Yubico Forum

I were trying out my new purchased yubikey 4 with OpenPGP, Bitcoin to see how these things work. I installed the following in my machine:
- Windows 10 Pro - all updates installed
- Microsoft office 2016
- Yubikey personalisation tool
- Yubikey PIV manager
- Gpg4win 2.3.3
- GnuPG modern 2.1.17
- Bitcoin Core 0.13.1
- Bitcoin Armory 0.95.1
- 7-zip
I did all integrity check for those above software to make sure that they are downloaded from the right source. The machine was fresh installed with genuine Windows 10 and Microsoft office. I left the Bitcoin synchronise with its network and the database size increased to about 17.8Gb, not fully synchronised yet.

I created a personal OpenPGP certificate with RSA 4096bit, and successfully moved the subkeys (signature,encyption,authentication) to one of my yubikey 4.

Tried sign, encrypt, decrypt files/texts with the GPA clipboard. Everything including the yubikeys worked fine, though I don't know how to use my yubikey 4 for this purpose yet.

Then a weird thing happened when I tried to write an email using Word 2016. My machine suddenly froze and the cursor jumped to the start of the word file that I were editing. I killed off all non-response processes and restarted the machine. From this point, my dell Optiplex 7010 never recognises the yubikey again. I tried all other yubikey that I have including another yubikey 4 and a pair of yubikey FIDO U2F but they were not detected either.

I tested all of my yubikey with another machine at home. They are still working perfectly.

I thought that this is not the faulty of those yubikey, but the Optiplex 7010 or some malware somehow get into my machine, I dont know. Hence I did the followings try to get the machine recognised the keys:
- Removed/reinstalled all USB-related things listed in the device manager. Set the power management for USB to always ON.
- Fully reset the machine
- Reinstalled it with a genuine DVD Windows 7 Pro
- Reinstalled it with Windows 10 Pro USB created by using the Media Creation Tool feshly downloaded from Microsoft. I'm a bit paranoid so I don't trust RUFUS to create the installation USB from a ready ISO file.
- Updated everything needed.
- Update the BIOS to the latest A24 version.
- Tested the key at all available USB ports including the ports reserved for the keyboard and the mouse.
- Took the BIOS battery out, left there for couple of minutes and re-inserted it. Then the machine required to re-setup the BIOS, I did it.
- What else I forgot?

The machine is working perfectly with all my USB drives EXCEPT the yubikey including the 4s and the FIDO U2Fs. I tested all the keys again at another machine, and they are working perfectly!!!!

What's going on here between my perfect Optiplex 7010 and my perfect yubikeys? They once working fine together, at least, but now SUDDENLY they refuse to work as a team.

Anyone here has the same/similar experience like mine?

Any ideas or suggestions?

There is also a free tool called USBDeview where you can remove all history that Windows has with the YubiKey and force it to reinstall the drivers. Run the tool, sort by the Device ID field, locate 1050 (Yubico's Vendor ID), select all "1050" entries, right click, and select "uninstall selected devices." After you remove and insert the YubiKey, Windows should reload the driver for the YubiKey. See if that makes a difference.

Ahh, just realised that all of my keys were plugged in the WRONG WAY!!!!! That's why my machine never recognised them.

They are all working now, and are listed on the USBDeview.

Thank you anyway, yubikey team.

Happy computing now. Cheers!