Are you having problems with stale cookies? I recently assisted a customer via email who was having trouble using his Disklavier Piano Radio. I discovered the solution on Kevin Busse’s website; he in turn learned the solution from Yamaha’s Noah Jolly. You can read more about Noah Jolly on his website, Ground Grown Circuits. The procedure, and the related caveats, follow below.
Why Firmware Comes First
The original DKC-800 used an old security protocol when it phoned home to Yamaha. In late 2021, Yamaha disabled this entirely. Once Yamaha upgraded its servers, every control unit running pre‑update firmware lost the ability to finish the handshake with Yamaha.
See my article on updating E3 / DKC-800 / DKC-850 firmware, and make certain you’ve done this before trying anything else.
Make Sure You’re Connected!
Verify that you’re actually getting internet access at the piano. An easy way to do this is to plug a computer into the Ethernet cable, wireless bridge, or other device you’re using to connect your piano. Make sure that the laptop can reach the internet using that same connection.
I’ll typically also do an Ookla speed test, and make sure I’m getting more than the minimum of 5 Mbps the Disklavier requires.
If you need any guidance on connecting your piano to the internet, see my article on connecting Yamaha Disklaviers to Wi-Fi.
What Are Disklavier “Cookies”?
Yamaha stores your MusicSoft / Disklavier Radio authentication cookie inside the control unit. Think of it as a bookmark that says, “Hi, I’m this subscriber.”
However, if that file is tied to the previous owner’s account, or stale after you changed your password or e‑mail, it can prevent you from logging in! Sometimes, it can also become corrupted by a power loss mid‑session.
If this happens, the piano can’t authenticate even though the network test passes and firmware is current.
This is when deleting cookies helps.
How to Delete Cookies on a DKC‑800 / E3
Press [SETUP] on the DKC‑800 remote.
Tap the ► Right Arrow until you reach the last page; the only item there is “Reset.”
Highlight Reset and press [ENTER] (center of the cursor pad).
The reset line initially shows “Reset = Parameter.” Press [+/YES] or [−/NO] until it reads “Reset = DeleteCookies.”
Press [ENTER] again. When asked to confirm, choose [+/YES].
The control unit briefly processes and returns to the main screen—cookie deletion is complete.
Re‑enter your Yamaha ID and password at the login prompt to resume Disklavier Radio.
Need a Hand?
If you hit a dead end—feel free to contact me. I stock pre‑loaded USB drives with the latest firmware and can perform the update or cookie reset on‑site throughout Maine and New England.