so hence I think both will work but with the PC cleanup I managed to get something in Windows 7 fouled up
 

or I damaged my install of the old cakewalk but the devices don't work in the other midi app that I have tried either
 

If the devices are not working, the first thing to try is to uninstall the device driver and install it again, or install a more recent version. There is very little risk in doing so except that you may end up with a device that does not work, which you already have. Just make sure you know where to find a driver to install after removing the old one.
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/Cc725782.aspx
 
Have you tried MidiOx?
If reinstalling the Uno driver does not work, and if you are courageous or have nothing to lose, you can explore this option:
https://support.serato.com/hc/en-us/articles/202552630-Fixing-an-Undefined-External-Error-in-MIDI-OX
The registry on my Windows 7 machine already has the UpperFilters value ksthunk, if yours does not that may be the problem.
 

Thanks a lot Slartabartfast for sticking with me through this convoluted thread, once I recover from my injuries I will try those things!

Hi Pedro. Sorry for all your troubles. When you get the MIDI error have you tried going to the Windows Event Viewer and looking under Applications and see if you can get anymore info on what's going on? There might be nothing more, but there could be some more info on what's going on.

windows event viewer is a new one on me, how do you get to that?  Also, so far I haven't gotten an error message it just plays the "non-success" sound and tells me again that I need to choose a device, but I would be happy to look at it to see if there is anything else there -- I'll search for how to use it online -- moving kinda slow though I only have one paw working
 
also realized today that I have an old midiman oxygen 8 which includes usb midi I may try hooking that up too

Here you go
http://www.sevenforums.co...n-use-windows-7-a.html

You can also enable Administrative Tools in the Start Menu to get to it.
 
Right click the Start button > Properties > Customize > System Administrative Tools > Display on All Programs Menu (and Start Menu)

Here's the skinny version:
 
1. Open the Start Menu, type eventvwr.msc, and press Enter.

2. If you are logged in as an administrator and prompted by UAC, then click on Yes.

3. In the left pane, click on an event log to see it's events listed at the top of the middle pane.  Pick Windows Logs >   Applications

4. If you like, you could also right click on an event log in the left pane for more options to use. For example, to Filter Current Log or Find a specific event ID number listed in the middle pane.  Filtering is very useful.  Open that and select everything EXCEPT Information.  There are tons of information entries and most are just normal system events.  You want Errors, Warnings, Critical and Verbose.  
 
5. Identify the errors and warnings at the time-stamp for when your error occurred and double-click the event.  It will open in a pop-up window, which will have more detail.  There are Up and Down arrows that will let you scroll through the next or previous events without leaving the detail window.  There is also a Copy button so you can copy the message easily to paste into an e-mail for tech support or to post on your favorite forum!
 
 
Still check the sevenforums page - it has a lot more info and some screen caps to show you what you want to do.
 

I tried the windows event viewer and so far haven't gotten a lot of extra info from it -- I may go back to it when it is a little easier to stay on the PC -- as I said above I am healing from an elbow injury now.
 
In the meantime I have found another USB device that quit working for me probably at the same time and it is my little Tascam handheld recorder D-5 or something like that -- it doubles as a storage device via usb and all of a sudden it is not being recognized by USB probably happened at the same time that my midi adapters lost contact with USB -- so maybe I will go to their user groups too and see if anybody has an idea there -- in the meantime taking a slow down on it as I decide what to do -- basically just putting a reformat off for now