Frequently Asked Questions

⚠ NOTICE: This step applies ONLY to Cameo 2 or Cameo 3 models. If you have another machine model, please move to the next section.

Please check the firmware version of your Cameo cutting machine as follows:

1. Plug in and power on the Silhouette Cameo cutting machine
2. Select the Gear icon in the upper right of the LCD screen (on the cutting machine)
3. Select the Firmware option

If your machine has been loaded with firmware version 1.40/1.60 or above, you do not require a firmware update to proceed to the next step. If your machine is not loaded with the current firmware version, please click here to download and install a firmware update for your Cameo model.

If a firmware update is needed, please perform the update and then proceed to the Software Version section.

If you are not running the latest version of Silhouette Studio, you will need to update your software now.

After downloading and updating the software, please check the version to confirm proper installation.

1. Open Silhouette Studio
2. Select the Help menu
3. Select the About Silhouette Studio option
4. Note the numbers (x.x.xxx) listed after Release
5. Check this version number against the "Current Version" listed on the software download page

After you have confirmed you are using the latest version of Silhouette Studio, please proceed to the Test Software Connection section.

Please do the following to thoroughly test the connection between your Silhouette cutting machine and the Silhouette Studio software:

1. Close Silhouette Studio
2. Power off the Silhouette cutting machine
3. Disconnect the USB cable from both the Silhouette cutting machine and the computer
4. Disconnect the power cable from the Silhouette cutting machine
5. Open Silhouette Studio
6. Go to the SEND panel
7. Firmly plug in and power on the Silhouette cutting machine
8. Firmly connect the USB cable directly to the machine AND directly to the computer (bypassing any USB hubs)
   NOTE: All connections should be made using Silhouette cables. Other cables cannot be guaranteed to work properly with Silhouette cutting machines.

If a connection is achieved, the Send screen should show a READY status.

If the status does not shift to READY, please proceed to Clear Printer Queue.

Sometimes interferring connections can be caused by pending jobs in your printer queue. To clear these:

1. Press the Windows key and the R key at the same time
2. Type control printers into the Open box
3. Press the Enter key
4. Right-Click on one of your installed printers
5. Click See what's printing
6. If there are jobs in this queue, click each job and select Cancel Print
7. Repeat for each installed printer

If there are no jobs in queue, or if they have all been cleared, and connection cannot be established, please proceed to Test Hardware Connection.

The previous step Testing Software Connection directed you to properly connect the Silhouette cutting machine to the computer. Please ensure that your Silhouette cutting machine is fully connected and powered on.

You can then do the following to confirm a basic hardware connection between your Silhouette cutting machine and the computer:

1. Press the Windows key and the R key at the same time
2. Type control printers into the Open box
3. Press the Enter key

If your cutting machine has established a basic hardware connection with the computer, you will see one of the entries listed below:

1. Unknown Device (listed in the Unspecified section)
2. USB Printing Support (listed in the Unspecified section)
3. Silhouette Cameo/Portrait/Curio (listed in the Printers section)

If it displays as either 1 or 2, please proceed to the Update the USB Printing Support Driver section

If it displays as either 3, please proceed to Check for Interfering Connections section

If none of the entries above are listed, please proceed to the Assessing Hardware Failure section

Please do the following to update the USB Printing Support Driver. This driver allows for proper communication between the Silhouette Cutting machine and the computer.

Within the same window accessed in the Test Basic Hardware Connection step:

1. Right-click on the “Unknown/Unspecified Device”
2. Select Properties
3. Select the Hardware tab
4. Select the Properties button
5. As a new window pops up, on the General tab, select the Change Settings button
6. As another new window pops up, select the Driver tab
7. Select Update Driver
8. Select Update Driver Automatically

After this update process has been completed, please restart your computer. After restart, please open Silhouette Studio and check your connection.

If you are unable to connect, please proceed to the Reset Driver Connection section.

If the above steps were unsuccessful in resolving the connection issue, or if you were unable to update the driver successfully, please proceed with the steps below to reset the driver connection:

1. Close Silhouette Studio
2. Press the Windows key and the R key at the same time
3. Type control printers into the Open box
4. Press the Enter key
5. Right-Click on USB printing support
6. Select Remove Device

Once complete, please proceed with the steps below:

1. Press the Windows key and the R key at the same time
2. Type devmgmt.msc into the Open box
3. Press the Enter key
4. Click View in the upper-left corner
5. Select View Hidden Devices
6. Expand the USB Serial Bus controllers section 
7. Right-click USB Printing Support
8. Select Remove 

Once removed, please open Silhouette Studio and check your connection.

If you are unable to connect, please continue to the Check for Interfering Connections step.

Please do the following to reset the software’s detected connections:

1. Close Silhouette Studio
2. Press the Windows key and R on keyboard simultaneously
3. Type in %appdata%
4. Press Enter
5. Delete the folder com.aspexsoftware.silhouette_studio
6. Empty the Recycle Bin
7. Perform the steps found in the Test Software Connection section, starting at step 2

If the steps above do not resolve the issue, please proceed to the steps directly below:

1. Press the Windows key and R on keyboard simultaneously
2. Type control panel in Run window
3. Select Uninstall a program (May be listed as Programs and Features)
4. Double-click and uninstall Windows Driver Package - Silhouette USB Cutter
5. Re-start computer
6. Perform the steps found in the Testing Software Connection section, starting at step 2

If Testing Software Connection steps are unsuccessful in allowing the device to connect, please proceed to perform following steps:

1. Press the Windows key and R on keyboard simultaneously
2. Type control printers into the Open box
3. Press the Enter key

This will take you to the Devices and Printers dialogue. We will be exploring the following steps with the printers listed in this dialogue:

1. Printer Queue
   1. Double-click on a printer displayed under "Printers"
      • May need to double-click the title to display the printers
   2. A small window will pop up
   3. Make sure there are no jobs in queue in that window
      • Will show a document under "Document Name" and may have a status as "Pending" or "Error"
   4. If there are jobs in queue, select "Printer" at the top left and click on "Cancel All Documents"
   5. After you have checked and cleared the queue, please close the small window
   6. Repeat steps 1-5 for each printer under "Printers"
2. Unused/Old Printers
   1. Right click on the device
   2. Select Remove Device from the context menu
   3. Select OK
   4. Watch the Devices and Printers dialogue to ensure that the device does not duplicate after the port has been changed. If the device duplicates, please note the device
3. Current Printers
   • We will now be investigating the port assignment associated with each of your current devices. Certain port assignments will interfere with the proper connection of the Silhouette cutting machine. Be sure to repeat these steps with each device listed.
   1. Right click on the device
   2. Select the Printer Properties option (not simply Properties)
   3. Select the Ports tab
   4. If the printer is assigned to a USB## or WSD port (checked box is next to USB### or WSD):
      • Please note the assignment currently in place
      • Scroll through the list of ports and select the FILE option
        • If you cannot select the FILE option:
          1. Select the General tab
          2. Select the Change Properties button
          3. Allow changes to be made
      • Select the Apply option
      • Select the OK option
      • Watch the Devices and Printers dialogue to ensure that the device does not duplicate after the port has been changed. If the device duplicates, please note the device
   • If the printer is assigned to a port other than USB### or WSD Port please proceed to examine each of the remaining printers listed in the Devices and Printers dialogue
4. Restart the computer
5. Navigate to the Devices and Printers dialogue as previously directed
6. Confirm that Unused/Old Printers that were previously removed have not reappeared
7. Confirm that the port assignment of each Current Printer has not reverted to a USB### or WSD setting

If ANY printer has resisted removal OR any printer persists in its assignment to a USB### or WSD port, please proceed to the Driver Reassignment section

If ALL printers have been confirmed as removed or assigned to a port OTHER than USB### or WSD, please reattempt the steps found in Test Software Connection. If a Software Connection is not established, please proceed to the Assessing Hardware Failure section

If you have reached this step, it is likely that another printer is causing a USB conflict with the Silhouette cutting machine.

To resolve this conflict with another connected printer (that is directly connected to your computer via USB cable), please power off the Silhouette cutting machine, power on the printer, then power on the Silhouette cutting machine.

To alleviate this conflict with any WiFi connected printer, we would advise that you contact your printer manufacturer and request assistance in the reassignment of the port associated with any noted printers in order to avoid any associated USB conflicts. We can recommend as a temporary measure that any WiFi connected printer can be assigned to a Static IP Address. This typically resolves any USB conflicts.

If you have previously been able to connect to your machine through the software, you may attempt to try another USB port on your computer and/or another USB cable that is proven to work with other devices.

If you have tried this and are still unable to connect to your machine, please email our customer support team for further assistance at support@silhouetteamerica.com.