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Please help! Schiit Modi 2 not being recognized anymore by Windows?

amirm

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Just tried heating the DAC with a hairdryer and my PC immediately recognized it. Ridiculous.
So all this time you had a reasonable workaround and you didn't tell us???? :D

Welcome to the forum.....
 

ebfarnum

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So all this time you had a reasonable workaround and you didn't tell us???? :D

Welcome to the forum.....

I actually just stumbled upon this forum yesterday. I got sick of moving my Mac to near my PC everytime the DAC went unrecognized, which by the way happens everytime I restart/shut down my PC, and subsequently found this thread. The hairdryer method is a bit more convenient for me, even though I probably look mentally ill when I'm blowdrying my DAC.
 

graz_lag

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I actually just stumbled upon this forum yesterday. I got sick of moving my Mac to near my PC everytime the DAC went unrecognized, which by the way happens everytime I restart/shut down my PC, and subsequently found this thread. The hairdryer method is a bit more convenient for me, even though I probably look mentally ill when I'm blowdrying my DAC.

Perhaps you can shorten the process by using an ioniser hairdryer ... ;)
 

KaNuckles

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Hi guys, first time poster here. Not sure if this is the correct place to post this on the forum so please tell me if I have posted it in the incorrect area of the forum but to be honest I'm at my wits end of this.

(my OS is Windows 10)

Basically my setup is a Schiit Modi 2 and Magni 2 stack (along with a recently purchased Schiit Wyrd that did not help my problems) and for the last week or so my Modi is not showing up anymore in Windows. I have done as much research as I can and have seen many threads of this problem being reported but not that many solutions have been successful and just wanted to give it one last shot before considering other alternatives.

The Modi is not being recognized in Windows at all and does not appear in Device Manager either unless I enable "show hidden devices". Strangely enough my Blue Yeti microphone was still showing in the playback window but as of yesterday is not showing up either unless "show hidden devices" is enabled as well.

I think the new Windows 10 update may have caused this but even when I tried to uninstall the update, the Modi still would not be recognized. Now instead all I get is the message of "USB device is not recognized" (https://gyazo.com/58407ab51632d4856de2393cc64dad5f).

After a couple of days of the Modi not connecting at all I decided to purchase a Wyrd as I heard good things about it fixing USB problems etc. But it has done nothing even though everything is connected. I still get the same message as shown in the screenshot above. I also tried a powered USB hub but that has done nothing as well.

I have tried to see if it works on my brothers PC which also runs Windows 10, and the exact same message comes up. This leads me to believe its the Modi that is the problem, however the problem message on Windows still makes me wonder if its an issue of Windows being screwy.

I have tried so many other things that I'll probably forget to list: changing cables, USB ports, powered USB Hubs, updating drivers, uninstalling drivers, Updating motherboard etc. and nothing is working.

I'm sorry to link another thread from another forum however this post pretty much sums up very similar symptons and problems that I have and I've also pretty much tried all of the solutions in this thread as well. https://www.head-fi.org/threads/usb-dac-not-detecting-even-through-powered-hub-modi-wyrd.766792/
Some differences in that thread is that my Modi has never been recognized since its gone off.

I have also tried installing the Windows 10 drivers for the Modi in "expert mode" however I am unable to install it because I keep getting the error "Please connect the CMEDIA USB 2.0 Audio Device" (https://gyazo.com/9551a106a87d924ec9b4ec1d4705964d)

Only solution I can think of is either:
1. Ordering a Modi 3 (out of stock as of now on EU store though) to see if that would fix it + it would be an upgrade which I wouldn't mind as I've had the Modi 2 since 2016
2. Ordering a different DAC instead such as Topping D30 or any suggestions you guys have
3. Reinstalling Windows (but as this is a hassle for me I would like to have that as a last resort)

Essentially just wanted some of your advice on this forum before I decided to get a new DAC and call it quits with this "Schiit". Thanks very much for reading, I may have missed important information since I'm writing this off the top of my head so please ask any questions if you guys require any more info!

I know I'm a bit late here but I had identical problems you had. I ended up placing my Modi over my stove top on low heat for about 10 seconds. I then went to plug it in and it was instantly recognized by Windows 10. Therefor this is definitely a solder issue with the Modi and not a software issue. I had my Modi sitting on top of my Schiit LYR amp for years and the heat from it must have messed up the solder.
 

Fackernarmee

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Hi guys, first time poster here. Not sure if this is the correct place to post this on the forum so please tell me if I have posted it in the incorrect area of the forum but to be honest I'm at my wits end of this.

(my OS is Windows 10)

Basically my setup is a Schiit Modi 2 and Magni 2 stack (along with a recently purchased Schiit Wyrd that did not help my problems) and for the last week or so my Modi is not showing up anymore in Windows. I have done as much research as I can and have seen many threads of this problem being reported but not that many solutions have been successful and just wanted to give it one last shot before considering other alternatives.

The Modi is not being recognized in Windows at all and does not appear in Device Manager either unless I enable "show hidden devices". Strangely enough my Blue Yeti microphone was still showing in the playback window but as of yesterday is not showing up either unless "show hidden devices" is enabled as well.

I think the new Windows 10 update may have caused this but even when I tried to uninstall the update, the Modi still would not be recognized. Now instead all I get is the message of "USB device is not recognized" (https://gyazo.com/58407ab51632d4856de2393cc64dad5f).

After a couple of days of the Modi not connecting at all I decided to purchase a Wyrd as I heard good things about it fixing USB problems etc. But it has done nothing even though everything is connected. I still get the same message as shown in the screenshot above. I also tried a powered USB hub but that has done nothing as well.

I have tried to see if it works on my brothers PC which also runs Windows 10, and the exact same message comes up. This leads me to believe its the Modi that is the problem, however the problem message on Windows still makes me wonder if its an issue of Windows being screwy.

I have tried so many other things that I'll probably forget to list: changing cables, USB ports, powered USB Hubs, updating drivers, uninstalling drivers, Updating motherboard etc. and nothing is working.

I'm sorry to link another thread from another forum however this post pretty much sums up very similar symptons and problems that I have and I've also pretty much tried all of the solutions in this thread as well. https://www.head-fi.org/threads/usb-dac-not-detecting-even-through-powered-hub-modi-wyrd.766792/
Some differences in that thread is that my Modi has never been recognized since its gone off.

I have also tried installing the Windows 10 drivers for the Modi in "expert mode" however I am unable to install it because I keep getting the error "Please connect the CMEDIA USB 2.0 Audio Device" (https://gyazo.com/9551a106a87d924ec9b4ec1d4705964d)

Only solution I can think of is either:
1. Ordering a Modi 3 (out of stock as of now on EU store though) to see if that would fix it + it would be an upgrade which I wouldn't mind as I've had the Modi 2 since 2016
2. Ordering a different DAC instead such as Topping D30 or any suggestions you guys have
3. Reinstalling Windows (but as this is a hassle for me I would like to have that as a last resort)

Essentially just wanted some of your advice on this forum before I decided to get a new DAC and call it quits with this "Schiit". Thanks very much for reading, I may have missed important information since I'm writing this off the top of my head so please ask any questions if you guys require any more info!
I'm only new here too and I'm not an audio expert. I don't know your device but my expertise is in fixing Windows. It could be that windows has the wrong driver installed for the Schiit and will not change to the correct one. Windows keeps a record of every device plugged into a USB port and the associated driver. Every time you plug the Schiit in this record insists that you use that driver. It will not detect the Schiit as a new device and then let you install the correct driver. I recommend that you download this free utility from NirSoft:
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/usb_devices_view.html
Make sure you get the correct version for your Windows i.e. 32 or 64 bit
Do not be frightened by all the information on the page. It's not hard to use. Download it, double-click on it (it doesn't need to be installed) and search for the entry for your Schiit device. If it is there, right mouse button click on it and select "Uninstall selected devices". Make sure there are not more instances of the device on different ports. If there are, uninstall them all. Reboot the computer. DO NOT have the Schiit plugged in when you do any of this. Make sure you have the latest drivers. Install them and THEN plug in the Schiit when told to. If the planets are aligned and you are projecting kind thoughts about Bill Gates this may help you.
 

Hypnotoad

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I'm actually getting the exact same issue today as well after a Windows update using the original Modi. Looks like MS screwed something up again...

That's why I ditched Windows and went to Ubuntu.
 

jsrtheta

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It's nice to see a solution was found. It's also good to see all the Windows advice, drivers and so on, various tips, etc.

But am I the only person here who thinks that all misses a more obvious problem?
 

amirm

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I can imagine your computer's USB device record would be rather large and full of stuff from past reviews etc.
I just ran it on my laptop which I used to use for testing and the list is scary! It goes on for miles....
 

Fackernarmee

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It's nice to see a solution was found. It's also good to see all the Windows advice, drivers and so on, various tips, etc.

But am I the only person here who thinks that all misses a more obvious problem?
G'day, jsrtheta. What do you think is the more obvious problem?
 

bedgley

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Signed up for an account to say the hair dryer trick worked for me. Reminiscent of the ol' Xbox 360 towel trick. Hard learned lesson about stacking Modi on TOP of Magni. Unfortunately, this seems like it would be a temporary fix to a bigger problem though. Thanks for the advice.
 

Hypnotoad

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Signed up for an account to say the hair dryer trick worked for me. Reminiscent of the ol' Xbox 360 towel trick. Hard learned lesson about stacking Modi on TOP of Magni. Unfortunately, this seems like it would be a temporary fix to a bigger problem though. Thanks for the advice.

That is worrisome as the Xbox 360 towel trick was only temporary, I hope that Schiit is not using similar solder to what Microsoft used back then.
 

htnotc

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Thanks all for your great insights! I have the first gen Magni and Modi since 2013 and was always wondering why the latter would stop working consistently after a couple of years. As many, I was also convinced that this might be an issue related to some intrusive Windows KB update(s).

Now it totally makes sense that this is a soldering problem because my Modi works perfectly fine but I have to wait for it to warm up first then it gets recognized in my Windows 10 Pro system. Time for some DIY soldering ;)
 

spronkey

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I'm having the same problem with my original Modi. Interestingly, I'm getting maybe 1 in every 100 plug ins working on Windows machines, but 1 in every 2 working on my Macs. It seems like the Macs continuously to try to enumerate the USB devices if they fail, and there are lots of "Failed to enumerate" messages in the system logs.

Heating up the Modi allows it to instantly be recognised be either PC. I'll note that heating it to the degree I am should not cause any reflow of solder, so if there are solder issues present they're likely to be hairline, and heat would potentially fix the problem by simple expansion of the existing solder.

I'm currently in the process of tracing out the Modi circuitry in an attempt to start diagnosing any issues. I can't see any visible solder issues on the board (but that doesn't mean they aren't there).

My current guesses are either a solder issue somewhere, some capacitors have aged or failed, preventing power state changes from occurring in the time frame they need, or possibly the clock is slightly out of spec, and heating it up causes it to drift back into spec slightly.
 

amirm

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Use a heat gun to heat it up and then use a freeze spray to selectively cool different areas until it stops working. Instead of the former, you can also use the tip of a soldering iron on ICs and parts that don't melt as such.
 

marshaul

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Therefor this is definitely a solder issue

I don't think so. I have this issue on my Modi 1, so I decided to investigate. I was too lazy to remove the plastic TH components and reflow the whole board, but I carefully flux-and-touched every pin on the USB chip, the flash memory chip, the USB connector, and all the oscillators. No luck.

I did observe that squeezing the USB chip (CM6631A ) could occasionally allow it to function as well.

At this point my best theory is that the CM6631A chip has an internal fault, which if so is almost certainly across multiple batches (this problem being present across multiple Modi models and years of production). I'm inclined to simply say the CM6631A is garbage and unfit for further use and leave it at that. At any rate, I'm going to be replacing my Modi when I get tired of using the hairdryer, and after seeing the abysmal build quality (I buy better PCBs from China), it isn't going to be another Schiit.
 

Javamalava

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Hi guys, first time poster here. Not sure if this is the correct place to post this on the forum so please tell me if I have posted it in the incorrect area of the forum but to be honest I'm at my wits end of this.

(my OS is Windows 10)

Basically my setup is a Schiit Modi 2 and Magni 2 stack (along with a recently purchased Schiit Wyrd that did not help my problems) and for the last week or so my Modi is not showing up anymore in Windows. I have done as much research as I can and have seen many threads of this problem being reported but not that many solutions have been successful and just wanted to give it one last shot before considering other alternatives.

The Modi is not being recognized in Windows at all and does not appear in Device Manager either unless I enable "show hidden devices". Strangely enough my Blue Yeti microphone was still showing in the playback window but as of yesterday is not showing up either unless "show hidden devices" is enabled as well.

I think the new Windows 10 update may have caused this but even when I tried to uninstall the update, the Modi still would not be recognized. Now instead all I get is the message of "USB device is not recognized" (https://gyazo.com/58407ab51632d4856de2393cc64dad5f).

After a couple of days of the Modi not connecting at all I decided to purchase a Wyrd as I heard good things about it fixing USB problems etc. But it has done nothing even though everything is connected. I still get the same message as shown in the screenshot above. I also tried a powered USB hub but that has done nothing as well.

I have tried to see if it works on my brothers PC which also runs Windows 10, and the exact same message comes up. This leads me to believe its the Modi that is the problem, however the problem message on Windows still makes me wonder if its an issue of Windows being screwy.

I have tried so many other things that I'll probably forget to list: changing cables, USB ports, powered USB Hubs, updating drivers, uninstalling drivers, Updating motherboard etc. and nothing is working.

I'm sorry to link another thread from another forum however this post pretty much sums up very similar symptons and problems that I have and I've also pretty much tried all of the solutions in this thread as well. https://www.head-fi.org/threads/usb-dac-not-detecting-even-through-powered-hub-modi-wyrd.766792/
Some differences in that thread is that my Modi has never been recognized since its gone off.

I have also tried installing the Windows 10 drivers for the Modi in "expert mode" however I am unable to install it because I keep getting the error "Please connect the CMEDIA USB 2.0 Audio Device" (https://gyazo.com/9551a106a87d924ec9b4ec1d4705964d)

Only solution I can think of is either:
1. Ordering a Modi 3 (out of stock as of now on EU store though) to see if that would fix it + it would be an upgrade which I wouldn't mind as I've had the Modi 2 since 2016
2. Ordering a different DAC instead such as Topping D30 or any suggestions you guys have
3. Reinstalling Windows (but as this is a hassle for me I would like to have that as a last resort)

Essentially just wanted some of your advice on this forum before I decided to get a new DAC and call it quits with this "Schiit". Thanks very much for reading, I may have missed important information since I'm writing this off the top of my head so please ask any questions if you guys require any more info!
I didn't read the entire post, but have you tried a different USB cable? Contacting their support seems like a first step to me.
 

bionicman

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The one and only solution i found after long researches on the internet is this, reported by ONLY ONE user on another forum:

heat the Modi 2 with a heater such as a hairdryer, it must be HOT.
Then plug it in your PC and voit-la.

I solved my issue after having my Modi 2 closed in the drawer for 6 months


I couldn't help but laugh when I first read your post, but I figured I didn't have anything to lose by trying. Sure enough, 20 seconds under a hair dryer, and my POS paperweight Modi came right back to life . . . freakin unbelievable. I'm still replacing my Modi with the much better built JDS Labs O2 DAC, but now I have tunes in the meantime! Thank you, Vavvo996!
 
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