Microfading Tester International Discussion Group

Hi y'all!

We recently encountered an issue after upgrading our operating system to Windows 11. The software we're using (version 2.1-658) was able to recognize the instrument motors-the lights turned on, and the stage moved up and down-but no reflectance data was being recorded, and all the spectrometer functions were grayed out. For example, the "White Ref" button remained gray, even though the instrument appeared to be connected.

After investigating, I realized that the drivers for the spectrometer were not properly installed. Our model of the Fotonowy MFT uses a B&WTek spectrometer (unlike newer models), and the computer did not recognize the spectrometer. In Device Manager, it appears as an "Unknown Device," but you'll still see the instrument itself connected to the COM Port it's plugged into. 

Thanks to the generous help of Łukasz Sadowski from Fotonowy, we were able to resolve the issue by manually installing the correct drivers using a tool called Zadig. You'll need Administrator-level access to follow these steps:

• Download and install Zadig – this is a utility for installing USB drivers.

• Open Zadig.

  • In the dropdown list, locate the "Unknown Device" (your B&WTek spectrometer).

  • From the driver selection on the right, choose WinUSB, then click Install Driver.

• Restart your computer.

• Open Zadig again.

  • This time, install the libusb-win32 driver for the same device. It might get labeled with "B&W"

• Restart your computer again.

• Open Device Manager and confirm the "Unknown Device" is no longer listed.

• Launch the MFT software.

  • Go to "Options" and click on the magnifying glass icon to ensure that the correct port is entered.

  • Your instrument and spectrometer should now be recognized.

  • Reflectance data should begin to appear, and all spectrometer controls (like "White Ref") should be active again.

    Please reach out to me if you have encountered this issue or need help with these steps :)

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Abed Haddad
AIC Vice President: 2025-2027
Assistant Conservation Scientist
The Museum of Modern Art
New York, NY


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