Occasionally, UA Connect gets stuck on startup or is unable to download products registered to your account. If you are experiencing one of the issues listed below, the steps in this article apply:
- An infinite spinner icon when launching UA Connect, shown below:
- UA Connect is not launching altogether, or is running but its main window is not visible
- Purchased software is not downloading or installing
- Purchased software appear as installed but the plug-in files are nowhere to be found on your computer
- An unexpected error occurred
- Other issues when starting UA Connect
Uninstall UA Connect, delete the preference files and reinstall UA Connect
If you are experiencing any of these issues, uninstall UA Connect and delete the preference files using the instructions listed below:
- UA Connect + Native UAD Uninstall / Reinstall Procedure (macOS)
- UA Connect + Native UAD Uninstall / Reinstall Procedure (Windows 11) or (Windows 10)
If uninstalling/reinstalling UA Connect did not solve the issue you are experiencing, try the steps listed in the table of contents below:
- UA Connect Is Running but the GUI Is Not Visible
- Plug-ins Appear as Installed in UA Connect But Are Not Present in Plug-in Folders
- PACE / iLok License Manager Cloud Related Issues
- The UA Connect Cloud Helper Tool Is Not Running
- Notes on Anti-Virus, VPN and File Cleaner Software
- Additional Troubleshooting Steps on Windows
UA Connect Is Running but the GUI Is Not Visible
Occasionally, UA Connect appears to be running but its main window does not appear. To solve this issue, follow the steps below:
- Click the UA Connect icon, either on the task bar at the bottom right of the screen on Windows, or in the upper Finder menu bar at the top on macOS.
- Select Open UA Connect to make the UA Connect main window visible.
Plug-ins Appear as Installed in UA Connect But Are Not Present in Plug-in Folders
If UA Connect shows that plug-ins are installed, but the plug-in files are not present in the plug-in folders (VST3, AAX or AU/Components on macOS), then perform the steps below:
- Uninstall the UAD plug-ins as per these steps for macOS users, and these steps for Windows users.
- Create a temporary folder on the desktop.
- Move all of the plug-ins currently in the VST3, AAX or Components (macOS only) folders to the temporary folder.
- Delete the entire VST3, AAX or Components plug-in folder.
- Reinstall the UAD plug-ins in UA Connect, which will recreate the deleted plug-in folder(s) in the default install plug-in locations.
- Move the plug-ins from the temporary folder back into the newly created plug-in folder(s).
PACE / iLok License Manager Related Issues
iLok License Manager Is Missing From the Startup Item
iLok License Manager is required to run in the background as it communicates with UA Connect to authorize your licenses. To ensure it is correctly set up and running, follow the steps below depending on your operating system.
macOS
- In the Finder menu bar at the top, click the Apple menu.
- Select Users & Groups.
- Click the Login Items tab.
- If iLok License Manager is not listed, click the + button and navigate to the Applications folder.
- Select iLok License Manager and click Add. You can optionally enable the Hide functionality as well.
Windows
- Press the Windows Start button at the bottom left corner of your screen.
- Type Settings and click the icon to open the Settings panel.
- Navigate to the Startup tab.
- Make sure to enable iLok License Manager in the list of listed applications. If iLok License Manager is not in the list, follow the steps on this page from Microsoft to add it.
Switching iLok Modes for Native UAD Activation Issues
When launching UA Connect, an iLok Cloud session is normally started for you in the background and your licenses are automatically activated. However, if iLok Cloud is set to Managed mode, your iLok and UA accounts, as well as your native/UADx licenses might fail to link and activate automatically in UA Connect.
To fix this issue, follow the steps in this article.
Your iLok Account Is Not Properly Linked to Your UA Account
To use the native/UADx plug-ins, an iLok account is necessary and must be linked to your UA Account. If there are no iLok account linked to your UA account, or if the linked iLok account is not the correct one, follow the steps in this article.
Your Internet Connection Is Unstable
Make sure that your computer is connected to the internet via a stable source. This issue can also occur when your internet speed is in a slower download range as well.
You can check your internet connection with a free speed test. Generally, a download speed of at least 20 Mbps or above is recommended.
iLok Activation Service Is Under Maintenance
Occasionally, PACE puts the iLok activation service under maintenance, hence causing temporary service outage. To check the iLok activation service status, click here.
Generally, the iLok License Manager main panel will show if and when the activation service will be temporarily under maintenance, as shown below:
Note: You can still activate your products if you have previously authorized your licenses to an iLok USB, so long as your Wi-Fi is turned off. More information on that topic is available in this article.
There Is An Undefined Issue with the iLok License Manager Application
In some cases, there is an issue with the iLok License Manager application that cannot be fully determined. If you are in this situation, uninstalling and reinstalling the iLok License Manager application can be helpful. To do so, follow the steps below:
macOS
- Quit all currently opened music applications (DAW, UA Connect, iLok License Manager, etc.).
- Open a Finder window and navigate to your Applications folder.
- Find the iLok License Manager application to drag and drop it into your Trash bin.
- Reboot your computer.
- Once the computer has restarted, download and install latest version of iLok License Manager here.
Windows
- Right-click the Windows Logo and choose Apps and Features.
- Locate Pace License Support Win 64, right-click it and choose Uninstall.
- Click Yes to confirm and continue the uninstall.
- Click Finish to restart your computer.
- Once the computer has restarted, download and install latest version of iLok License Manager here.
The UA Connect Cloud Helper Tool Is Not Running
The UA Connect Cloud Helper tool is a background task that needs to be running in order for UA Connect to run properly and access your account containing your licenses, as well as link with your iLok account. In the event that the Helper tool is not running, try the steps below:
Windows
- If the UA Cloud Helper Tool is not running in the background tasks of your computer, you can manually enable it by navigating to the following folder:
C:\Program Files\UA Connect\resources\native\windows\x64 - Then, double-click the file named uacloudhelper.exe.
Note: If the Windows Defender Firewall prompts you to Allow Access, make sure to enable the Private networks option, and click the Allow access button as shown below.
macOS
1. Disable your 3rd-party "system cleaner" software.
2. In macOS Finder, click the Go menu and select Utilities
3. From the Finder window that opens, launch the Terminal app
4. Copy the command below, paste it into Terminal, and press Enter:
sudo launchctl enable system/com.uaudio.bsd.helper
5. Enter your Mac user password when prompted, and press Enter
Note: No text will be displayed when typing your password.
6. Restart your computer.
7. Open UA Connect
8. In UA Connect, uninstall the item you couldn't download from its ⋯ options menu.
9. In UA Connect, download the item again.
Note: If the 3rd-party software is subsequently re-enabled, you may need to repeat this procedure in the future.
Notes on Anti-Virus, VPN and File Cleaner Software
If you are experiencing the issues listed below or any other related problem, you may want to check if you are running system cleaner tools before doing any further troubleshooting.
- Console does not launch and/or the Console icon continues to bounce in the dock/task bar
- UA Connect is unable to install software, or cannot be launched
System cleaning software removes certain system files and operating system functionalities that are required by UA software. In many cases, this can be difficult to assess and repair.
We generally recommend against installing the following applications: Avast, AVG Antivirus & Security, App Cleaner 7, Bitdefender Total Security, CCleaner, ClashX, CleanMyMac X, ExpressVPN, GridinSoft Anti-Malware, Kaspersky Internet Security, Little Snitch, LuLu, Mac Cleaner Pro, MacKeeper, Malwarebytes, McAfee WebAdvisor, McAfee Safe Connect VPN, Nord VPN, Norton 360, PandaVPN, Proton VPN, Revo Uninstaller, SurfShark, Trusteer Rapport, Unicorn HTTPS, and Zscaler.
Note: This list includes but is not only limited to the applications above. There may be other applications that will conflict with UA software.
The best recommendation to restore functionality is to remove the system cleaning software, utilizing the uninstaller they provide. You can then proceed to attempt to repair the UAD installation for Apollo and Satellite devices as follows:
If UA Connect is not able to install software, and you have previously had cleaning software installed, please refer to this article.
If the issues are not resolved, in some cases, once the above-listed software has been removed, creating a new admin account can repair issues caused by that software. Click below to access the steps to create a new administrator user profile, depending on your operating system:
Important note: As system cleaning software functionally affects core operating system functionality and it can be difficult to restore, in some cases a clean reinstallation of your OS is required to restore it into a state that can run UA software. If on macOS, be careful not to use Migration Assistant or Time Machine after the clean installation, as this potentially could restore the same cleaning software and related issues to your computer.
These applications often conflict with UA Connect and third-party music software, hence causing various log-in and authorization issues.
Additionally, we recommend users update their computer according to the UA Connect system requirements for macOS.
Additional Troubleshooting Steps on Windows
Specific processes included in the latest version of Windows are necessary for UA Connect to run properly. To ensure that the iteration of Windows installed on your computer is optimal, follow the steps below:
Run UA Connect and iLok License Manager in Administrator Mode
Because UA Connect and iLok License Manager are both used to authorize your licenses, they must run in administrator mode in order to function properly.
- In your applications folder, right-click UA Connect.exe to open its context menu. Then, select Properties.
- Navigate to the Compatibility tab.
- Check the option next to Run this Program as Administrator.
- To apply this new choice, click Apply and then OK to close the Properties window.
- Run UA Connect once again to check if it runs properly.
Make Sure Windows is up to Date
To make sure your Windows build is up to date, please see Microsoft support’s instructions here.
To properly run UA Connect, we highly recommend being on the latest Windows 10 or Windows 11 build. For Windows 10, this is 22H2 (19045). For Windows 11, this is currently 24H2 (26100).
Make sure Microsoft Edge is up to date
To make sure Microsoft Edge is up to date, please see Microsoft support’s instructions here.
Contact Support
If you are still having issues after trying everything in this article, please contact our support team.