Why is Native Access such a trash product?

AndreBlais · 2024-12-26T17:35:29+00:00

There was an error rendering this rich post.

Serious question actually… why is it SO broken? Why is that simple updates, simple re-linking to existing content, simple installs are always so BROKEN?

I genuinely want an answer to the question: why is Native Access such garbage software? Why is it that, even after I don't know how many years of being on the market, Native Access is so terrible? So broken? Such trash?

Just look at my older posts, lol… how old are they now? I didn't even check to be honest lol.. In any case, historically, Native Access is garbage and I struggle to understand why it's so broken?

Other companies with a fraction of the resources struggle far less with their installation software - why is that the case?

Find more posts tagged with

Native Access

Native Access 2

Comments

Vocalpoint

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/200268#Comment_200268

Pop up a screen cap of your Prefs—>File Locations dialog. And one of these libraries that are giving you problems.

PK The DJ

OK that's the first time you've posted an actual location (or at least part of it) but what's the entire path to the product or products that are giving you the invalid path message?

If others within that root folder are working, then obviously that implies there's an issue with the particular paths to the ones that are not working.

BIF

For the past year, I have not had any trouble with Native Access. I have gotten the messages, including the one noted by OP for NTKDAEMON.

I just followed the directions in the message to resolve my issue.

NA is not "such a trash product". At one time it was. But that was the first version. It has been very reliable for over a year now.

And in this issue, it has been true for me for both Windows and Mac.

AndreBlais

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/200269#Comment_200269

Regarding a fresh install not necessarily meaning that it is technically ready to handle a DAW centric install - absolutely understood.

System specs are as follows:

OS: Windows 11 Version: 23H2 OS build: 22631.4602 (installed using Windows-provided/purchased USB stick)
- Installed on C: of course, which is a 1TB NVME
Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12-Core
RAM: 64.0 GB running at 3,600mt/s
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 12 GB DDR6
Motherboard: ROG STRIX B550-F GAMING WIFI II (links to support page)
- BIOS: I'm on Version 3607, latest is 3611 but system has been exceptionally stable
- LAN, Wireless, Chipset, Audio, Bluetooth, etc. drivers - all up to date, downloaded from above linked page
STORAGE:
- 1TB NVME - C: drive as stated above - Windows, software installs only
- 4TB HDD - D: and E: drives in RAID 1 - content libraries, games, docs, etc. (games are only software)
- 2TB HDD - F: drive - content libraries only (no software) - Native Instruments content installed here

So all Windows updates, and all necessary drivers installed at outset, prior to installing any third party software.

I run Pro Tools (version 2023.9 or something like that, can't remember exact version I'm on but that's real close) and if you use Pro Tools, you know how temperamental it can be as a piece of software: it runs extremely stable with zero issues whatsoever.
I also use Reason 12 and same goes for Reason - stable.
DaVinci Resolve Studio 19.1 (though it has its issues especially since my graphics card, though new, is long in the tooth lol) - mostly stable unless I push it too hard with 3D stuff
Other software: RX 7 (I'm behind on that one lol), plugins from providers like SSL, Sonible, UA, Arturia, Plugin Alliance etc. - all extremely stable and easy to manage (as they always have been)

I also have a Macbook Pro 2019 (i9, 64gb ram, etc.) and it's more or less the same issues there though not quite as problematic as Windows (thanks assumedly to it being a single SSD I'm working with). I've had to re-install NA on that machine several times before whereas all other software works beautifully.

I can only conclude that there are some fundamental issues with NA 🤷‍♂️

Vocalpoint

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/200285#Comment_200285

Thanks for the hardware summary - nothing wrong at all there.

What could be wrong however - regarding your issues with Locate is that NA does not entertain subfolders. So if you are trying to make it "see" beyond F:\Native Instruments - that is the issue.

You need to click Locate and go right to the root folder of the troublesome library in question. That is the only way NA wil get the hint, read the content and acknowledge your library is legit.

Any attempt to try to shortcut this - will - as you can see - give you an invalid error - which it is.

BIF

Did you address the message regarding NTKDaemon? That issue won't fix itself by waiting for Windows updates or by doing a reboot; you have to perform a task.

Your rig specs look fine to me, including your RTX 2060 GPU. I wouldn't worry about any of that. Even your older maintenance level on Windows (23h2) would not be impacting your use of Native Access.

What antivirus, antimalware, or other security software do you use?

AndreBlais

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/200295#Comment_200295

Thank you for checking my system specs!

This I'm also aware of, however when I hit the three-dot menu of a given product and select the appropriate folder I still get "Path invalid…" error message.

I did discover something interesting though. I had about a half or two thirds of my Expansions folders showing as "Install" (as in uninstalled), so since I felt as though I'd exhausted all other options, and despite finding the abysmal download speeds from NI's servers to be a nuisance, I opted to go ahead and simply hit "Install All" - which, in my experience (especially going back to NA's earlier days), is extremely risky.

I opened up an Explorer tab to watch what happened and lo and behold I discovered the issue: it seems that, after years of the folders following a certain naming convention (that is, their simply being named after the product - e.g. Solar Breeze = Solar Breeze), NI has opted to add the word "Library" to the end of the folders' names. 🤦‍♂️

Mind-numbingly stupid in my opinion. I immediately hit the "x Clear Queue" button (again, potentially dangerous lol) and went ahead and changed the various offending libraries' names appropriately (i.e. adding the word "Library" to the end of the string) only to find that… it did nothing and I'm still having to re-download content! 🤣

P.S.

Looking further into the matter as I write this, I'm finding what might be the underlying cause as to why simply re-naming the folders fails to resolve the issue: a directory named "PAResources" seems to have been added to all of these libraries.

I wish such things would be communicated to users… almost every single time I've dared to try and update NI products I find myself fundamentally breaking something that worked just fine previously. Not sure why I allow myself to click those awfully tempting "Update" buttons, lol.

AndreBlais

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/200297#Comment_200297

I did, I always set new restore points before installing software, so I restored my system to my last restore point, uninstalled Native Access, rebooted and then re-installed - no further issues from there.

Thank you for checking my system specs. I have automatic updates turned off for most of my software since I have a long established practice of only updating Windows, and audio/video NLE's when either key features are added (and needed/wanted) or when stability/security is an issue. I've gone ahead and downloaded version 24H2 (not yet installed - pending system reboot).

I don't use any third party Anti-Virus, Anti-Malware or any security software for that matter as I am of the opinion that they are all pretty much trash/malware to some extent themselves/needlessly or dangerously tinker with the Registry too much so I stay far away.

I'm not in the business of downloading tons of random software either. I have a handful of games installed (and pretty much never play) and then the only third party stuff I have is video/audio editing related software with the exception of Notion. Literally nothing else. 😅🤷‍♂️

P.S. I lied: I also have AnyDesk (for my own remote access when needed), Calibre (open source e-book manager), Discord, Git, HFSExplorer, Logitech G Hub, NVIDIA Control Panel, OBS Studio, Obsidian (note-taking), Oracle VirtualBox (to run Xubuntu), Python, VS Code, Visual Studio Community 2022, and VLC… and that's actually it lol

PoorFellow

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/200264#Comment_200264

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/200268#Comment_200268

lol… this is a fresh build, with a fresh OS with a fresh NVME drive lol… it couldn't be less tainted my friend. Re-read my messages: I said across three builds i.e. new hardware, new drives, new installs and the behaviour is consistently trash.

This is simply inconsistent with you having a so too old Native Access (version 1 ?) that you had problem updating unless that you by "new installs" means installing old versions of software too old rather than actually fresh ones ?

I explicitly stated that there are numerous products installed in the same location (F:\Native Instruments\

If you pair this information with the above , quote : "fresh build, with a fresh OS with a fresh NVME drive" , then if you have carried over the drive with the :\Native Instruments\ from the previous installation then that could actually explain some of the other problems that you are reporting ? Most people do not understand Windows User Access security. If you did not make the stuff on the present Windows installation then you most likely will have to take ownership of the directories for full access. Windows works in a way where that even if you make new user with exactly same name as previous user then , as far as I know, that will be considered as a new user that do not automatically assume ownership of the files from the old installation and if you do not have full ownership then even as an Admin on the PC you might experience access problems.

AndreBlais

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/200312#Comment_200312

As stated, I did not have Native Access version 1 installed - I downloaded and installed Native Access 2 (presumably - whatever was current as of ~4 months ago is what I had installed) back in September or thereabouts from NI's website and installed from there. The content drive had the content copied to it from an external USB drive. I have maintained a very consistent approach to my file management. This folder structure has been in existence for many years now.

RE: Windows user access security - I know exactly what you're talking about and that is 100% not an issue here my friend (though I remember running into that problem 10+ years ago two systems prior). No need to make use of "Take Ownership" here though - I've had no such issues as I have set everything up with full Admin privileges.

My Windows install is (was) 100% fresh on a 100% fresh NVME drive. My other drives serve as "content" drives only with no software installed on them (save for games due to space constraints on my C drive).

Have a look at one of my most recent responses as I do believe I figured out the issue being due to NI's renaming of Library content to literally include the word "Library" in the directory's name (e.g. "Solar Breeze" being renamed to "Solar Breeze Library") and then also having the directory "PAResources" added to each of these libraries' respective directories.

AndreBlais

Also, after 26 of 29 Extensions being successfully installed, my downloads froze on the 27th. I proceeded to hit "x Clear Queue" (cancelling the individual download was, for some reason, not possible nor responsive), I was then served with an error along the lines of "Cannot clear queue" (or something to that effect - I should have screenshotted) and after a few minutes of system hang, NA apparently was able to not crash (amazing), and I am now attempting to install the final three libraries.

Native Access is fundamentally not a great piece of software. I know it, the devs know it, and anybody who's been using it since V1 knows it - this was fundamentally my point here guys.

There were omissions in functionality in earlier versions that were glaring oversights in my opinion, and the update process has consistently been an exercise in frustration.

These are issues I simply don't EVER run into with UA, with Reason, with SSL, with PA (though I have my qualms about their plugin manager as well which, so far as I can tell, seems to lack any clear update functionality), or even with Waves (who I also hate/despise, but nonetheless use lol)…

NA is broken to a degree and to a level that is just unseen in any other software plain and simple.

Do I enjoy using NI software? Yes, of course! But NA is terrible, and no amount of talking around my experience is going to convince me otherwise guys. So forgive me for the snarky negativity, but NI needs to hear it.

That being said, I do appreciate everybody's attempts to help me despite my sh!tty attitude towards NI.

red_nick

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/200268#Comment_200268

Are the file permissions on that folder set correctly?

PoorFellow

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/200320#Comment_200320

I am now attempting to install the final three libraries.

I hope that you succeed with that. Alas then one thing that N.A. is rather poor at is to recover from some types of failed downloads. Which in very short basically require deleting most of N.A. and of the failed download and then re-install N.A. and then try again.

Not so long ago N.I. wrote something somewhere about (finally) building in some better error management but I suspect that it will take rather long time before N.I. have managed to get it all done if ever.

With respect to N.A. 3.x.x then I have had a number of broken downloads with Komplete Kontrol and one other but otherwise then N.A. 3.x.x so far has been rather good and rather stable for me on Windows 10/11 .

AndreBlais

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/200324#Comment_200324

Thanks for the response.

As explained in a previous post, they are indeed:

Quick links

Unanswered questions