I am pleased to share that my BIAB 2018 is running much much better now. My earlier posts contained tech complaints and pleas for help with my Windows 10 PC and BIAB 2018 UltraPlus pak, on an external USB drive. Here is a brief update. Hopefully my success will last. Maybe my experience will help other users.
Now BIAB is installed on my internal, secondary hard drive. There was something about my specific computer and the BIAB external USB drive that conflicted, and caused my PG Music drive to be completely erased. As BIAB became corrupted there were more and more errors and failures. We never could nail down the exact culprit but it always ended with ruined BIAB drives and frustration.
PG Music maintained that their drives weren't the issue. Dell verified that my PC was virus-free, spyware-free, clean and running efficiently. Each vendor's product seemed fine by itself. Somehow my lone computer had these problems.
As a trial run, I agreed to download the program onto my PC, taking the USB hard drive out of the equation. So far BIAB is running perfectly! There are no errors or freezes. It's still early days but I am really enjoying the program now. What a difference!
Has anyone else had problems with external PG Music hard drives getting erased? I ask simply from a troubleshooting perspective.
I'm grateful for your kind assistance here in the forum, and for quality time with PG Music's tech support & and customer service. I'm waiting to (hopefully) either verify continued success or document new complications when I follow up with tech support.
Meanwhile BIAB is playing music and making me happy. What a cool program!
I'm glad to read that all is up and running for you! I've never heard of and experience like yours before other than Norton Antivirus deleting BIAB files because it incorrectly determined that they were viral.
Out of curiosity, what antivirus software do you use?
Just to follow on from what Noel says above about Norton AV. Do you run any other cleaning routines on your pc like pc clean, clean sweep etc etc Anti mall ware ? That try to also clean attached drives . You can normally make exceptions on a program basis and some times at a drive level. Just a thought Mike
No trouble with PG Music drives ever, except a few years ago the drives they were using could become partially disconnected inside where the controller plugs in. It would apparently become loose in shipping. This caused the drive not to work at all until the connection was tightened. After that, all was fine.
But your problem, where a working drive erases data, has not been reported here to my knowledge. My money would be on malware rather than the drive.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
I'm glad to read that all is up and running for you! I've never heard of and experience like yours before other than Norton Antivirus deleting BIAB files because it incorrectly determined that they were viral.
Out of curiosity, what antivirus software do you use?
Regards, Noel
Originally Posted By: Mike Head
Hi
Just to follow on from what Noel says above about Norton AV. Do you run any other cleaning routines on your pc like pc clean, clean sweep etc etc Anti mall ware ? That try to also clean attached drives . You can normally make exceptions on a program basis and some times at a drive level. Just a thought Mike
Hi Noel and Mike,
Everyone I've spoken with says the same thing: they just haven't heard of this situation before.
I do have Norton Antivirus, but we have been through all of my settings, history and quarantine sections. There are no hints of any BIAB or PG Music actions. I've used three additional antivirus / anti spyware programs to verify that my PC is clean. Dell used an online scanner, and combed through my computer searching for clues. No explanations were found. All devices and programs are pristine except BIAB.
Adding to the quandary, and making a diagnosis more elusive, is the fact that every other USB hard drive and flash drive I use works seamlessly. Only the PG Music drives had this happen. We've used multiple USB ports and multiple USB devices.
It defies logic, yet something about my computer is causing this problem, and no one has reported it before. The only issue my #$%&#$ computer has is with BIAB on a PG Music external drive. We all agree it's my PC but here we are: no explanation.
So far running the software right off my hard drive is working. I wanted to leave it on the USB drive and save my internal drive space, but so far all is running very well without the USB drive. Again, just to be clear, I have other USB drives that work beautifully and never encountered this behavior.
Hopefully I haven't jumped the gun and declared victory too soon. I'm just really happy to have everything functioning as it should be. My fingers and toes are crossed, praying for continued success.
Thank you both for your messages and suggestions. I appreciate your offers of help.
No trouble with PG Music drives ever, except a few years ago the drives they were using could become partially disconnected inside where the controller plugs in. It would apparently become loose in shipping. This caused the drive not to work at all until the connection was tightened. After that, all was fine.
But your problem, where a working drive erases data, has not been reported here to my knowledge. My money would be on malware rather than the drive.
Hi Matt,
Thanks for writing. I agree, my first thought was malware. It's the logical first place to look. However four programs and Dell show that my PC is clean. There is no other damage found.
With the exception of my BIAB drives (we've tried three) there are no other incidents. I'm not blaming PG Music, just reporting my experience and wondering if any one else has a similar tale.
Thank you for writing. I appreciate your continued responses and offers of help.
....few years ago the drives they were using could become partially disconnected inside where the controller plugs in. It would apparently become loose in shipping. This caused the drive not to work at all until the connection was tightened. After that, all was fine....
Hi Matt,
With direction from tech support, and troubleshooting instructions on PG Music's site, I unplugged and re-seated the cable to each USB drive, after opening the drive cover. It made no difference.
How about checking the cable itself? Try another. And try the drive on another port, and maybe another computer. In other words, isolate the problem as best you can.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
How about checking the cable itself? Try another. And try the drive on another port, and maybe another computer. In other words, isolate the problem as best you can.
Hi again,
All good ideas. I tried each one multiple times, trying to isolate the problem as you suggest. Different cables, different USB ports, alternate computer. I tried everything I could think of. Rebooting, powering down completely. Unplugging the drive and re-attaching after each try. Switching ports and drives. Plugging the drive into another computer. Sadly none of these ideas solved my problem.
Connecting the BIAB drive to another computer didn't help either. It verified that each drive had become corrupted, as opposed to my primary PC having an issue reading and displaying files from a healthy USB drive.
We're all baffled. Although I've been posting here in the Beginner's Forum, I have many years' experience using computers and fixing problems. I've done computer support at work and for family & friends. I'm not saying I haven't made mistakes along the way, but normally I can solve most of my computer problems.
I've also learned the lesson of asking for help when I need it. I don't know what quirk my PC has that nobody else has reported. In the past I've run other versions of BIAB without any complications, on other computers.
While I never had a problem with my external BIAB USB Drive being erased, it did frequently disappear. I often would unplug it, and plug it back in and then it would show up. As this was annoying, I finally got around to figuring out what the problem was.
As it turns out the problem is in the power & sleep settings on Windows 10. There is a setting in the "advanced" settings for USB - USB Selective Suspend. What this setting does is shut down USB devices when the computer goes to sleep. When this happens, Windows can lose track of your USB external hard drive. Just set it to disabled and the problem goes away.
Jeff
BIAB 2019 for Windows Audiophile - user since 2011
Good call. Changing the Windows power settings is the first thing I do on a computer. Also, Windows updates tend to overwrite the custom choices you make, so you have to revisit it frequently. That USB Selective Suspend should be off, as well as any power saving scheme.
If that doesn't fix your problem, I'm stumped. If it were my computer, I would probably buy a different brand USB drive, test it, and ship it to PG Music asking them to load BIAB on it.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
While I never had a problem with my external BIAB USB Drive being erased, it did frequently disappear. I often would unplug it, and plug it back in and then it would show up. As this was annoying, I finally got around to figuring out what the problem was.
As it turns out the problem is in the power & sleep settings on Windows 10. There is a setting in the "advanced" settings for USB - USB Selective Suspend. What this setting does is shut down USB devices when the computer goes to sleep. When this happens, Windows can lose track of your USB external hard drive. Just set it to disabled and the problem goes away.
Jeff
Hi Jeff,
That's an option I did not know about. Following your suggestion, I adjusted my USB power setting. I don't think that was my issue, as other USB drives were fine, and the BIAB drives were powered on and spinning. The drives would have had to be powered on and connected in order for their contents to display, and for changes to be made.
I am taking your advice though, and made the change for future USB drive use.
.... If that doesn't fix your problem, I'm stumped. If it were my computer, I would probably buy a different brand USB drive, test it, and ship it to PG Music asking them to load BIAB on it.
Hmmm now that is something I hadn't considered. If / when my PC continues to run smoothly I might do that. Thanks Matt!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
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202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
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These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
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-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
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MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!
It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
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The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
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With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Special Offers
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2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
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