Driver Not Compatible or Associated With Device Error in NI MAX and Windows Device Manager

Issue Details

When I try to find my device, module, or board in NI Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) or Windows Device Manager (after an update of NI drivers), I see the following behaviours: 

• In NI MAX, the following message appears:

Windows does not have a driver associated with your device.

 

• In Windows Device Manager, my device appears under Other Devices with a yellow warning sign.
• In Windows Device Manager, the device status of my device reads:

The drivers for this device are not installed (Code 28).

There are no compatible drivers with this device. 

To find a driver compatible with this device, click Update Driver.

 

• In NI MAX, the device appears with a little red circle next to it.

• In Windows Device Manager, the device status of my device indicates:

            The device is disabled. (Code 22)
       Click Enable Device to enable this device.

Solution

These errors occur because Windows Device Manager cannot locate the driver files to associate with the device in question.
To resolve the issue, refer to the following steps:

1.  Make sure the compatible device driver(s) for the device have been installed.

• Check the Readme files of the device driver to identify the version that is required for the hardware being used.
• Additionally, confirm that both the device and the computer operating system are supported by the driver version. Use NI MAX to identify the version of driver currently installed.
• If the driver version installed is not compatible, download the compatible driver version from NI Driver Downloads.

2.  Ensure that the utilized port is not blocked by the computer.

• Contact an IT agent that can verify if the port is not blocked.  

3.  If a compatible driver version has been already installed, try reinstalling the driver.
4. If the driver has been reinstalled, re-associate the driver to the device. For that:

• In Windows Device Manager, right-click on the device, and select Update Driver Software.

• Select Browse my computer for driver software.

• Select Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer.

• Highlight the device whose driver has to be updated and click Next.
  • If the device is not listed under device models, then the driver software was not properly installed.
• If the device driver cannot be found or it is necessary to modify the driver version, uninstall then install the driver again and try these steps again. 

5. If re-associating the driver does not resolve the issue, upgrade the driver version to the most recent one that is compatible with the device. 
6. Check if any Windows updates have been recently installed.

• If so, try to revert the PC back to the pre-updated version.

7. In case a PXI(e) or PCI(e) card is being used, follow the proper reboot process so the BIOS and OS re- recognize the PCI bus’s components:

• Power off the computer/controller.
• Remove the cards from the chassis/motherboard. 
• Power on the computer/controller without the card.
• Power off the computer/controller once the operating system loads.
• Insert the card (try using a different slot than the original one, if available).
• Power on the computer/controller with the card.

8. For PCI(e) cards, if all the above steps fail: 

• Install the necessary drivers on a different computer. 
• Install the PCI(e) cards and attempt to identify them in NI MAX or Windows Device Manager.
• If the cards are being detected in a different computer, try to fully uninstall and reinstall NI software on the primary computer to allow the card's detection there.