Windows system restore back to a Restore Point, something I'd never done until today, I noticed that one of my external hard drives was not appearing properly in Windows Explorer "Computer" page. I thought "I don't have time for this!" and pulled the plug on the offending drive, so as to deal with it later. Immediately, Reason's user/password dialog box popped up. Boom, problem solved. I was overthinking it, or sideways thinking it, or something. I have a backup of that drive, which is now in place, just need to get a replacement and I'm good. Thanks for listening!

[napynap]

That's not the first time I've seen windows programs, processes or windows bootup hang for no reason related to external USB devices. Unplug them all, and boom it works. Well, I still use Windows, but sometimes sheesh...

Yea, sometimes I had the feeling that Reason recognizes iLok and is communicating with it somehow. No idea now... You could check the state of iLok on your machine... Just speculating... Good luck....

So in the middle of all this, including a Windows system restore back to a Restore Point, something I'd never done until today, I noticed that one of my external hard drives was not appearing properly in Windows Explorer "Computer" page. I thought "I don't have time for this!" and pulled the plug on the offending drive, so as to deal with it later. Immediately, Reason's user/password dialog box popped up. Boom, problem solved. I was overthinking it, or sideways thinking it, or something. I have a backup of that drive, which is now in place, just need to get a replacement and I'm good. Thanks for listening!