Is it possible to rename a MIDI port in Windows 10

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Is there any way to rename a MIDI port / device in Windows 10?

When you connect a USB MIDI device to a PC running Windows 10 it gets a name. If you then connect the same device to a different USB port it gets a new, different name.

I have colleagues, working in a different part of the world, who are using a script that expects to find a MIDI device with a specific name. The script does not work if they attach the device to a different USB port. We cannot easily change either the script or the people's behaviour, and would therefore like some mechanism to rename the MIDI port. In Windows 7, they used to uninstall and re-install the driver, but that does not work in Windows 10, it remembers.

Where does Windows 10 store the MIDI port names for USB devices?

Evil Dog Pie

Posted 2019-11-06T10:40:46.603

Reputation: 101

If it's a script, why it is so hard to modify it? Are you sure you are not having XY problem here?

– Mołot – 2019-11-06T11:21:04.890

@Mołot The script is difficult to modify for non-technical reasons: it's not mine, I have no authority over it or its users. I'm only involved because I developed the embedded USB software of the MIDI device being attached, so they thought I might know more about what Windows 10 does with it. The latter is clearly not the case. – Evil Dog Pie – 2019-11-06T13:35:03.977

2Oh. Sorry to hear that. So it is an XY problem - person who ordered script failed to make sure it'll work, boss of the users failed to make them use it in a way they have to, and now they're pushing it on you :( I hope you won't end up blamed for everything... – Mołot – 2019-11-06T13:40:19.483

@Mołot It's definitely an XY problem. I have a work-around that involves an off-the-shelf virtual MIDI driver that can be configured to use whichever real driver results from where they plugged the device. However, I am interested to find out whether MIDI ports can be renamed, just out of interest, since the question came up. – Evil Dog Pie – 2019-11-06T13:46:21.833

Answers

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Windows renaming devices is something that happens at least since Windows XP, so I have little professional respect for script author who failed to notice that. This should be solved in the script from the very beginning, one way or another. And this still is the best solution. Hope that script is under some kind of warranty.

That said, you have to deal with this, now. There is a nice article How to solve the infamous Windows 10 MIDI device renaming issue. Advice in it seems to work. In essence, it says to:

  1. Disconnect device
  2. Use USBDeview to uninstall all instances
  3. Restart
  4. Connect device

Device should always get the same name when connected for the first time, no matter which port was used. In my limited testing - it does. There are three major drawbacks to this method:

  • It requires unplugging and plugging again, the very action that creates issue
  • It requires restart, so it would be irritating for the users
  • Microsoft does not guarantee that first connection will always get the same name - so this method may stop working with next Windows update if MS decides so, no warning.

Thus, getting the script fixed may be an easier way to go, even if it does not looks like this now.

Mołot

Posted 2019-11-06T10:40:46.603

Reputation: 203

Asked: 2019-11-06T10:40:46.603

Viewed: 213 times

Active: 2019-11-06T13:52:38.023