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Having Oculus Rift Setup issues? The ultimate guide.

LZoltowski
Champion

Heya, so after a few years on this forum and helping what must be a hundred people now with their issues I have compiled a few checklists and tips on how to get your Oculus Rift installed and working. This list is by no means exhaustive but might help.



 



Pre-Installation checklist:



Disable Antivirus/Anti Malware



Although not every antivirus program will block the setup, many like BullGuard and MalwareBytes are very sensitive to any system changes, remember, this is not like installing a game. The app needs to create services, a special windows user, firewall rules, permissions etc to function properly.


Bullguard is also known to block the setup’s ability to connect to Oculus servers. Unless you know how to properly configure inbound/outbound rules and other settings, disable or uninstall the antivirus during the main setup. I know it's a pain but it accounts for 90% of setup issues. Some users have reported that only by completely uninstalling Bullguard the setup will complete.

Also to note BullGuard is known to prevent the proper operation of the Oculus App after setup, it can prevent games from installing, even if added to the exceptions list.

If you don’t have antivirus installed you are probably using windows built in Defender, disable that temporarily during setup (including protected folders)




Make sure you have at least 60GB free on the system drive and that the drive is NOT a dynamic drive



Although after installation the Oculus App measures at roughly 11GB, it needs the extra space to complete setup procedures, such as uncompressing of files. So even though 14 is recommeneded by the setup, let's be on the safe side.



If you wish to install to a drive other than the setup drive please follow these instructions
https://support.oculus.com/1142129705828091/

Note: As with most software setups on windows, installing to a drive other than C will still result in some data being installed on C, esp in either Document and AppData folder.



Unplug any non-essential USB devices during setup



The Rift can draw quite a bit of power over USB, to avoid any issues with no image during setup unplug any USB devices that are not necessary, basically keep everything to a minimum. See some troubleshooting tips below. 




Make sure you are running as clean session of windows as possible



Some people experience issues during setup while windows is running background applications such as:



  • Motherboard Utilities eg Asus AI
  • GPU tweakers
  • Any CPU/GPU monitoring apps (these are also known to cause micro stutters while in VR)
  • SSD Utilities such as Samsung magician
  • Any third party windows explorer shells
  • Third party utilities like keyboard app etc
  • If you have Windows User Policies set up make sure there aren't any restrictions for the current user
Basically absolute minimum (a sort of Windows Safe mode but not, actual Windows Safe mode will not work)








 



Make sure you are up to date!



Make sure you have all the updates installed such as:










Some ISP’s cache the setup files



Some ISP’s are known to cache the setup files the software is trying to download, this can cause the “chunks” to become corrupted and prevent the setup from completing. I have seen this in New Zeland and Australia, in such a case using a VPN and connecting to a country next to you solves the issue.



 



Do not run the setup file by forcing it AS ADMIN, this will cause issues



 

Common workarounds:



What if nothing works and I cannot get Setup to start the “Setting up your Rift” portion?



Several users have found out that their Windows User profile is the culprit, as an experiment, it is a good idea to create a new admin windows user, make sure it is a LOCAL user, not one associated with your Microsoft cloud login and try and run the setup from there.




I have followed ALL the checklists but the setup gets stuck at the end
If you REALLLLLLLLLLY did all the checklists and still no go, you may try this method several users have found to work
https://forums.oculusvr.com/community/discussion/69245/oculus-software-sorry-we-encountered-an-error...




What if my Rift is not being recognised or I am not seeing an image (but I get sound) during setup:



Try moving the USB connections around, for example, move the sensors to USB 2.0 ports and leave the Rift in USB 3.0 .. you might not have enough power coming in through your USB ports.


Try plugging the rift via a DisplayPort using a dongle.


Unplug any secondary monitors you have.


Make sure you are not running any screen streamers or remote desktop software in the background

Try a downgraded version of the GPU drivers such as: 
https://www.nvidia.com/download/driverresults.aspx/127667/en-us



 



For Laptops: Many laptops are incompatible with the rift, this is because the HDMI port is wired to the Intel CPU, and not to the GPU and/or not enough power is being delivered through the USB ports.



Known possible workarounds are:










Getting more help:

If you have tried all the above and are still unable to install please contact Official Oculus support:



https://support.oculus.com/



It may be a good idea to collect your logs and attach them to your ticket.
Here is how to do it:
https://forums.oculusvr.com/community/discussion/33792/how-to-get-logs-for-bug-reports-for-consumer-...

If you have any more to add please do so bellow and ill compile them in.

Core i7-7700k @ 4.9 Ghz | 32 GB DDR4 Corsair Vengeance @ 3000Mhz | 2x 1TB Samsung Evo | 2x 4GB WD Black
ASUS MAXIMUS IX HERO | MSI AERO GTX 1080 OC @ 2000Mhz | Corsair Carbide Series 400C White (RGB FTW!) 

Be kind to one another 🙂
45 REPLIES 45

sraura
Heroic Explorer
To me it seems like installer failed on...
[Debug] [6/13/2019 12:40:14 PM] Deleting directory '\\?\E:\Oculus'
...and the problems started from there.

Probably
installer error, but even more likely caused by the fact you were
running oculussetup from the directory where installer is actually
installing files. Maybe something developers didn't think because on their instructions you're supposed to run it from separate directory.

I am not expert on these logs and may be wrong.

Anonymous
Not applicable
Yup, that worked. Thanks.

sraura
Heroic Explorer

VC Runtime Package

In this thread was interesting case where partial reinstall (reinitialization) of windows 10 caused rift to have black screen even while oculus software showerd green ticks for equipment itself.
Reason was that windows was missing "VC Runtime Package".

It seems this may also cause "can 't reach oculus runtime"-issue.

You can download VC runtime pagage's from here. Install x86 first and then the x64 version.

Direct download links:

Nvidia graphics firmware update tool

If you have monitor which has displayport 1.3 or 1.4 and older Nvidia GPU, you might need to update your Nvidia cards firmware. This should not affect "Rift S" as it is using displayport 1.2. However with DisplayPort 1.3 or
1.4 monitor you could experience blank screens on boot until the OS loads,
or could experience a hang on boot.
The NVIDIA Firmware Updater will detect whether the firmware update
is needed, and if needed, will give the user the option to update it.

Here is link for Nvidia Graphics firmware update tool for DisplayPort 1.3 and 1.4 displays.

USB issues

general symptoms: black screens, crashes, tracking issues, red X while detecting usb, "usb driver update recommended"-warning

If you have issues with your Rift S and your computer has various kinds usb 3.x ports, make sure to try them all with your rift. Usb 3.0 and 3.1 (gen 1) ports are usually blue and 3.1 (gen 2) are commonly teal or red. 3.0 and 3.1 (gen 1) ports generally seem to work best, but on many occasions only either of them works on motherboard which has both. If you have USB 3.2 (USB-C), would recommend searching these forums for user feedback about compatible adapters. It is also good to keep in mind that computer's front panel's USB 3.x connectors
are often different than the variants on back panel. Some users have fixed their tracking issues by connecting their Rift there.

After you make changes, shut your computer down. Simple computer restart might not fix your issue or remove the "USB driver update recommendation"-warning.

If above doesn't help and you still have issues:
  • open device manager by typing "device manager" to windows 10 search box and hitting enter key.
  • expand "universal serial bus controllers"
  • check what host controller(s) you have. There may be more than one.
  • collect logs with oculus log gatherer
  • open generated Oculus_Logs.zip from your desktop
  • inside that zip navigate to /diagnostics/OculusUSBLog/OculusUsbSummary.log and open it in notepad
In the OculusUsbSummary.log you will see 2 sections. "Oculus USB information" and "Other USB Infomation". You want to check that devices under "Oculus USB information" are related to that host controller which you think they should be related to. You can also check your "Other USB Infomation" and see in what kind of ports your other equipment is. This might give you an idea where you should connect your Rift S. You should also check from your motherboard's (or computer's) manufacturer's site what kind of USB-ports your motherboard/computer should have and cross reference them to the list above. If something feels funny, the problem is probably right there.

Other solutions:
  • update your usb drivers. Alternative (and preferred) source for drivers is your motherboard's/computer's manufacturer's support site. Usually the default windows drivers work fine though.
  • use externally powered usb hub or PCIe USB 3.0 card which gets power directly from computer's PSU. Some people have even had success by connecting Rift S to monitor's usb port (it is usually self powered).
  • Enable thunderbolt from UEFI bios settings, even if you're not using USB-C port.

Nasbna
Honored Guest
i type this drive:\downloads\oculusSetup/drive=D in windows+R but it seys i need a app to open this drive

Broug7
Honored Guest
I've been getting the please restart error on the setup for awhile now and unable to fix it, I've posted on here before about it with no response and tried countless times to fix it.

Edit: forgot to mention this was on a reinstall

sraura
Heroic Explorer

Broug7 said:

I've been getting the please restart error on the setup for awhile now and unable to fix it, I've posted on here before about it with no response and tried countless times to fix it.

Log included, really need help on this.

Edit: forgot to mention this was on a reinstall


Not really proper thread for questions, but I pm you.

Thug
Heroic Explorer

Rahotep said:

I am unable to launch the Oculus Suite. I just installed for the second time. Fresh. Deleted all references to Oculus Home and Dash in my users data folder.

Rift Senors can be found in the HW list
HMD is not being seen
HMD Audio is OK
HMD orange light is on
HMD is being recognized when launching SteamVR and tracking is working. LED turns white, but no video is being displays. HMD remains dark
NVIDIA Control Panel does not see the VRDesktop. It used to have one before I repaired the Oculus Suite
Oculus Home stays on the loading screen, turning and turning

Meanwhile I deleted the Oculus Apps from the Apps drive too 250 GB gone

Any different? No

Cannot load the software piece any more nor log in



Got exactly the same issue as you, did you manage to sort it?
CPU: Intel i9-10990k.
Graphics Card: Nvidia Geforce GTX3080,
RAM: 32GB DDR5,
Viewed on: Oculus Quest 2 or 28" BenQ monitor (x2),
Hard Drive: 2TB Samsung SSD (games), 512GB Samsung SSD (OS), 512GB SSD (3d),
OS: Win 11 64 bit

sraura
Heroic Explorer

Can't reach oculus service

Symptoms: When oculus app is "checking app status", you get "can't reach oculus service"-error.
Possible cause:  Unknown or varies.

Temporary fix:
Run "OVRServer_x64.exe" manually before launching oculus app.
File is located in OculusSoftwareInstallDirectory\Support\oculus-runtime\

Worth to investigate:

check all the paths from:
  • start command prompt by writing "command prompt" to windows search box and hit enter
  • type "set" and hit enter
If
anything in the list seems any way wrong or is conflicting with your
windows username or oculus directories, the problem might be there.

also:
  • write "services" to windows search box and hit enter
  • browse down to "Oculus VR Runtime Service". Startup type should be "automatic"
also:
  • write "msconfig" to windows search box and hit enter
  • check
    that in "services"-tab there are "Oculus VR Library Service" and
    "Oculus VR Runtime Service" and that both have their checkboxes ticked.

Locale issues and windows account issues

Symptoms: unable to continue in vr, black screen, installation issues, other miscellaneous issues
Possible cause: accent marks or spaces on windows account name, regional settings of (non english) operating system, Microsoft account issues.

Locale fix for username:
note: after changing the user account name run "set" on command prompt and see that there are no conflicting paths listed.


Fix for regional settings:
  • Type "control panel" to windows search box and hit enter. (This might be something else on your language)
  • In the window what opens click "clock and region"
  • Click "region"
  • In the window what opens go to "administrative"-tab
  • Click "change system locale"
  • In the window what opens put "X" to "Use Unicode UTF-8 for worldwide language support" and click "OK".

Fix for access permission issues, Microsoft account issues, account name issues, other unknown issues:
  • Create new local admin account with name that contains only standard English letters and
  • Reinstall or repair Oculus installation in that account.
note: In some cases after creating new local admin account, and reinstalling or repairing Oculus installation there, app has started working back in the original account too... However if it doesn't and app still works fine on new local admin account - at least it is easier to troubleshoot where the actual problem is after this.

Power supply issues

Symptoms: permanent black screen, spontaneous power downs, loss of tracking or black screens after x period of time, other crashes
Possible cause:
  • Either entire PSU has reached end of it's lifespan or is under powered (most commonly 550W PSU) or
  • Computers USB ports are unable to provide enough power or/and
  • Too many devices were connected to computer.
Possible solutions:
  • Trying
    other 3.x usb port. Also keep in mind that front panel 3.x connectors
    are often different than the variants on back panel.
  • Unplugging all non essential devices from the computer (including secondary monitors).
  • New power supply. 650W or greater. 80 plus gold recommended as they tend to last longer, produce less heat and consume less power.
  • Externally powered USB hub
  • Usb card which gets power directly from PSU
  • Usb ports on self powered device like monitor or external harddisk
  • Using Usb-C port with adapter.
It is good to keep in mind that also if the cable connector is loose from HMD's end, it may cause similar issue.

This
information is based on nothing official so if you go and buy new
hardware to fix your issue, be prepared also to the possibility that it
doesn't fix the issue you're trying to fix.

sraura
Heroic Explorer

Windows 10 camera privacy settings

Symptoms: (3 dots on) black screen
Possible cause: Windows 10 does not have access to Rift S cameras

Solution: Check windows 10 camera privacy settings under "settings/privacy/cameras"
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Non "Oculus ready" laptops (Rift S)

Symptoms: various
Possible cause: various

Laptop's in general
In order to ensure basic functionality, any display port used to
connect Rift S needs to be directly connected to a discrete GPU. In some laptops (mini)displayport is connected to laptop's integrated graphics and hence may not work. Things to try:
  • Disable onboard graphics or set discrete GPU to default (usually done from computers bios).
  • Try using USB-C (Thunderbolt 3) to Displayport adapter (if it is wired to integrated graphics, will not work either)
MSI laptops

Rift-S Controllers Lag in Grip Release

Issue fixed at least in latest PTC build.
Symptoms: Some touch controllers got lag in grip button when you release it.
Cause: Might be related to battery cover magnets interfering with sensors on some touch controllers*.
Temporary fix: Remove the battery cover from the touch controller which is having issues.

If you're experiencing the issue opt in to public test channel (PTC) from Oculus app to get the latest beta versions as this post indicates that Oculus is aware of the problem which will likely be fixed with firmware update.

Here is link to main thread about the issue.
Here is link to Oculus monitor, which you can use to get realtime information about your Oculus setup.
Here is link to possible explanation about the issue in greater detail.

Cheenael
Honored Guest
I got three dots problem. Tried all the things and it didn't work. Came here to find out it is in windows camera settings. I opened my skype, it does see my camera as a device but no image. Tried all the YouTube advices including command prompt and regedit chemistry. Didn't work. And then it hit me - Kaspersky Total Security! It has an option that prevents other people from spying on you using your camera. I must admit, this option works very well as intended. Disabling it resurrected my Skype web cam. Can't wait to test it in headset, but reinstalling oculus software just won't finish (((. 
Anyways, this should be pinned in official support FAQ