Cannot connect to HoloLens 2 with PIX

username123456789 0 Reputation points
2026-05-19T00:42:48.5366667+00:00

I am currently having issues with having PIX connect to the HL2 I have connected to my computer. I have no issue deploying with the visual studio "run" button via the universal authentication mode or via usb (deploying with "Remote" and "Device" both work). When I follow the instructions to connect PIX, it hangs on the connection. I've tried connecting with the loopback ip as recommended, USB ip as it appears in desktop task manager, USB ip as it appears in the HL2 settings page, and also the ipv4 address.

I am able to see the device via winappdeploycmd.exe

127.0.0.1 737037ec-015c-0000-95b6-eea76cc33234 Microsoft HoloLens

169.254.30.237 00000000-0000-0000-0000-a085fc2e8296 HOLOLENS-8IASO1

But the connection still eventualyl fails.

The visual studio popup has no issues. The popup and deploying (via "device" or "remote device" option) has always 'just worked' for me. As far as setting it up, it seems like a 'magic popup' for device pairing. If I unpair my pc via the hololens settings menu, on next connection (from visual studio) the prompt comes up, enter pin to connect, visual studio deploys. Went right to pix after (restarted it), no luck connecting.

Maybe useful information: I have reset this device before, maybe there is some weird stale data that exists from before this. When I add the custom provider ETW logging with GUID (saw from another message, could be very old), no events show up.

Questions: Does PIX only work on developer or a special type of hl2?

I do not see a running process in the running processes tab (in the windows device portal) that seems like it is PIX related, is there a process name I can check for? Does PIX 'hide' under another process?

Is it expected to not be able to see it? Inside of ETW logging, there is a registered providers selection, I don't see Microsoft-Graphics-Tools-PixMarkers as an option (if it should be), the only Microsoft-Graphics-* selections I see are "Capture-Server", "Printing", and "Printing3D".

I don't see any microsoft graphics tool there, should I?

I am trying with PIX version 2305.10 and 2308.30

HoloLens | Development
HoloLens | Development

The process of creating immersive mixed reality applications for Microsoft HoloLens,

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  1. AI answer

    2026-05-19T00:43:08.66+00:00

    PIX for HoloLens 2 requires a specific setup and connection path; it does not require a special or “developer-only” HoloLens 2 beyond having Developer Mode and Device Portal enabled, but it does require:

    • HoloLens 2 with Developer Mode and Device Portal turned on.
    • An ARM64 build of the app (PIX only supports ARM64 on HoloLens 2).
    • PIX version 2308.30 on the PC.
    • Connection via USB with the device awake and signed in.

    From the documented workflow, the supported and expected way to connect PIX to HoloLens 2 is:

    1. On HoloLens 2, enable Developer Mode and Device Portal:
      • Settings → Update & Security → For Developers → turn on Use Developer Features and Enable Device Portal.
    2. Connect HoloLens 2 to the PC via USB and ensure the device is awake and the user is logged in.
    3. In Visual Studio:
      • Set ARM64 as the platform and Device as the deployment target.
      • Deploy the app to the HoloLens 2 (this confirms that IP-over-USB / UsbNcm and pairing are working).
    4. Make sure the app is not running on HoloLens 2 (stop it or verify via Device Portal).
    5. Start PIX and connect using the documented loopback configuration:
      • In PIX, go to Home → Connect.
      • In the Computer tab, select Add.
      • Set Host Name or IP Address to 127.0.0.1 (loopback).
      • Click Connect.
      • Note: the first connection can be slow because binaries are copied.
    6. Once connected, in PIX:
      • Go to Launch UWP.
      • In Select Target Process, choose the deployed app.
      • Ensure Launch for GPU Capture is enabled.
      • If the app uses Direct3D 11, enable Force D3D11On12.
      • Click Launch.

    If this flow hangs or fails even though Visual Studio deploys successfully, the documented remediation is to ensure the device is on a supported OS configuration. Some OS configurations (for example, certain Windows Insider builds) can break PIX on HoloLens 2. In that case, the guidance is to reflash the device and then repeat the setup steps.

    Regarding the specific sub‑questions:

    • “Does PIX only work on developer or a special type of HL2?”
      PIX requires Developer Mode and Device Portal enabled, but not a special hardware SKU. The key requirements are: supported HoloLens 2 OS build, Developer Mode + Device Portal, ARM64 app build, and PIX 2308.30 on the PC.
    • “Is there a PIX process visible on the device?”
      The documentation for HoloLens 2 + PIX does not specify a dedicated, user-visible PIX process name in Windows Device Portal. The workflow is framed entirely from the PIX PC side (connect to 127.0.0.1, then launch the UWP app for GPU capture). The absence of an obvious “PIX” process in the Device Portal process list is not called out as an error condition.
    • “Should Microsoft-Graphics-Tools-PixMarkers appear as an ETW provider?”
      The HoloLens 2 + PIX documentation does not list Microsoft-Graphics-Tools-PixMarkers as a required or expected provider in Device Portal’s ETW UI. The documented steps do not involve configuring ETW providers on the device; all configuration is done in PIX on the PC and via the standard Developer Mode/Device Portal settings.

    Given that Visual Studio deployment works, but PIX connection hangs even when using 127.0.0.1 and PIX 2308.30, the supported next step from the documentation is to verify the device is not on an unsupported/Insider configuration and, if necessary, reflash the HoloLens 2 and then repeat:

    1. Enable Developer Mode + Device Portal.
    2. Deploy an ARM64 build via Visual Studio with target Device.
    3. Connect PIX to 127.0.0.1 and launch the app for GPU capture.

    References:

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