SIDEWINDER STRATEGIC COMMANDER

  • Thread starter Thread starter Keric
  • Start date Start date
K

Keric

Can anyone direct me to an Official driver and program
support for the MS Sidewinder Strategic Commander for
windows XP pro?

Even an UNOFFICIAL driver if it works would be great...if
there is one out there.

Keric

Hopefully this hasn't been covered before. Sorry if it
has.
 
Keric,

I have a Strategic Commander attached to my Windows XP Professional (Service
Pack 2) system right now and it works fine. All I had to do was attach the
Strategic Commander to my system, Windows XP detected it as an HID device,
and I installed the software off the CD that came with the Strategic
Commander.

What behavior are you seeing with your Strategic Commander?
 
I just posted a new message...you are right...I just
installed it last night in a certain order and it
worked...your e-mail was and I too have SP2. As you
mentioned it detected it as a HID keyboard...that was the
issue...I was trying to install it as a gamepad device.

Keric

It works great...I was rocking Freelance...so now I need
to go out and purchase a could more Simulation games and a
couple more RTS games.
-----Original Message-----
Keric,

I have a Strategic Commander attached to my Windows XP Professional (Service
Pack 2) system right now and it works fine. All I had to do was attach the
Strategic Commander to my system, Windows XP detected it as an HID device,
and I installed the software off the CD that came with the Strategic
Commander.

What behavior are you seeing with your Strategic Commander?
--
Thanks,
Nick Kritselis [MS]
--
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.


Can anyone direct me to an Official driver and program
support for the MS Sidewinder Strategic Commander for
windows XP pro?

Even an UNOFFICIAL driver if it works would be great...if
there is one out there.

Keric

Hopefully this hasn't been covered before. Sorry if it
has.
Click to expand...


.
Click to expand...
 
Keric,

Glad to hear you got it working.

Feel free to post again if you have any other issues.
--
Thanks,
Nick Kritselis [MS]
--
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.


Keric said:
I just posted a new message...you are right...I just
installed it last night in a certain order and it
worked...your e-mail was and I too have SP2. As you
mentioned it detected it as a HID keyboard...that was the
issue...I was trying to install it as a gamepad device.

Keric

It works great...I was rocking Freelance...so now I need
to go out and purchase a could more Simulation games and a
couple more RTS games.
-----Original Message-----
Keric,

I have a Strategic Commander attached to my Windows XP Professional (Service
Pack 2) system right now and it works fine. All I had to do was attach the
Strategic Commander to my system, Windows XP detected it as an HID device,
and I installed the software off the CD that came with the Strategic
Commander.

What behavior are you seeing with your Strategic Commander?
--
Thanks,
Nick Kritselis [MS]
--
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.


Can anyone direct me to an Official driver and program
support for the MS Sidewinder Strategic Commander for
windows XP pro?

Even an UNOFFICIAL driver if it works would be great...if
there is one out there.

Keric

Hopefully this hasn't been covered before. Sorry if it
has.
Click to expand...


.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Ok, to bump a several month old thread, where would one find the software
that was originally included with the commander? Somewhere in the course of
7 moves I've lost the CD that came with this.
 
Official support from Microsoft has been discontinued but there are several
"loyal" fan sites.
 
Hi Luxtr,

You should check to see what chipset your USB ports are using. If it is
a VIA chipset you should find some updated drivers for it. There were some
VIA USB controllers that had issues with joystick type devices in
particular.
As far as the drivers they are built into WindowsXP and will load when
you plug the device in and the system is able to detect it. The software for
mapping keys to buttons isn't in the OS so you will need to get a CD for
that. As you already found there is a different installer for each device.
You can use your friends CD or try following this link and have a new one
sent to you.

Hardware and Software replacement
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;326246

Joshua Smith
OpenGL Test Lab
Microsoft
-----

Get Secure! www.microsoft.com/security

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights
 
|
| it's me... again :P
|
| Unfortunately, won't have any luck with the 4in1 update. My motherboard
| is an Intel D865GBF... I couldn't find any chipset update for my mobo,
| and then I found this:
|
| "INF: Intel® Chipset Software Installation Utility"
| Description: This utility installs INF files that inform the operating
| system how to properly configure the chipset for specific functionality
| such as USB and AGP.
|
| I'm not sure if I need to install this update.
|
| So far I tried the following...
| (the joystick was plugged in)
| On my father's computer, which has the same hardware configuration as
| mine, I had my friend's CD copied and installed the SW 4.0 software on
| the computer. The setup ended OK, and then I went to Game Devices,
| added a "Microsoft Sidewinder (Autodetect)" device... a "Microsoft
| Sidewinder 3D Pro" was added to the list... it said it was "Not
| connected".
|
| Restarted the computer and still, when I tried to run the Strategic
| Commander Scheme editor, nothing came up. No lights were turned on, and
| didn't feel like installing any game to test it.
|
| Reinstalled the software and then, an error msg came up: "the system
| cannot detect your SideWinder Strategic Commander (...)". Clicked OK,
| launched the software again and nothing happened... I tried to
| reinstall it but nothing happened.
|
| However...
|
| 1. Should my stategy joystick have its lights turned on when I turn on
| my PC?
|
| 2 And... eventually, after updating my USB controller, will Windows
| list my Strategic Commander as a MS Sidewinder Stategic Commander in
| Game Devices list?
|
| Because I got into this MS KB Article:
| Strategic Commander: Device Does Not Appear in Game Controllers Tool in
| Control Panel - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/274401
|
| But since it looks like a Win9x-Me article, I'm not sure if this thing
| goes for WinXP, because I remember having my Strategic Commander listed
| under Mouse/Keyboard instead of Game controllers (in Device Admin, on
| Windows 98 SE) but had no experience on WinXP :p
|
| Well... that's pretty much it.
|
| I'll appreciate any help. Thanks again,
| Lux.
|
|
| --
| Luxtr
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Luxtr's Profile: http://forums.techarena.in/member.php?userid=6362
| View this thread: http://forums.techarena.in/showthread.php?t=14991
| Visit - http://forums.techarena.in/archive/index.php/ | http://www.techarena.in
|

Hi Luxtr,

Installing the USB chipset update utility you located at Intel's site is consistent
with the recommendation Joshua gave you previously in this newsgroup thread.

Hopefully that will resolve the main issue. Please report back with the results.

--
Cheers, Windows XP MVP Shell / User
Jimmy S. http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

Visit my MSN Zone.com and Gaming Help Site: http://mvps.org/nibblesnbits
MS Games Help and Support Center: http://support.microsoft.com/?pr=gms
My advice is donated "AS IS" without warranty; nor do I confer any rights.
_________________________________________________________
 
HI Lux,

Yes, make sure your USB controller is setup correctly with any fixes
there might be. You could also consider purchasing a separate USB controller
to test with. If you find somewhere good you might be able to purchase one
to test with and return it when you are done. You won't have to add it using
the Add... button in Gaming Options either. That is for the gamepart devices
since they don't PnP. Under normal conditons your device will PnP and should
light up the buttons that are configured when it is detected. Have you by
chance tried your device on your friends system? Presuming his Commander
works on his system that would tell you if for some reason yours was just
out right broken.

Joshua Smith
OpenGL Test Lab
Microsoft
 
Will I be able to use my Strategic Commander in the new 64 bit versions of
Windows and the new Vista???
 
Maybe or maybe not! Microsoft has stopped supporting it for some time now.
Even gameport joysticks are questionable!
 
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