# MIDI device won't activate despite actually existing

**URL:** <https://forum.obsidiancontrol.com/t/midi-device-wont-activate-despite-actually-existing/5970>\
**Category:** Software\
**Created:** [December 22, 2019, 8:39pm UTC](https://forum.obsidiancontrol.com/t/midi-device-wont-activate-despite-actually-existing/5970 "2019-12-22T20:39:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![arretx](https://forum.obsidiancontrol.com/user_avatar/forum.obsidiancontrol.com/arretx/32/3036_2.png) [@arretx](https://forum.obsidiancontrol.com/u/arretx)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 8:39pm UTC](https://forum.obsidiancontrol.com/t/midi-device-wont-activate-despite-actually-existing/5970/1 "2019-12-22T20:39:57Z")

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I’m sending a note on/off loop from Ableton on a Mac to my PC and on the PC, MIDIOX sees the trigger over and over again as expected.

However, Onyx won’t allow me to activate that port. I click activate and it deactivates itself. Why would Onyx not allow me to turn on the detected port?

Also, if I scan MIDI connection, any active connection is toggled to inactive. If I scan again, they’re turned back on. Counterintuitive? Doesn’t make sense.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![arretx](https://forum.obsidiancontrol.com/user_avatar/forum.obsidiancontrol.com/arretx/32/3036_2.png) [@arretx](https://forum.obsidiancontrol.com/u/arretx)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 8:43pm UTC](https://forum.obsidiancontrol.com/t/midi-device-wont-activate-despite-actually-existing/5970/2 "2019-12-22T20:43:26Z")

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Okay, weird. Apparently if MIDIOX is open prior to opening ONYX, it prevents ONYX from taking the port. Grrr…is this a Windows thing?

Seems it’s working now.