Native Access for Windows - I've tried everything!

wwinfrey

So, I've not been able to use Native Access for Windows for months now, and I have done everything support recommends, as well as the things I've read here in the forums. My next step is to backup my data, wipe my hard drive and reinstall Windows.

So far, I've tried the following, multiple times (at least 3x), without success:

1. Uninstall Native Access v3.11.1 & NTKDaemon v1.18.0.0
2. Remove C:\Program Files\Native Instruments\Native Access
3. Remove C:\Program Files\Native Instruments\NTKDaemon
4. Remove C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\nativeaccess2-updater
5. Remove C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\Native Instruments\Native Access
6. Disable Windows Defender Firewall
7. Reboot
8. Run Native-Access_2.exe v3.11.1
9. Reboot again (probably unnecessary, but still…)
10. Ensure no VPN or Firewall software is running
11. Changed NI password

I have managed to authenticate exactly once after months of trying, and at that point I was unable to download any updates. Of course, I was unable to login again after quitting.

I do have a WiFi interface and a 2.5GbE interface, with internet access provided through the WiFi interface and LAN access provided through the 2.5GbE. The metrics are set on the NIC adapters to give the WiFi adapter a greater priority, and I use specific IPs when I want to access LAN resources.

I've not yet done any network packet analysis via WireShark, but it sure seems like Native Access is unhappy with my network configuration. Does anyone have any insight as to how Native Access accesses and uses the network? I know they say to avoid using VPNs but I'm guessing this is because of VPN blacklisting at their cloud provider layer.

I can definitely login to Native Access, and do not have any issues with the software when running it under MacOS, and while MacOS and Windows clearly have different network stacks, my Mac Studio is configured, network-wise, similarly to my Windows machine (WiFi interface for internet, 10GbE interface for LAN) and I have no issues there.

I'll point out that I have zero issues with every other application installed on my Windows machine, network-wise. I'm loathe to disable my LAN connection to make this work as I have iSCSI and SAN mounts that are part of my workflow, but this is one of the few things I've not yet tried.

I've been a Native Instruments customer since 2001, have spent thousands on NI software and hardware over the last 23 years, have a long list of orphaned products (Kore, Audio 8, Absynth, Vokator, Pro-53, Kreate, etc.) that I've taken in stride, and while I've had numerous frustrating issues over the years with both hardware AND software that wasn't abandoned, this new scenario where I am seemingly unable to contact a human under any circumstances so I can use and update the substantial investment I've made in NI products has me on the cusp of uninstalling all my NI products on both machines and moving on.

I have a fairly high tolerance for this sort of thing but I am feeling borderline betrayed.

wwinfrey

I see no reference at all here to any error messages or real problem description as little as you provide any screenshots of any errors.

If you think being pedantic would help, sure, here goes…

When I wrote "I was able to authenticate exactly once," what I mean is when I try to login, I can't. Here is the "error message" I receive:

So does that mean that your problem is not with installation but with use ?

Well, again -apologies for being pedantic- but when I outlined the steps I took to uninstall and reinstall Native Access, I thought it was implicit that I had successfully installed the Native Access v3.11.1 program, and was executing the program to the point where it was telling me the above. I do devsecops for a living, so my apologies that I assumed people would understand that when I wrote "I was able to authenticate exactly once" what I meant was: I am in general, except for the one time, unable to login.

As for "use", I'd have to successfully authenticate, er, that is to say, not encounter the unable to log in error message, in order to actually do something useful with the program. When I did successfully login the one time, it would not download the installer files, but seeing as I have only experienced that scenario once I am unfortunately unable to provide a screenshot.

and that you have some advanced problem due to your network configuration ?

As it was unclear to me whether or not NA is "picky" about network configurations, I thought it prudent to provide any details I could about how my environment might deter from a "normal" network configuration (as it winds up, after removing my iSCSI and SAN mounts and uninstalling my 2.5GbE card, I am still encountering the same "Unable to log in" error, so I have to assume that these things are probably not the cause).

 then you simply need to take that up with N.I. Native Access and Installation Support

By "take up" do you mean, read the links in that part of the NI web site? Again, my apologies for my lack of specificity but when I wrote "I have done everything support recommends", what I hoped to communicate was that I had followed the link in the error message I received in the screenshot above, and followed all their recommendations.

But if you mean by "take up" in the more traditional sense, i.e., contact NI support, then I am quite ready to talk to a human being, if I could only figure how to do so.

When people have as extreme problems as you have with N.A. on a modern OS then most often there are either some advanced user access problem or some problem with Windows settings or the user have been too 'creative' in managing the installation

I provided extra details about my environment and the steps that I went through for two reasons:

1. To make it clear that I did not deviate from the standard, default installation and uninstallation steps, so there were no creative steps taken with the install or uninstall of Native Access. For what it's worth, I also have not encountered any errors except for the one screenshot I posted.

2. To detail anything that might be slightly out of the ordinary. I would not think that network mounts and a secondary 2.5GbE interface would be considered exotic, but did not want to assume anything when detailing my environment.

Indeed, my intention was not to communicate that there is anything "creative" about my environment or installation, but to communicate that it is normal: no VPNs, no firewalls, no AV, no running things in non-default directories. Also, I reduced the network complexity by removing the NICs and iSCSI/SAN mounts and it made no difference in outcome. I still am unable to login.

Also, for years I never really had any issues with Native Access until a few months ago when it just stopped working.

Other than that then the only general things to suggest is to check help pages such as

Thank you for these links. I went through and none of them seemed to apply. My system files are complete and non-corrupt, an Native Access is not indicating any issues with the filesystem or permissions but rather, I simply am unable to login.

PoorFellow

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/31210/native-access-for-windows-ive-tried-everything

I have a fairly high tolerance for this sort of thing but I am feeling borderline betrayed.

Your frustration is both understandable and acknowledged , nobody is happy with Native Access problems.

However despite how much you wrote above then you didn't include any real information about what exactly is the problem that you have and how it shows.

Yes , I see that you wrote : "I have managed to authenticate exactly once" and that you also wrote : "but it sure seems like Native Access is unhappy with my network configuration." .

So does that mean that your problem is not with installation but with use ? , and that you have some advanced problem due to your network configuration ? I see no reference at all here to any error messages or real problem description as little as you provide any screenshots of any errors.

We the forum and 'we' the moderators have zero access to any trouble-shooting tech knowledge not available in public and nobody but the Native Access team have all the tech knowledge so if you are having advanced problems due to advanced network configurations then you simply need to take that up with N.I. Native Access and Installation Support .

When people have as extreme problems as you have with N.A. on a modern OS then most often there are either some advanced user access problem or some problem with Windows settings or the user have been too 'creative' in managing the installation e.g. like people having blocked or deleted their C:\Users\Public\Documents\ folder or as sounds as could possibly be issue here 'creative' with network settings. Native Access and other N.I. apps doesn't play well with e.g. 'cloud drives' either.

Other than that then the only general things to suggest is to check help pages such as :

Use the System File Checker tool to repair missing or corrupted system files

Allow an app to access controlled folders

block third-party app installations in Windows 11/10 (for how to unblock)

wwinfrey

I see no reference at all here to any error messages or real problem description as little as you provide any screenshots of any errors.

If you think being pedantic would help, sure, here goes…

When I wrote "I was able to authenticate exactly once," what I mean is when I try to login, I can't. Here is the "error message" I receive:

So does that mean that your problem is not with installation but with use ?

Well, again -apologies for being pedantic- but when I outlined the steps I took to uninstall and reinstall Native Access, I thought it was implicit that I had successfully installed the Native Access v3.11.1 program, and was executing the program to the point where it was telling me the above. I do devsecops for a living, so my apologies that I assumed people would understand that when I wrote "I was able to authenticate exactly once" what I meant was: I am in general, except for the one time, unable to login.

As for "use", I'd have to successfully authenticate, er, that is to say, not encounter the unable to log in error message, in order to actually do something useful with the program. When I did successfully login the one time, it would not download the installer files, but seeing as I have only experienced that scenario once I am unfortunately unable to provide a screenshot.

and that you have some advanced problem due to your network configuration ?

As it was unclear to me whether or not NA is "picky" about network configurations, I thought it prudent to provide any details I could about how my environment might deter from a "normal" network configuration (as it winds up, after removing my iSCSI and SAN mounts and uninstalling my 2.5GbE card, I am still encountering the same "Unable to log in" error, so I have to assume that these things are probably not the cause).

 then you simply need to take that up with N.I. Native Access and Installation Support

By "take up" do you mean, read the links in that part of the NI web site? Again, my apologies for my lack of specificity but when I wrote "I have done everything support recommends", what I hoped to communicate was that I had followed the link in the error message I received in the screenshot above, and followed all their recommendations.

But if you mean by "take up" in the more traditional sense, i.e., contact NI support, then I am quite ready to talk to a human being, if I could only figure how to do so.

When people have as extreme problems as you have with N.A. on a modern OS then most often there are either some advanced user access problem or some problem with Windows settings or the user have been too 'creative' in managing the installation

I provided extra details about my environment and the steps that I went through for two reasons:

1. To make it clear that I did not deviate from the standard, default installation and uninstallation steps, so there were no creative steps taken with the install or uninstall of Native Access. For what it's worth, I also have not encountered any errors except for the one screenshot I posted.

2. To detail anything that might be slightly out of the ordinary. I would not think that network mounts and a secondary 2.5GbE interface would be considered exotic, but did not want to assume anything when detailing my environment.

Indeed, my intention was not to communicate that there is anything "creative" about my environment or installation, but to communicate that it is normal: no VPNs, no firewalls, no AV, no running things in non-default directories. Also, I reduced the network complexity by removing the NICs and iSCSI/SAN mounts and it made no difference in outcome. I still am unable to login.

Also, for years I never really had any issues with Native Access until a few months ago when it just stopped working.

Other than that then the only general things to suggest is to check help pages such as

Thank you for these links. I went through and none of them seemed to apply. My system files are complete and non-corrupt, an Native Access is not indicating any issues with the filesystem or permissions but rather, I simply am unable to login.

rdalcroft

If this happens again, it means NKdaemon has hung up, stopped responding correctly. This usually happens when you close native access, and it has not enough time to close NKdaemon, before you reopening Native access.

Just either, sign out of windows or restart windows, and Native access should start correctly, along with your login information. Let it finish doing the circle spin, before trying to click on any updates, you want to download.

PoorFellow

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/155756#Comment_155756

If you think being pedantic would help, sure, here goes…

"I was able to authenticate exactly once,"

I will try to keep being in good spirit here but please understand that such type of comments is not making good conversation with someone trying to help.

Besides I am very sorry if you find me 'pedantic' but if you 'do DevSecOps for a living' (development, security, and operations) then you must be an IT professional and as such also be used to be in communication with others with respect to technical subjects. As such then you also know the importance of being exact when it comes to error messages. Both will I need to know the exact error message to try to understand exactly what is the situation but also in trying to look up solutions then the exact info is also needed. We are both at communication interfaces we get our information here.

But if you mean by "take up" in the more traditional sense, i.e., contact NI support

Yes , please excuse the phrase used. I had just been 'chastised' by someone N.I. for trying to assist user turning off N.A. self-auto-update and , eh… , well… , then let N.I. fix it , so yes , sorry , I meant contact N.I. support.

As for the being creative references then that is what people often are. Sometimes people do things that they think couldn't have any possible influence on this or that and other times they tinker their systems out annoyance or principals. This also is one of the reasons why I personally have suggested that the N.A. team ought to make Native Access capable of probing it's environment in case of problems , but of course a suggestion to no avail. So please , there is personal insult meant to you with respect to the 'being creative'. I am a simple person not an 'IT professional' like you. (it is all out of my hands and all the professionals knows better than I 🤔)

You are obviously an expert in your own field and so maybe you can work it all out with N.I. Native Access and Installation Support

be sure to scroll down to page bottom to see if there is a log-in request , if there is then log-in , at next page again scroll down and to the far down right a small blue chat box ought occur within 15 seconds (says : Need any help?). Then write in chat box and when getting suggestions then select did not help when it didn't , that ought to bring you on to either chat with human or open a ticket. (You need to use a browser with Cookie , Security and Extensions settings that will allow for log-in on the page for the page to work)

There has been introduced chat support for Native Access assistance (at least daytime on normal work days) :

Please refer to the page : How to get in touch with our Customer Care

BIF

" I do devsecops for a living…"

That might actually be a strike against you. Not that you "do" DevSecOps; probably 50% of us here have either "done" it or managed teams who "done" it. It's not a magic potion, lol. But to advertise it in an attempt to exert yourself over somebody who is just trying really really hard to help you? Not cool.

Be cool. Please reconsider your thinking.

=========================

Now that THAT is out of the way, I'm going to give you a suggestion that everybody I know has had to do at one time or another.

Check the credentials you're pushing through Native Access.

Yes, check EVERYTHING. Make sure your login AND PASSWORD are spelled correctly. Make sure that you're using the correct case, upper/lower. Make sure you're using numbers or characters where you need to and you're not putting them where they shouldn't be.

Oh yeah, and make sure that you're not using the wrong password. I'm guilty of that one, yes here. Yes, in Native Access.

As a longtime NI product customer and a longtime user of the forums, you will remember that in the past, we used to have TWO SETS OF CREDENTIALS for Native Instruments: One for the Forum and a different one for the Store (and the old download portal). I don't remember right now if both are still in use, but if you're getting a login error, that's probably the reason. Don't use your forum login for your Native Access app.

I think once this is figured out, you'll learn that it's probably not because Native Access is just denying you because it doesn't like you. Check your credentials, and check them twice, just like if you were Santa Claus checking his list of kids who are naughty and nice.

Good luck, and please let us know if you figure it out! 😊