rec.autos.simulators

System Info:

Dell Dimension 4100
933 mHz PIII
256 mb sdram
133 mHz bus
SoundBlaster Live! Value
GeForce 2 GTS, DDR, 64 mb
MS Sidewinder Force Feedback Wheel, USB
Thrustmaster F16 FLCS/TQS
Sidewinder 3.02 (from SW gamepad) and 4.0 (from wheel) software
Windows ME
DirectX 8 (Installed from Nascar Racing 4)

After installing the 4.0 software for wheel, and connecting it the
system sees the wheel but no longer sees the joystick.  Nothing I do has
displayed the joystick status as "OK".  The only way I can get it back
is to do a System Restore to a time before installing the Sidewinder 4.0
software.

I *have* found if I do a Restore, and connect the stick *without*
installing the 4.0 software, both stick and wheel report "OK" as status,
but the wheel appears as a 2-axis, 2-button joystick and none of the FF
config options are available.  Installing 4.0 enables all the FF stuff,
but kills my joystick.  So I think this software is at fault.

Can anyone give me an idea where to go here?  I've been at it about 18
hours now and exhausted everything I know to do.  Searched MS Knowledge
Base and couldn't find anything.  Searched this group & couldn't find
anything. Any help much appreciated, I'd hate to take the wheel back but
I have about 15 flight sims, and only 1 racing game, so I can't give up
my stick & pedals.  But the wheel is AWESOME for Nascar 4 ;)

TIA for any help,

Lee

I'm answering this from memory here, and I'm currently on my work computer,
so please bear with me.  I installed a Thrustmaster Digital Wheel last week
and went to use my F-22 /TQS setup yesterday and found that the control
pannel would not show an OK for my flightstick.  I tried about everything to
get it to work, and finally solved the problem by looking in the device
manager.  I saw two entrys under sound, video and game controllers called
"HID Compliant Game controllers"  (NOTE: this is the part I don't remember
if this is exactly what they were called...).  ANyway, I don't recall them
being there before and I don't know what they do, so I selected 'properties'
for each of them in turn and checked the box that says "disable in this
hardware profile".  That solved my problem and my flightstick HOTAS shows
'OK' now and works fine.   You might check to see if you have a similiar
deal..

Good luck,

Tony

OK, checked it out.  Under 'sound video & game controller' properties
the wheel adds 2 entries for  Microsoft SIdewinder Force Feedback
Wheel (USB) and also one for Microsoft Sidewinder Virtual Keyboard.
This is close as I could come to what you're describing - disabling
any of these disables all three, disconnects the wheel and still don't
allow me to get an "OK" status on the joystick/hotas.  Oh well, back
to troubleshooting I guess ;)

But thanks for the suggestion man, I appreciate it!

Regards,

Lee

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