MindWave Connection Issues

If you are having trouble connecting to your MindWave headset, please follow the troubleshooting instructions below.  Note that these instructions are specific to the white, RF version of the MindWave.

If you have the black, Bluetooth edition, there are different troubleshooting steps.

1. Make sure you have installed the Wireless USB Adapter driver files.  Please install the MindWave drivers and software on the MindWave Application Disc before inserting the MindWave Wireless USB Adapter into your computer! If you have accidentally inserted the Wireless USB Adapter before installing the drivers, you may need to unplug the Adapter from the computer, and then plug it back into a different USB port when prompted by installation software.
   • Windows Vista / 7 / 8 / 10
     1.  Insert the supplied MindWave Application Disc into your disc drive.  If you have misplaced or cannot find the driver disc the driver files can be downloaded from: http://download.neurosky.com/updates/mindwave/education/1.1.28.0/MindWave.zip
     2. Run the MindWave-Setup.exe installer if prompted or double-click on MindWave-Setup.exe
     3. Follow the installer’s on-screen instructions.
     4.  Insert the MindWave Wireless USB adapter when prompted (If you already plugged it in earlier, unplug and replug it into a different USB port).
     5.  The MindWave Manager will launch. Follow the on-screen instructions.
     6.  Select Automatically scan for MindWaves in range (recommended) and click Continue
2. Check that the power switch is in the “On” position and that there is a fresh AA battery in the device.  Depending on the model, you may have to have the sensor arm in the “down” position to power on the device as well.
3. Verify that the device is using the proper driver file and is reporting in the Device Manager using the proper device name.  Follow the instructions below to verify this.
   1. Insert your MindWave Wireless USB Adapter into your computer
   2. Open Device Manager (click your Windows Start menu, and type devmgmt.msc in the search bar. If you have trouble opening Device Manager, click here)
   3. Expand the “Ports (COM&LPT)” section (see diagram below)
   4. If you see “USB-SERIAL CH340”, then Windows chose to use its own driver instead of the MindWave’s driver. To fix it, do the following:
   5. Right-click on “USB-SERIAL CH340”, and then select “Update driver”
   6. Choose “Browse my computer for driver software”.
   7. Choose “Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer”. (Do not click the next button.)
   8. Choose “Have disk”.
   9. Choose “Browse”. Browse to “C:/Program Files/NeuroSky/” and select the folder named “MindWave Driver”
   10. Click Next, and follow the directions to complete the process.
   11. The device name should now change from “USB-SERIAL CH340” to “MindWave USB Adaptor”, and your disconnection issues should be resolved.