SOLVED: Kinect v2 Keeps Power Cycling on Windows 11 Laptop

 

If you're trying to use a Kinect v2 on a Windows 11 laptop, you may have run into an incredibly frustrating issue: the device connects, the light turns on, and then it immediately disconnects and restarts. This endless power cycle makes the device unusable and often causes the Kinect Configuration Verifier to fail, even when your hardware is perfectly fine.

After hours of troubleshooting complex solutions like reinstalling drivers, changing USB power settings, and even trying to extract MSI files, I found the real solution. It has nothing to do with hardware or faulty drivers. The problem is a single privacy setting in Windows 11.

The Kinect SDK requires access to all of the device's components to initialize correctly, including the microphone array. If Windows 11 blocks access to the microphone, the Kinect service fails, crashes, and tries to restart, causing the power cycle.

Here is the surprisingly simple fix.

The Solution

1. Open Windows Settings by pressing the Win + i keys.

2. Navigate to Privacy & security in the left sidebar.

3. Scroll down to the "App permissions" section and click on Microphone.

4. On this screen, you need to ensure two settings are enabled in the correct order:

   • First, make sure the toggle for "Let apps access your microphone" is turned On.

   • Then, find the setting below it named "Let desktop apps access your microphone" and ensure that toggle is also turned On. This is the one that directly solves the problem.

That's it. Once you enable this setting, reconnect your Kinect. The power cycling will stop, and your device should be recognized correctly by all applications.

I hope this guide helps you solve the problem and saves you the many hours of frustration I experienced.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/3930800/windows-11-with-kinect-v2-kinect-keeps-power-cycli