Most MSR90 users hit the same wall within minutes of plugging in the device: Windows recognizes the hardware, a card swipe produces output, but the raw data is garbled, improperly decoded, or only par
Quick Overview: The MSR90 is a compact USB magnetic stripe card reader designed for reading Track 1, 2, and 3 data from standard mag stripe cards. This guide walks you through downloading, installing, and configuring the right software for your MSR90 so you can start reading cards immediately — no prior experience required.
Most MSR90 users hit the same wall within minutes of plugging in the device: Windows recognizes the hardware, a card swipe produces output, but the raw data is garbled, improperly decoded, or only partially captured. The problem is almost never the reader itself — it's missing or mismatched software. The MSR90 is a USB HID (Human Interface Device) keyboard-emulation reader, which means it sends keystrokes to whatever window is active. Without the right software layer to capture and parse that output, you get noise instead of structured card data.
This guide covers everything you need to get MSR90 magnetic card reader software set up correctly on a Windows PC.
Before installing anything, it helps to understand the device's role. The MSR90 is a read-only device — it reads existing magnetic stripe data but cannot write or encode cards. It supports:
Because the MSR90 operates as a keyboard emulator, it does not require a dedicated driver on most modern systems. What it does require is software that intercepts the keystroke stream and formats the decoded data into something usable.
If you need a device that can also write to magnetic stripe cards, take a look at the MSR606H software or MSRX software, both of which support read/write operations.
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 7, 8, 10, 11 (32-bit and 64-bit) |
| Interface | USB (no driver installation required for HID mode) |
| RAM | 512 MB minimum; 1 GB recommended |
| Disk Space | Under 50 MB |
| .NET Framework | 3.5 or later (pre-installed on most Windows versions) |
Additional compatibility notes:
Go to the MSR90 software page and purchase the download. Pricing is $3.90–$9.90 depending on the package. Payment is processed through PayPal. After checkout, you'll receive a download link — save the file to a known location on your PC (e.g., your Desktop or Downloads folder).
Connect the MSR90 to a USB port before launching the software. Windows will detect it automatically as a USB HID keyboard device. You should see a brief "device recognized" notification in the taskbar. No driver installation prompt will appear — this is expected behavior.
The software package is delivered as a compressed archive (.zip). Right-click the file and select Extract All, then choose a destination folder. Keep the extracted folder accessible — do not run the application directly from inside the zip.
Open the extracted folder and double-click the main application executable. If Windows SmartScreen displays a warning, click More info → Run anyway. This prompt appears because the application is not a Microsoft Store download, not because it contains malware.
Once the software is open:
With the software window in focus, swipe a card through the MSR90. The read head is inside the card slot — swipe at a smooth, consistent speed from either direction. A successful read will populate the data fields in the interface. If you get blank output or garbled characters, see the FAQ below.
Depending on the software package, you can log swipes to a CSV or text file, copy decoded data to the clipboard, or feed it directly into another application. Configure your preferred output method in the settings panel before beginning any batch operation.
This is the most common issue and almost always means the software isn't capturing the raw keystroke stream correctly. The MSR90 outputs encoded data as keystrokes — if the output window loses focus mid-swipe (even briefly), part of the data goes to a different application. Make sure the software window is active and focused before swiping. Also verify your keyboard language/input settings: if Windows is set to a non-US keyboard layout, character mapping can shift and corrupt the decoded output.
No. The MSR90 is a USB HID device and Windows 10/11 includes the necessary generic HID driver built into the operating system. Plug it in and it will be recognized automatically within a few seconds. You only need software to interpret and format the data it reads — not a hardware driver.
No. The MSR90 is a read-only device and no software will enable write functionality — that capability doesn't exist in the hardware. If you need to encode blank magnetic stripe cards, you'll need a different device. The MSR606H software supports both reading and writing on all three tracks and is a common next step for users who outgrow a read-only setup.
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