too bad you were having problems -- roon is a fantastic piece of software. i'd give it another try -- if you've got a machine running windows, that's the easiest thing to install roon on. if you're comfortable, installing rock is just a bit more complicated but is very solid -- you would need a dedicated machine for that. make sure you read the installation directions and make the bios changes that roon recommends.
i've been a lifetime subscriber for at least 5 years and have had roon running 24x7 every day since then. have installed it on windows, installed rock, and installed on other linux platforms. never have had an issue installing or restoring. i previously used jriver (among other things) -- it's a well engineered piece of software, but clearly very different than roon.
for me, the ease of use, power, and quality of the ui make roon a tremendous bargain, especially if you compare the cost of a lifetime subscription to the cost of a quality piece of equipment like bryston.