In short, no - Focusrite interfaces need a driver in order to run properly on all Windows systems. To obtain the latest driver for your interface, you can either log into your account, where you'll find any drivers listed under 'Downloads and Activation Codes' below your product:
OR you can visit the Downloads section of our website and then select your product from either dropdown list to view all available drivers/software:
The driver for the Scarlett 6i6, 8i6, 18i6, 18i8 and 18i20 is installed as part of Scarlett Mix Control (1st Generation) or Focusrite Control (2nd Generation). The driver for the Forte is installed as part of Forte Control.
Please note: an update for Windows 10 that is available from the 11th April 2017 (version 1703, informally known as the 'Creators' update) included the addition of a 'Microsoft USB 2.0 Audio Class Driver'. This driver is assigned to USB 2.0 audio devices that do not have any other drivers from the manufacturer installed for them. This means that, if you don't install the driver for your device by following the steps above, and instead connect your interface to the computer without installing any drivers. The Microsoft USB 2.0 Audio Class Driver will be assigned to your interface instead.
This driver does NOT work with Focusrite devices in Windows 10 version 1703 (“Creators Update”), however it does work in Windows 10 version 1709 (“Fall Creators Update”). This driver is designed for 2 channel input and playback from non-ASIO software, meaning that it should work fine for simple tasks such as playing back audio from Windows Media Player/iTunes, but it's not designed for low latency recording work.
You can check which driver is currently assigned to your interface by going to Control Panel > Device Manager, then expand the 'Sound, video and game controllers' section. Double-click on your interface in this section and then go to the 'Driver' tab to reveal the driver version currently assigned to that device. If this version begins with a '10' as per the screenshot below, then this is the Microsoft class driver - if that's the case, please follow the steps at the beginning of this article to install the latest Focusrite driver for your device instead from our Downloads section.
If you have any problems then please Contact Technical Support