Testing the Device Connection

To troubleshoot issues with the PIVKey we suggest you first test that the hardware device is installed correctly and that the PC can connect to it.

To test the Device Installation bring up the Device Manager from the Control Panel.

The Device Manager should show the following:

If you are using a PIVKey Token, the reader installs as a USB CCID compatible smart card reader.

If you are using a PIVKey Card, the reader may use a different driver than the default CCID driver, and may show up as a specific reader, such as "Omnikey 3X21".

If you are using a PIVKey Card and the Smart Card Reader is not displayed, check with the manufacturer of your smart card reader. Most reader manufacturers have native driver installer that you can try if the USB CCID driver fails.

If you are using a PIVKey Token, and it does not show up as a USB CCID Smart Card Reader, then check to see if the device is shown as an "Unknown USB" device.  If it does not show up at all, then the problem may be with the USB subsystem. There may be a security policy blocking the device, or there may be a driver issue with USB itself. Check that the USB hub is correctly displayed.

Note:  If you are connecting to a PC using RDP, then the smart card reader will NOT show up in the Device Manager.