Band-in-a-Box Pro 2024. Fresh install on Windows 11.
Every time I start BIAB, I get an access violation in bbw64.exe. NONAME.SGU is in the title bar.
BIAB seems to work after the crash, but just ignoring this serious problem doesn't seem right.
Any suggestions ?
You should definitely send the error log report to PG Music as suggested. An Access Violation is a serious unhandled error, and should be managed effectively by the program.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
1. Make sure Band-in-a-Box is not running 2. In the Preferences sub-folder, create a file named safemode.txt It can be an empty file, it's only the file name that's important. 3. Start Band-in-a-Box. You will see a text message confirming that it is in "safe mode". 4. This forces the program to start using factory settings. 5. Test to see if the problem still occurs using this method. 6. Afterwards, you can close Band-in-a-Box and delete or rename the file.
This method means that you won't have made any changes to your overall settings.
(Also, welcome to the forums)
Last edited by AudioTrack; 05/07/2402:27 AM.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
I just started getting this same error. None of the things PG support asked me to try had any effect. I still get the error.
I'm on the latest version of Win11 Pro.
Question to those of you also experiencing this access violation: are you on the latest version of Win11? Is it possible that a recent Windows update is responsible?
I don't mean to suggest that I'm happy about the situation, but I'm happy that I'm not the only one. That tells me that there's a real problem.
Now, after doing a full reset to factory defaults, I've got to try to remember how I got my BiaB UI set up the way I did. Sigh.
Last edited by TheMaartian; 05/10/2411:23 PM.
ThinkPad i9 32GB RAM 7TB SSD; Win11 Pro; RME Fireface UCX II; BiaB 2026 Ultra Studio Pro 8; Tonalic Studio 1; Reaper v7; Bitwig Studio 6; Melodyne Studio 5 Gig Performer 5; NI S61 MK3; Focal Shape 65; Beyerdynamic DT 880 & 770
It's absolutely a minor problem. I don't even report it.
2024 Crash on Startup is a minor problem? How so?
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
Here are some thoughts that occurred to me as I read your post.
Where have you installed BIAB. Is it in C:\Program Files" by any chance? If it is, this is not a good location for the program.
Also, it would be worthwhile right-clicking on the shortcut and then choose "Run as administrator" when you start it to see if that makes a difference.
Lastly... Go to \bb\Prefences and rename intrface.bbw to intrface.bbw.old and MySetup.DK to MySetup.DK.old ... Doing this forces BIAB to create new versions of these start-up files. If that doesn't solve the problem, you can always go to \bb\Preferences and delete the new versions of these files and return to the old versions by removing the .old from the extension.
If any program my company developed crashed with an A/V after first startup, I would make it a priority to resolve and fix. Others may have a different approach, but that's what I would do, without exception.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
I just started getting this same error. None of the things PG support asked me to try had any effect. I still get the error.
I'm on the latest version of Win11 Pro.
Question to those of you also experiencing this access violation: are you on the latest version of Win11?
I'm using Windows 11 Home version 23H2 build 22631.3447.
Originally Posted by Noel96
Where have you installed BIAB. Is it in C:\Program Files" by any chance? If it is, this is not a good location for the program.
It's in C:\Band-in-a-Box Except one folder, which I didn't choose : C:\Program Files\PG Music Inc\Band-in-a-Box Sounds
Why would Program Files be a bad location for a program ? That's where programs are supposed to be installed, and it has been for almost 30 years.
Originally Posted by Noel96
Also, it would be worthwhile right-clicking on the shortcut and then choose "Run as administrator" when you start it to see if that makes a difference.
[...] rename intrface.bbw to intrface.bbw.old and MySetup.DK to MySetup.DK.old [...]
PG Support told me to do that and to Reset to factory defaults, it didn't help.
Originally Posted by MoultiPass
If Biab works it's a minor problem.
If a program causes an access violation, it doesn't work. It is not a minor problem, it's a major problem. Anything the program does after the crash is Undefined behavior. This is particularly risky in a program that uses plugins from unknown publishers.
Why would Program Files be a bad location for a program ? That's where programs are supposed to be installed, and it has been for almost 30 years.
Well, that's not right at all. That used to be the desired location, but Windows security changes and more in recent years (the last 15 years at least) have indicated that this is now not to desirable location.
C:\bb\ is the default location (substitute 'C:' for any other drive.)
'Program Files', and 'Program Files (x86)' etc are a big no-no (for many years now).
It's all about security.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
Why would Program Files be a bad location for a program ? That's where programs are supposed to be installed, and it has been for almost 30 years.
Well, that's not right at all. That used to be the desired location, but Windows security changes and more in recent years (the last 15 years at least) have indicated that this is now not to desirable location.
C:\bb\ is the default location (substitute 'C:' for any other drive.)
'Program Files', and 'Program Files (x86)' etc are a big no-no (for many years now).
It's all about security.
The only program installed in a root folder on my system is Band-in-a-box, so if you are right there are a lot of software companies doing this wrong.
Can you point to any information about how Program Files was phased out ?
C:\Band-In-A-Box should be an okay folder to use. While PG Music recommend \bb, it's possible to vary that without issue.
Can you try these couple of things and see what happens.
(1) Go to C:\Band-In-A-Box and then double click on BBW64.EXE. This is simply starting the program without using a shortcut. (Doing this is a check to see if the shortcut might be including some unusual startup instructions.)
(2) Also try starting BIAB in 32-bit mode and see what happens. To do this, go to C:\Band-In-A-Box and double-click on BBW.EXE. Does this version of BIAB start okay or not?
(3) Please have a look under "Help | About Band-In-A-Box" and check that you have the latest update installed. It should say "Version 2024(1111)". This is indicating that you have update #1111 installed (which is the latest update).
1) We know from experience that BIAB will not work if installed into either one of the /Program Files folders. We have known this for decades (I tried it once over twenty years ago) and PG Music has confirmed not to do that.
What we do not know is why. I concur it probably has to do with changes in Windows related to security - the security OF Windows. As I recall, BIAB actually could start to run if it was installed in a /Program Files folder, but would immediately crash when any action took place that tried to save into that folder.
Why other applications install into /Program Files folders and work, when BIAB does not, is unknown to me.
2) The addition of the safemode.txt is an alternative to this: " rename intrface.bbw to intrface.bbw.old and MySetup.DK to MySetup.DK.old ". If one didn't work, it's not a surprise the other did not.
3) I recall reading a comment from Support that you do not HAVE to call the BIAB folder BB. The installer certainly will want to do so, but if you are very careful to change the recommended folders in each step of the install, and each step every upgrade forevermore, then it can go into a different folder. Just not one of the /Program Files folders.
4) What I don't fully understand is exactly what is happening with this: if BIAB crashes on startup, how do you continue to work with it? I think you may be saying something like "BIAB crashes on startup the first time, but then runs normally". Is that correct? That would be quite a different problem statement, requiring a different examination.
EDIT: I like everything Noel just wrote while I was typing my comments.
Last edited by Matt Finley; 05/11/2412:47 PM.
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.
Go to C:\Band-In-A-Box and then double click on BBW64.EXE.
Access violation
Originally Posted by Noel96
go to C:\Band-In-A-Box and double-click on BBW.EXE.
Access violation
Originally Posted by Noel96
Please have a look under "Help | About Band-In-A-Box" and check that you have the latest update installed. It should say "Version 2024(1111)".
It says Version 2024 (1111)
Originally Posted by Noel96
What antivirus software do you use?
Windows Security (Comes with Windows 11)
Originally Posted by Matt Finley
What I don't fully understand is exactly what is happening with this: if BIAB crashes on startup, how do you continue to work with it? I think you may be saying something like "BIAB crashes on startup the first time, but then runs normally". Is that correct? That would be quite a different problem statement, requiring a different examination.
From the first post in this thread : Every time I start BIAB, I get an access violation in bbw64.exe.
Thanks, Sid. This is indeed a strange problem that you have.
Out of curiosity, if you go to "Audio | Audio drivers.settings", what is your Audio Driver Setup? By default, it should be WAS. Try changing this to MME, exit the menu and then restart BIAB. Does this make a difference?
What I don't fully understand is exactly what is happening with this: if BIAB crashes on startup, how do you continue to work with it? I think you may be saying something like "BIAB crashes on startup the first time, but then runs normally". Is that correct? That would be quite a different problem statement, requiring a different examination.
Originally Posted by Sid S
[From the first post in this thread : Every time I start BIAB, I get an access violation in bbw64.exe.
OK. I hope you don't mind that I'm just trying to clarify. Yes, you said that you get an access violation in bbw64.exe every time you start BIAB [my emphasis]. But then you went on to say this "BIAB seems to work after the crash, but just ignoring this serious problem doesn't seem right.". So you do seem to be saying it crashes only the first time, or maybe even most of the time, but then it does not crash.
Please elaborate.
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.
go to "Audio | Audio drivers.settings", what is your Audio Driver Setup? By default, it should be WAS. Try changing this to MME, exit the menu and then restart BIAB. Does this make a difference
It was WAS, changing it to MME does not help.
On a side note, changing it to ASIO causes an immediate access violation, probably because I don't have any ASIO drivers. But that's a different bug.
OK. I hope you don't mind that I'm just trying to clarify. Yes, you said that you get an access violation in bbw64.exe every time you start BIAB [my emphasis]. But then you went on to say this "BIAB seems to work after the crash, but just ignoring this serious problem doesn't seem right.". So you do seem to be saying it crashes only the first time, or maybe even most of the time, but then it does not crash.
Please elaborate.
I don't mind at all, I appreciate that everybody wants to help here.
Every time I start BIAB, I face two message boxes due to an access violation. In my brain, that is a crash.
Now, BIAB detects this serious problem and continues operating. In my book, that's bad practice but anyway - BIAB seems to work after that, until the next time I start it.
Ya, this is not a "crash", but I agree 100% with everything else you are saying. By the way, I have BIAB at c:\BB. And I don't see any access violation message. Good luck.
Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
Order before 11:59pm PDT today (May 15, 2026) to save up to 50% off your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrade and receive a FREE Bonus PAK loaded with great new Add-ons to use with this new version!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.
Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.
If you have any questions about which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We're here to help!
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.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
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!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
Note: XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
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.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
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.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday, and 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST Saturday. We are closed Sunday. You can also send us your questions via email.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you on our Live Chat or by email. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday; 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8) Saturday; Closed Sunday.
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean