Flight Simulator 2004

[Nurmi]

I purchased the above and discarded my first FS 2000. My MS Sidewinder
Precision 2 Joystick does not work properly with my new game. I looked for a
driver up-date without sucess. Any ideas among you experts?

 

[RobertVA]

I purchased the above and discarded my first FS 2000. My MS Sidewinder
Precision 2 Joystick does not work properly with my new game. I looked for a
driver up-date without sucess. Any ideas among you experts?

We need more information to narrow down what the problem might be. Most
of the questions below aren't specific to the model of controller you
describe.

I don't recall if that particular model used a game port, a USB port or
the option of using either. Any use of game port devices requires
activation of the game port through the sound card or an integrated
motherboard game port. Some combinations of game port controllers
(especially "digital" game port controllers) and separately purchased
adapters to use them on a computer's USB ports are incompatible with
each other.

In what way does the joystick "...not work properly..."?

Is the joystick listed as an available controller in the simulator?

Is the joystick listed as an available control in the Windows device
manager? Does the joystick appear in the Windows XP Control Panel's
"Game Controllers" listing and can you test and calibrate it there?

Is there any response from the joystick in the simulator at all?

Are the throttle, pitch, yaw and roll responses in the simulator too
sensitive or not sensitive enough? Were you familiar with the controller
axis sensitivity adjustment procedure in FS 2000?

Are the buttons and/or hat switch doing what you expected?

What version of DirectX are you using? You can determine that through
the DirectX diagnostic available when you type dxdiag in the Windows XP
Start button's "Run..." pop-up.

 

[Nurmi]

Thank you RobertVA.

My model uses a USB port.

The joystick is listed as an available controller in the simulator,

It is listed as available control in the windows device manager as

Human interface devices,

HID - compliant consumer control device,

MS SideWinder Precision 2,

MS Side Winder Precision2 HID Drivers, and

MS SideWinder Virtual Keyboard

It appears in Control Panel's "Game Controllers" listing.
However when I attempted to calibrate the joystick I was unable to adjust
the dead zone and range motion.

The notice read:

An exception occurred while trying to run
"C\Windows\system32\shell32.dll,Control_RunDll" C:Windows\stestem32\joy.cpl"
game controllers"

The joystick does respond in the simulator but the result is the AC is all
over the sky even when at it's least sensitive setting.

All buttons and hat switch work as expected. I was familiar with the
controller axis sensitivity adjustment procedure in FS 2000. As a result my
present loss of what to do.

I use version DX 9.0c

 

[jesterkb]

I have the same problem with the sidewinder. What I can tell you is that it
is unique to a computer (somehow hardware related), and started when I
installed a Windows XP Update. Wish I dould tell you which one, but I had
done a fresh windows install. My CD is soooooooo old, it doesn't have SP1
even! So there is quite a bit of updating. So some where duing the updates,
it quit working, as with just the basic XP installed it worked perfectly.
However like a lot of us, I run multiple computers. My other (an ancient
Dell with all the same XP updates), was still working, but I no longer game
on it, but it was able to access the software correctly, so I made the
changes there and then copied the file over the fast computer with the
problem and fixed it that way. BTW, I did notify Microsoft and a rep tried
and tried, but couldn't figure it out. Gave me all kinds of new files
(figuring the key ones were corrupt), but nothing changed and they finally
had to give up. Sorry I've been of little help.

Jesterkb

 

[Nurmi]

Hello jesterkb, thank you for your efforts. Your explanations were
interesting, even though I cannot use them. I only have one computer, my
knowledge of it secrets is insignificant, and since the use of the flight
simulator is restricted to a few hours a week, I have helped myself by
reducing the sensitivity to a workable level.

 

[jesterkb]

Kept searching and found the following link"

http://www.mhogaming.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1512

I tried this, and it did not work for me. Perhaps you'll have better luck.

Jesterkb