“Unable to start the ROLI Hardware Driver” – How to Fix It

Please restart your computer before continuing.
A simple restart may resolve this issue, so it's important to do this first.

This guide will help if you're seeing the error "Unable to start the ROLI Hardware Driver" in ROLI Connect or ROLI Dashboard.

Problem Overview

You have experienced one or both of the following:

  • ROLI Connect displays a red error banner and fails to install apps

  • ROLI Dashboard hangs on the splash screen with an error message

These errors usually occur when the ROLI Hardware Driver isn’t installed or lacks the necessary permissions to run properly.

Solution Steps

Windows

Please follow these steps exactly as written:

  1. Uninstall all versions of ROLI Connect and ROLI Dashboard -- Uninstall or remove apps and programs in Windows

  2. Download the latest installer from: roli.com/start

  3. Right-click on the installer and choose Properties

  4. Go to the Compatibility tab and enable:

    • Run this program as an administrator

  5. Install ROLI Connect

  6. After installation, right-click the ROLI Connect shortcut

    • Go to Properties > Compatibility

    • Again, enable Run this program as an administrator

  7. Restart your computer

Mac

⚠️ You may need to reinstall any ROLI apps previously installed via Connect. You can do this from the ‘Apps’ tab in ROLI Connect.

  1. Quit ROLI Connect

  2. Open a Finder window

  3. Hold Alt and click Go > Library from the top menu

  4. Navigate to:
    ~/Library/Application Support/rpkg

  5. Delete the db folder

  6. Click Go > Go to Folder…

  7. Enter:
    /var/db

  8. Delete the rpkg folder

  9. Reopen ROLI Connect and try installing your software again


Additional Steps for Mac Users:
**Please also check that ROLI Connect is enabled in the follow settings -- if it is not, please add it using the (+) symbol:

Open System Settings (click top left Apple menu, then System Settings):
  • Click Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access.
  • Click Privacy & Security > Accessibility.
  • Click Privacy & Security > Automation (click > and ensure ROLI Connect is enabled to control Finder).
  • Click Privacy & Security > App Management.
Next, in System Settings, click General > Login Items -- ensure ROLI Connect is enabled to open at login, then scroll down to the 'Allow in the background' list, and ensure 'sh' is enabled:


Once you've completed these checks, please restart your computer then retry ROLI Connect / Dashboard.

Still Not Working?


Let’s check whether the ROLI Hardware Driver is installed correctly:


Step 1: Check for the Driver

Look in the following location:

  • Mac:
    Macintosh HD/Users/[your username]/Applications/ROLI Hardware Driver

  • Windows:
    C:\Program Files\ROLI\ROLI Hardware Driver


Step 2: If the File Exists

  • Double-click the ROLI Hardware Driver to run it

  • This should allow ROLI Dashboard or ROLI Studio to detect your devices
    We recommend creating a desktop shortcut to quickly launch the driver after restarting


Step 3: If the File Does Not Exist

Let’s reinstall ROLI Dashboard, which should also reinstall the driver:

Uninstall ROLI Dashboard

  • Mac:
    Open Finder > Applications
    Right-click on ROLI Dashboard > Move to Bin
    Then empty your Trash

  • Windows:
    Go to Start > Settings > Apps > Apps & Features
    Select ROLI Dashboard > Uninstall


Next, reinstall Dashboard via Connect

  1. Open ROLI Connect

  2. Go to the Apps tab

  3. Click Install next to Dashboard

  4. Follow any prompts to complete installation

  5. After installation, go to the Devices tab

  6. Wait 10 minutes

  7. Check again for the ROLI Hardware Driver file in the same location

  8. If found, double-click to run it

Still Need Help?

If you continue to experience issues with ROLI Hardware Driver after completing these steps, please contact our Support Team with a detailed summary of the issue and what steps you’ve already tried.