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This troubleshooting guide should help you to resolve issues related to your NI audio interface on a Windows computer.

1. Updates
It is essential to install the latest driver updates for your NI audio interface. Updates are released regularly to fix known problems and to constantly improve the product.

The version number of your currently installed driver can be identified as follows:

1. Navigate to the driver's program folder: C: > Program Files > Native Instruments > *Device Name* Driver
2. Start the control panel application located in this folder, for example "a4djcpl.exe" for the Audio 4 DJ.
3. Click the About button to see the driver version number.

Find the latest drivers in SERVICE CENTER or the Drivers & other files section of the website. If the driver on your system does not match the most recent version, download and install the new one. Unplug your audio interface before running the installer, then reboot and finally connect the device.


2. Minimum System Requirements

Make sure that your system fulfills the minimum requirements for our hardware devices, since otherwise the NI audio interface might not be able to run at all. Refer to the documentation that comes with your product or check the respective product pages for the currently relevant system requirements.

Note that updated drivers might increase the minimum requirements. In case a current driver version is not compatible with your system anymore and product ever claimed to support this system, you will usually find older drivers in the Drivers & other files section of the website.

3. USB Connections
If you still have trouble getting your audio interface to work, check the following aspects of the USB connection.


3.1 USB 2.0 Port
A USB 2.0 port is required. If your audio interface is not properly recognized on your system, it may be due to the fact that your computer does not have USB 2.0 ports available. To determine if your computer is equipped with USB 2.0 ports, do the following:

1. Enter "devmgmt.msc" in the Windows Start menu search field to open the Device Manager.
2. Look down to the section labeled USB to see a list of all USB ports on your machine.

If your computer has one or more USB 2.0 ports, you will see USB2 Enhanced Host Controller listed here. If you can not find one or more of these, your computer does not have any USB 2.0 ports.
Even if your computer is equipped with USB 2.0, some ports might still be USB 1.0. Make sure you are using one of the USB 2.0 ones.

Additionally, trying all available USB 2.0 ports is an important troubleshooting step: The ports on your computer may provide different amounts of power and there can be differences in the internal connection. Some ports are placed on the mainboard, while others are connected to the mainboard via a cable. This internal connection might be a problem source as incorrect wiring or power loss can occur. The same is true if a USB hub is internally shared with other connected periphery like inbuilt video cameras, for example.

Note: The currently available USB 3.0 chipsets are not supported. Some systems with USB 3.0 only offer USB 2.0 with a eSATA/USB2 combo port. Use this port if no other USB 2.0 ports are available on the system.

3.2 Minimum power supply
Although the minimum power specified for a USB 2.0 port is 500 mA, we have seen a few cases where the USB 2.0 ports on a particular computer do not fulfill the minimum requirements and therefore don`t match the official USB 2.0 specification. In this case you may see a message saying that there is not enough power available to operate your device. In this case the audio interface might produce crackles or might not even work at all.

3.3 Disable USB energy saving mode
It is recommended to disable the power management for the USB hubs to assure that the audio interface receive enough power to work properly. Windows turns this on by default.

1. Enter "devmgmt.msc" in the Windows Start menu search field  to open the Device Manager.
2. Right-click a USB hub and choose Properties.
3. Uncheck all boxes on the Power Management tab.
4. Repeat this for each hub in your computer and reboot Windows.

    

3.4 Using a powered USB 2.0 hub
It is best to connect the NI audio interface directly to a USB 2.0 port of your computer. However, in certain situations a powered USB hub can also be a solution if you are having problems connecting your device to an onboard USB port, especially if your USB 2 port does not meet the official USB 2.0 requirements like described above. Using a powered 4-port USB 2.0 hub is recommended.

3.5 Try another USB cable
A bad USB cable can lead to audio dropouts and connectivity problems. If you are experiencing difficulties, try using another cable. Make sure to use a cable bearing the official USB logo. The USB cable should not exceed the length of five meters. The maximum recommended length is three meters.

Note: Find more help in the Articles linked under Related Articles below, including optimizing your Windows system and getting rid of humming or buzzing in your sound system.