Helix LT No Longer Recognized as Audio Device - Win7

[IHHguitar]

This didn’t seem to fit in with the Bug Reports thread, but if it belongs there I’ll post again instead and this can be closed. 
 

So, after the 3.5 update my PC won’t let me use the Helix as an audio device per the title. HX Edit, and the Updater “see” the hardware fine, so there’s no issue there. This just seems to pertain to the audio drivers. I have already tried uninstalling, restarting, reinstalling the drivers, etc. but no luck this far. When attempting to reinstall the drivers it fails and says it is unable to install  
 

Windows 7, 64 bit. I had no issues at all prior to the update, so I’m left thinking there must be something going on under the hood that I’m not aware of. 
 

Any help would be greatly appreciated! 

[mritt]

I had a problem with win7 too. I could hear the sounds from the Helix but not my PC coming through the headphones.

-I went to control panel

-device manager

-sound, video and game controllers

-the line6 helix driver had a warning next to it, so I RIGHT Clicked on it and selected PROPERTIES

-I then chose ROLL BACK device drivers

-it reverted back to the 3.15 driver and everything works fine

 

I hope this helps.

 

 

[Hey_Joe]

When I finally updated my HelixLT to 3.5 I had this same problem (Win7, 64 bit, SP1).

The driver properties are shown as v.1.97.0.2.

Cannot play audio from computer through Helix.

Cannot connect to Workbench HD, or my DAW programs (Reaper, Audacity, RiffWorks).

Also tried re-installing the full v3.5 update.

I also had no issues at all prior to the update.

I tried following the instructions offered by mritt  -

control panel>device manager>sound, video and game controllers>right clicked, selected PROPERTIES >chose to ROLL BACK device drivers.

Rollback button is grayed out, cannot select.

 

IHHguitar and mritt...or any of the Helix gurus that hang out here...do you have any ideas. 

 

Have tried calling Line6 Support but haven't been able to get through yet.

 

Any help will be much appreciated - thanks in advance (I hope).

 

 

[mritt]

On 12/18/2022 at 12:36 PM, Hey_Joe said:

When I finally updated my HelixLT to 3.5 I had this same problem (Win7, 64 bit, SP1).

The driver properties are shown as v.1.97.0.2.

Cannot play audio from computer through Helix.

Cannot connect to Workbench HD, or my DAW programs (Reaper, Audacity, RiffWorks).

Also tried re-installing the full v3.5 update.

I also had no issues at all prior to the update.

I tried following the instructions offered by mritt  -

control panel>device manager>sound, video and game controllers>right clicked, selected PROPERTIES >chose to ROLL BACK device drivers.

Rollback button is grayed out, cannot select.

 

IHHguitar and mritt...or any of the Helix gurus that hang out here...do you have any ideas. 

 

Have tried calling Line6 Support but haven't been able to get through yet.

 

Any help will be much appreciated - thanks in advance (I hope).

 

 

 

If I was having this problem, here is what I would do:

-I would uninstall the helix software on your PC

-reboot

-install an older version of the HXEdit software 3.11 maybe

-the new features of  3.5 on your Helix won't work, don't  worry we wont be using them.

-reboot

-it might be helpful to track down the helix drivers installed and copy and paste them into a backup folder

-install the latest version of HXEdit manually or use the update thing in the right hand corner of the program

-reboot

-give it a test

-if you have no desktop audio, do the rollback thing. Windows should have archived the previous driver. If it did not, then browse for the drivers I said to copy/paste into a backup folder.

 

I hope this helps.

 

 

 

 

 

[Hey_Joe]

I did a search for 3.5 driver problems and ran across this thread in the Helix forum.

Any Cakewalk DAW users getting hangings after Helix v3.5 update....Solved

lots of talk of removing the 1.97 drivers and having the 1.96 work with 3.5, installing 1.96 again and 1.97.0.2. being a new version Line6 released that worked for at least one forum member. Uninstalling 1.97  from  Windows>Apps and Features not just from the device manager. Hardly any reference as to which version of Windows being used by the respondents. Not sure if that advice would work seeing  as though most of that thread is related to Cakewalk issues. Not quite sure what to do besides give up hope for using 3.5 and reinstalling 3.1 until the driver problem is considered FIXED by Line6. I'll guess I'll live without the new cabs, amps/effects and other functions.

[mritt]

"Not quite sure what to do besides give up hope for using 3.5 and reinstalling 3.1 until the driver problem is considered FIXED by Line6"

 

 

I am sorry if I was unclear in my attempt to help you. You can still use version 3.5 with the drivers from 3.1. I've been using my Helix daily since the update without any problems. I think the driver is more of a hardware handshake/identifier than anything to do with using or creating presets.

 

 I hope I cleared up any confusion.

 

[HonestOpinion]

On 12/18/2022 at 12:36 PM, Hey_Joe said:

When I finally updated my HelixLT to 3.5 I had this same problem (Win7, 64 bit, SP1).

The driver properties are shown as v.1.97.0.2.

Cannot play audio from computer through Helix.

Cannot connect to Workbench HD, or my DAW programs (Reaper, Audacity, RiffWorks).

Also tried re-installing the full v3.5 update.

I also had no issues at all prior to the update.

I tried following the instructions offered by mritt  -

control panel>device manager>sound, video and game controllers>right clicked, selected PROPERTIES >chose to ROLL BACK device drivers.

Rollback button is grayed out, cannot select.

 

IHHguitar and mritt...or any of the Helix gurus that hang out here...do you have any ideas. 

 

Have tried calling Line6 Support but haven't been able to get through yet.

 

Any help will be much appreciated - thanks in advance (I hope).

 

 

 

On 12/18/2022 at 2:50 PM, mritt said:

 

If I was having this problem, here is what I would do:

-I would uninstall the helix software on your PC

-reboot

-install an older version of the HXEdit software 3.11 maybe

-the new features of  3.5 on your Helix won't work, don't  worry we wont be using them.

-reboot

-it might be helpful to track down the helix drivers installed and copy and paste them into a backup folder

-install the latest version of HXEdit manually or use the update thing in the right hand corner of the program

-reboot

-give it a test

-if you have no desktop audio, do the rollback thing. Windows should have archived the previous driver. If it did not, then browse for the drivers I said to copy/paste into a backup folder.

 

I hope this helps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I could be wrong, but I don't think all the above is necessary. Instead, the following may apply as long as you can use the Windows installer to just uninstall the Line 6 driver:

 

1. Make sure you have backups. Just in case!
2. You want the latest version of the editor if you are on firmware 3.50. That is HX Edit 3.51, NOT 3.50. The latest bug fixed version of HX Edit is 3.51, there is no corresponding 3.51 firmware yet. The firmware is still 3.50 so you will not have to do a restore after upgrading from HX Edit 3.50 to HX Edit 3.51, assuming you have already installed the 3.50 firmware. So, first things first, if you haven't tried to roll back yet (@Hey_Joe indicated he already had HX Edit 3.51 installed), you are good. Otherwise, go ahead and download/install HX Edit 3.51.
3. Go to Windows uninstaller under 'Programs' in the Control Panel and uninstall the Line 6 driver. On Windows 11 it is reporting as a separate item so it can be uninstalled individually. Hopefully it does the same on Windows 7 so you can remove just the driver without removing the rest of the HX software. If not, you will just have to adjust these instructions accordingly. If you have to reinstall HX Edit 3.51, there may be an option to uncheck the driver install. There are other methods for uninstalling drivers in Windows 7 as well.
4. Generally speaking, you do NOT need to reinstall/downgrade HX Edit to get older drivers. Go to the Line 6 downloads page, in your case, 'Choose Hardware' = "Helix LT", 'Choose Software' = "Drivers", 'Choose OS' = "Windows 7". The latest as well as older version drivers are there. This will also show the last supported driver for Windows 7 as 1.96. Download it and install.
5. Hopefully your other apps will work now.

 

 

 

[Hey_Joe]

thanks for the replies mritt and HonestOpinion.

 

I had DLed the 1.96 drivers from Line6 before your posts, was just waiting for a consensus. I had HXEdit 3.51 installed. Uninstalled 1.97.02. Installed 1.96 divers. Windows didn't install them without a failure. Manually installed the drivers.

All works as it once did and should now.

 

Thanks a bunch guys.

Hopefully anybody else on Win7 having this problem will reference this post.

 

Happy Holidays!