i've got 2 plugged in on ipi recorder and both of them just keep going back and forth between these 2 messages https://imgur.com/a/CWmbHQH

Does each of Kinects work when connected single?
Are power adapters connected to Kinects?
Have you tried all available USB ports?
How many ports your PC has, is it laptop ot desktop?

none of the kinects work when single, the power adapters are connected (https://www.consolemate.com.au/Xbox-360 ... senpwr.htm)
it's a desktop with 2 ports infront and 4 in back.

basically what's happening on the pc is it just wants to keep disconnecting, the green light specifically on the kinect is the one that keeps beeping on and off every second.
additionally, somebody suggested to turn off selective USB suspension. after that, the kinect works for about a second longer, and manages to say "Ready" on Ipi recorder for 2 seconds, then goes back to its usual error routine. so my guess is thats 1 issue fixed over a sea of possibly many

It may a compatibility issue with an USB controller in your PC. For instance, multiple Kinect for XBOX 360 do not work with modern Intel chipsets starting from 8x series.
Which USB controllers have you got? You can find them in Device Manager under USB Controllers node.
Also it may be that recent versions of Windows include some changes that break work of these Kinects.
Do you have an opportunity to check at another PC?

Also, try to install Kinect SDK 1.8 manually and run one of sample applications or tools from it. Does Kinect work with it?
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=40278

Kinect doesn't run with any of that, because just as it does to windows in general, it keeps throwing the kinect out of the USB ports connections.

Also just tried it on someones laptop, and both kinects work, so the adapters and all are fine.

As for USB details, (found here): https://imgur.com/c1X7S78 these are the details on each type: https://imgur.com/a/HBe7mKS is there supposed to be more info on them somewhere?

From you screenshots I can tell you've only got Intel USB controller.

Then it appears that compatibility issue is very likely.

What's your motherboard if you know or at least which Intel chipset it's based on? You can find a device named like "Intel XXX series chipset" under System Devices in Device Manager.
If it's one of the recent Intel chipsets then it's likely that the only option for you to use old Kinects is to install an additional USB PCIe controller, preferably based on NEC/Renesas chip which has good compatibility with most of the cameras.

Another thing to try before going for a new USB controller is to clean Kinect-related software to avoid software-wise conflicts. Go to Apps & Features and uninstall all the software with words "Kinect", "NUI", "OpenNI" in the name, including Kinect SDK and iPi Recorder. Then reinstall iPi Recorder - it should also install Kinect SDK 1.8 when you choose so.

the pc's motherboard is an Asus Z97-K, and heres info for controllers im assuming you're talking about https://imgur.com/a/npvcuA8

So the Intel chipset in your mobo is quite old and I believe it should work with first generation Kinects.
Please try removing all Kinect related software as I described in the previous post.

yeah the fresh installs still give same results. i'm not particularly savvy specifically when it comes to the types of USB ports and controllers there are, so if you think it might help to replace the one that supposedly should work anyway you might have to direct me on what to get.

i've also heard that some people have fixed this problem by getting a USB Hub to plug the kinects into, is that worth a try?