MXT500 Programming Issue

[WRXJ624]

I have an MXT500 and am having issues programming it. I've tried two different USB cables, two different ports on my laptop. I've enabled USB Programming, but when I try to read the configuration, it can't find the port. I'm running Windows 11 Pro with all the updates. Any ideas?

[OffRoaderX]

4 minutes ago, WRXJ624 said:

Any ideas?

Yah.. My idea is that Windows sucks and this is almost certainly a driver/port/Windows-sucks type issue.  

In the Midland software is there an option to manually select the port and have you tried changing it?

...on the bright side, if you can't get it to work, its really not that difficult to program it manually.

[AdmiralCochrane]

I have had to go thru as many as 5 virtual ports in software to find a compatible port for some software.  The ports aren't the physical plug in ports on your machine, they are the virtual ports in the software.

As the Grand Master points out, different drivers can have their own preference for one port over another - and Windows sucks.

[SteveShannon]

It really helps to know which port to choose if you’re watching the ports in Device Manager when you plug in the cable. You’ll see which virtual port is created by the driver. 

[nokones]

Did you activate/enabled/turn-on the USB feature in the radio menu first? I suspect it is not a PC issue, but a radio feature in the menu that hasn't been enabled to turn on the radio USB port as a programming port in the radio. If you don't make the radio USB port a programming port than it is only an USB charging port.

[WRYZ926]

On 7/25/2025 at 7:52 PM, WRXJ624 said:

I have an MXT500 and am having issues programming it. I've tried two different USB cables, two different ports on my laptop. I've enabled USB Programming, but when I try to read the configuration, it can't find the port. I'm running Windows 11 Pro with all the updates. Any ideas?

@nokones he did state that he enabled USB programming.

Unless the radio is defective then the problem most likely lies either with a bad USB cable, with the computer and/or not selecting the correct communication port number.

@WRXJ624 The easiest way to determine the com port number in Windows is to open up Device Manager. Then plug the USB cable into the computer and radio to see what new com port shows up. Once you know the port number, make sure to select the correct port number in the Midland programming software.

Another issue might be that the programming software did not install correctly and may need to be uninstalled and then reinstalled. This doesn't happen veery often so I would double check what com port number is showing up in Device Manager and/or try a different USB cable.