How to Use the MSR605X Card Reader Step by Step

The MSR605X is a compact USB magnetic stripe card reader/writer widely used by technicians, small businesses, and IT professionals for reading, writing, and duplicating magnetic stripe cards. If you've just acquired one and aren't sure where to start, this guide walks you through how to use the MSR605X card reader step by step — from plugging it in to performing your first successful card read.

What You'll Need

Before you begin, confirm you have everything on this list:

MSR605X hardware unit — the reader/writer device itself
USB cable — typically included with the unit (USB-A to Mini-USB or Micro-USB depending on revision)
A Windows PC — Windows 7, 8, 10, or 11 (64-bit recommended)
MSR605X-compatible software — the driver and application layer that communicates with the device
Blank or test magnetic stripe cards — ISO standard cards with Tracks 1, 2, and/or 3
Cards you want to read — loyalty cards, hotel key cards, or any standard mag stripe card

Note: The MSR605X does not come with software on most retail listings. You'll need to download compatible software separately. The MSR605X Software from AvidityID is designed specifically for this hardware and runs on all modern Windows versions.

Step 1: Install the Software Before Connecting Hardware

This step is critical and often skipped — install your software before plugging in the MSR605X.

Download the MSR605X software package from your source (e.g., MSR605X Software).
Run the installer as Administrator (right-click the .exe → Run as administrator).
Follow the on-screen prompts. The installer typically places the driver files and application together.
Do not connect the USB cable yet — let the driver install complete fully.
Restart your PC if prompted.

Installing the driver first ensures Windows recognizes the device correctly when you plug it in. Skipping this step is the most common cause of the device showing as "Unknown USB Device" in Device Manager.

Step 2: Connect the MSR605X and Verify the Driver

Once the software is installed:

Plug the MSR605X into an available USB port — use a direct port on your PC, not a USB hub, for best reliability.
The device LED should illuminate (typically green or blue depending on revision).
Open Device Manager (right-click Start → Device Manager) and expand Ports (COM & LPT).
You should see the MSR605X listed as a recognized COM port or HID device — no yellow warning triangle.
Note the COM port number assigned (e.g., COM3) — you may need it in the software settings.

Pro Tip: If you see a yellow exclamation mark next to the device in Device Manager, right-click it, select Update Driver, then Browse my computer and point it to the folder where your software was installed. This resolves most driver conflicts.

Step 3: Launch the Software and Configure Your Settings

Open the MSR605X application you installed in Step 1.

Key settings to review before your first swipe:

Setting	Recommended Value	Notes
COM Port	Match Device Manager	Must match the port assigned in Step 2
BPC (Bits Per Character)	7 for Track 1, 5 for Tracks 2 & 3	Standard ISO format
Card Speed	Medium	Adjust if reads fail consistently
Track Selection	1, 2, 3 (all)	Enable only tracks you need to reduce errors

Click Connect or Initialize within the software to establish communication with the device. A status indicator in the software should confirm the connection.

Step 4: Read a Magnetic Stripe Card

With the device connected and software running:

In the software, click the Read button (or equivalent — some versions use "Swipe to Read").
The LED on the MSR605X may blink or change color to indicate it's ready.
Hold the card so the magnetic stripe faces downward and toward the device's read head.
Swipe the card through the slot in one smooth, consistent motion — not too fast, not too slow.
The software will display the decoded data from Track 1, Track 2, and Track 3 in their respective fields.

Reading tips:

Swipe at a steady pace — erratic speed causes read errors
Keep the card flat against the slot guide rail
Clean cards read more reliably than worn or dirty ones

Pro Tip: If Track 1 reads but Track 2 shows blank, the card may only be encoded on Track 1. Many loyalty and access cards only use one or two tracks. Don't assume a blank track means a failed read — verify by testing with a known bank card that encodes all three tracks.

Step 5: Write Data to a Blank Card

Writing (encoding) requires a writable magnetic stripe card — typically a blank HiCo (High Coercivity) or LoCo (Low Coercivity) card.

In the software, click into the Track 1, Track 2, or Track 3 data fields.
Enter the data you want to encode. Track 1 supports alphanumeric characters; Tracks 2 and 3 are numeric only.
Select the correct coercivity setting:
- HiCo — most plastic cards (credit card stock, ID cards)
- LoCo — hotel key cards, some transit cards
Click Write in the software.
Swipe a blank card through the slot when prompted.
After the write completes, immediately perform a Read to verify the data encoded correctly.

Always verify after writing. A write command completing without error does not guarantee the data is on the card — the verification read confirms it.

Step 6: Copy (Clone) a Card

The MSR605X supports duplicating one card's magnetic stripe data onto a blank card:

Read the source card using Step 4 — all track data will populate in the software fields.
Do not clear or modify the data.
Follow the write process in Step 5 using a blank card of matching coercivity.
Verify the clone with a final read.

This is commonly used for creating backup copies of access cards or re-encoding worn cards.

Troubleshooting

Device Not Recognized by Windows

Symptoms: Device Manager shows Unknown USB Device or no entry at all.

Fix: Uninstall the device from Device Manager, unplug the MSR605X, reinstall the driver software, reboot, then reconnect. Avoid USB hubs — use a direct motherboard port.

Software Can't Connect to the Device

Symptoms: Software shows "Device not found" or COM port error.

Fix: Check that the COM port in your software settings matches what Device Manager assigned. Some software requires you to manually select the port from a dropdown. Also confirm no other application (like a serial terminal) is using the same port.

Read Errors or Partial Track Data

Symptoms: Track fields show garbled characters, question marks, or remain blank after swiping.

Fix: Clean the read head with an isopropyl alcohol cleaning card. Check card for physical damage. Adjust swipe speed — slower is usually better. If errors persist across multiple known-good cards, the read head may be worn.

Written Data Doesn't Verify Correctly

Symptoms: Write completes but read-back shows different or empty data.

Fix: Confirm your coercivity setting matches the card type. LoCo cards written at HiCo settings will encode poorly, and vice versa. Try a fresh blank card from a different batch to rule out card defects.

Software Crashes on Launch

Symptoms: Application closes immediately or throws a runtime error.

Fix: Run the software as Administrator. Some versions require the MSR605X to be plugged in before launching the application. Try reinstalling to a path without spaces (e.g., C:\MSR605X\ rather than C:\Program Files\MSR 605X\).

If you're working with other hardware in the same family, the MSR606H Software covers the MSR606H — a higher-coercivity variant with a similar workflow but different write power settings. The steps above translate directly once you have the right software for your device.

Ready to get started? Download the MSR605X Software and you'll be reading and writing cards within minutes.