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Fixing USB MIDI after the introduction of Windows 11 MIDI ServicesUpdated 3 hours ago

If you are using Windows 11 with the latest updates since February 2026, the new MIDI Services feature has likely been installed and enabled on your computer.

In essence, this means that the KORG USB MIDI driver is no longer required or recommended by Microsoft.

These are their official instructions on how to get your system up and running again (from their Discord channel):

To completely uninstall proprietary drivers (each step is important):

  1. Make sure no device using the driver is connected. Physically unplug or power down the device/synth/keyboard. If you don't do this, the driver will not completely uninstall.
  2. Uninstall it from Settings -> Apps -> Installed Apps
  3. In Device Manager (right-click the Windows logo on your taskbar to open Device Manager), go up to the View menu and select "Show hidden devices"
  4. Then go down to the "Sound, video and game controllers" section
  5. Find the device (it should be greyed out. If it isn't, then it is still connected and you need to disconnect it.)
  6. Right-click the device and choose "Uninstall".
  7. If prompted to completely delete the driver, select "Yes"
  8. Repeat for all devices that used that driver.
  9. Reboot. You can verify that the in-box driver has been applied by right-clicking the device in Device Manager, choosing "Properties" and seeing that the manufacturer is "(Generic USB Audio)" and not KORG.

In the end, if the registry got messed up, you'll need to fix that: https://microsoft.github.io/MIDI/kb/required-registry-entries

The midiregix tool is available in the latest SDK Runtime and Tools. Scroll down to find the latest version: https://github.com/microsoft/MIDI/releases

These steps should get your system correctly configured with the new Windows MIDI Services using the latest built-in drivers.

For more detailed information on the new MIDI Services feature, please visit: https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2026/02/17/making-music-with-midi-just-got-a-real-boost-in-windows-11/

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