Connect error. check that usb cable is connected and power switch is turned on

There are a few possible reasons to get the USB connection error. You could have a bad USB cable, a bad port (on the computer or the sewing machine). If you are using a USB hub, try a direct connection. Try a different USB 2.0 cable (type A to type B) of 6' or less in length connected to a different port. You might simply be opening the program before the driver is completely installed. Wait a few minutes after turning on the sewing machine; look for the New Hardware Found message disappear indicating that the new driver has been associated the USB device. Usually the new hardware found is announced with a beep.

If you are connected to a USB 1.0 port, you need to turn off the computer, connect the sewing machine's USB cable to both devices and then turn on the sewing machine. Then turn on the computer and wait for the driver to be installed completely. (The first generation USB protocol was not plug and play. It only recognized devices on restart/boot.)

To check if the driver for the sewing machine is found by the computer, open the Device Manager. Expand the Human Interface Devices section. If the entry for the CE-350 has an exclamation point or a red x, the driver hasn't been properly installed. If you right-click on the device, choose Properties. Check the General section to see if the computer thinks it is working. Look the events tab for details like a "Further Installation needed" message.

I hope this helps.

Cindy Wells
(Note: some USB ports do not hold the cable properly. If the cable is wobbling in the port, you might hear the Hardware found beep several times as the connection appears and disappears with the machine. Under some circumstances, the port can be damaged by high voltage demands (charging with a bad cable or too many devices on a USB hub) or a surge coming through the computer. You can sometimes check this by connecting a USB device that works on another port or machine to the port that may be faulty.)

First try a different USB cable. (It's a standard USB 2.0 A/B male at both ends cable; it's often sold as a USB printer cable. The cable should be 6' or shorter.) Try a different port on the computer; ports can fail either due to high or low current issues. Ports also fail if the cable is loose in the port slot. If you are using a USB hub, try a direct connection. Make sure that you are using the type B port on the sewing machine.
If you still have problems and the computer USB ports work with other devices, then try putting your embroidery design on a USB drive (note: FAT32 format and less than 4GB capacity drives are more likely to work). Check if the USB type A port works with the flash drive. These machines only talk to Windows OS machines.

If the USB devices fail, you may need to have the machine serviced. Fixing the USB port requires opening the sewing machine.

I hope this helps.

Cindy Wells
(The most common problems with all USB connections is a bad cable preventing full communication between the device and the computer.)

you might need a new usb cable, or have the machines computer checked

This may sound silly and I am not trying to be a smarty but mine does that quit a bit and it always because I don't have the on switch on when I pull up my soft ware and if the cord you bought is to long it will not work I suggest only because i do this frequently go back to the original cord hook it up turn it on then pull it up on your computer

Go to the Singer website and down load the driver for your machine.

IF YOUR WINDOWS 7 UPDATED TO 64 BIT, THE SOFTWARE WONT WORK ANYMORE

Make sure you're plugging the USB cable from the machine intoa USB port in the BACK of your computer, not one of the front ports or a porton a USB hub. The cable and machine need more power than most of those portsprovide, a technical detail that Singer doesn't realize. If you're using a laptop, keep trying different USB ports until you find one that works. Good luck!

My computer is extremely touchy when I use my usb cable to attach to my machine. I have to use the SAME usb port that I used when the driver was installed or else it will not recognize that my machine is plugged in. Basically it is telling you it cannot find your machine. Reinstall the driver and mark which usb port you used to install the machine.
Also, in order to open the futura software, your machine must be powered on and connected via USB cable before you attempt to open the software on your computer.

I received an email back from Singer stating that it is not possible at this time to load the Futura software on a 64-bit system using Vista. I have emailed to ask whether it would load if the OS were XP, but I haven't heard back yet.

They said that they were working on finding a fix for this, but they aren't sure that they will since it's a hardware problem.

So here's what I did and it worked for me. Somehow the WinDriver that is on the software is uninstalling itself and needs to be listed with the drivers for Jungo for this software to work. I installed the software when I first got the machine with no problems, then suddenly I couldn't open it and was receiving the same connection error. When you go to http://www.futura-support.com/faq/machine.htm#2 to install the drivers, you'll notice their screen shot shows both the CLEM driver and the WinDriver. Check your machine following their instructions to see if you have both listed under the Jungo driver. If not, go to http://www.jungo.com/st/windriver_usb_pci_driver_development_software.html and select the link under "Available WinDriver Toolkits" for your operating systems (I selected WinDriver USB for Windows). It asks a bunch of questions which I didn't know the answer to so I selected "other" on almost everything then entered "NA"or "?" for the other description. Select Download now and it will need to restart your computer. Once done, I looked at the device manager again and now WinDriver is listed under Jungo and CLEM and the software opens, no problems.

This will at least temporarily solve the issue, however, it's a free trial which means the download will expire at some point. Good news is, the windriver is on the futura disk, I just don't know why it's not installing or staying on the machine. I am sending all of this to Singer to figure out what they're missing in the installation files and hopefully get a fix permanently.

Good luck!