Sidewinder FF for XP install issues

[Broadside uda Barn 0]

It'd been a while since I had my Sidwinder Force Feedback 2 joystick installed.

So I hooked it up today, and windows sees it just fine, but wont let me install the software for it, which means I cant access the Force Feedback controls.

 

Does anyone have a fix for this?

 

I have the original CD, which was for Win98 and win2000.

 

Thanks for any help!

[Silverbolt 104]

neither me....but i'm using....

did you tried:

Controll Pannel>Joypad Controller?

 

 

 

Afaik its Plug N' Play, windowns should recognize it automatically.

Edited July 8, 2009 by Silverbolt

[Broadside uda Barn 0]

Silverbolt:

Yes, control panel/game controllers sees AND loads properly the SWFF2. However, it's the software that I cant get to load.

I can use the stick, and it has force feedback abilities (at least in RoF) that are active, I just cant access any profiles or test/tweak the FF settings.

 

Al, so this is basically the same situation for everyone using this stick? (you're using this as well, right?)

And OFF allows you to modify the FF in the game itself?

 

Thanks!

[Silverbolt 104]

Silverbolt:

Yes, control panel/game controllers sees AND loads properly the SWFF2. However, it's the software that I cant get to load.

I can use the stick, and it has force feedback abilities (at least in RoF) that are active, I just cant access any profiles or test/tweak the FF settings.

 

Al, so this is basically the same situation for everyone using this stick? (you're using this as well, right?)

And OFF allows you to modify the FF in the game itself?

 

Thanks!

 

oh yes, thats it :/ i've D/L ages ago an ''homebrew driver'' for XP made by someone else...but it didn't work properly and allways crashed, unfortunatelly, and when i could load the profiles it didn't had any effect, i could not feel the difference.

 

i think it will never work 100% on XP .

 

The joystick is awesome bu the craptastic M$ Support kills its fun on newest OS, and to worse the things, they discontinued an Joystick to replace FF.(personally i have 2 bad experiences with M$ joysticks, my FF and my Xbox 360 Controller)

 

i'm saving some money to get at least an logitech with Force Feedback.

 

anyway, if i found again this home made driver i'll post here.

 

 

:yes:

[Pike Bishop 0]

Dear All,

Let me say......the only real way you can do this is put windows 98 on your computer and then set your joystick up. Then use XP to overwrite (but NOT reformat) 98.

I am saying this because when I first got XP I did this and XP just retained all the programs drivers and setup and so it still functioned as normal. As my son did the installation I do not know how he did it but it did work. Later we had to do a complete reinstall and lost it all because I forgot that XP reformatted and not just overwrote if you do it wrong, so I lost it all. But it did work for a while.

regards,

Pike.

[Broadside uda Barn 0]

Thanks Pike and Silverbolt!

 

I'm glad the FF works ... and also glad that I'm facing the same issue everyone else is.

 

Going back to win98 has it's own hassles, not to mention the fact that soon windows 7 will be out and we'll be upgrading to that (well, I probably will...held out on vista this long, but dont want to be 2 iterations behind windows).

 

There's a program out there that emulates the FF (or so I've read), but it's another $20...

http://www.pinnaclegameprofiler.com/

 

anyone tried that yet?

[+Polovski 460]

Broadside, Pike means install win98, install driver, upgrade to XP.

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

Microsoft hardware that's not compatible with Microsoft software?...Now THERE's a surprise!.......................NOT

[Broadside uda Barn 0]

Broadside, Pike means install win98, install driver, upgrade to XP.

 

Right. I was thinking along the lines of the degradation between upgrades.

W98, to XP is bad enough, but then another upgrade to Windows 7? Seems like asking for

trouble.

I always try to do a full install when I can, however, I'll try a win7 upgrade if they make it available

for winXP users...so much to reload. I'd like to avoid that if possible, tho the clean install is always the best option.

:yes:

[Broadside uda Barn 0]

OR . . you can save your loose change and buy an EVO

http://www.amazon.com/Saitek-Cyborg-Force-...796&sr=1-14

 

I have full control over the level of Force Feedback through my control panel, and the OFF commands have been modified to my needs. Even have my Trackir on it

 

The only need for the Saitek Software, is if one has multible profiles, for multible games

 

But I've never found the need. My stick is just for OFF, my shooters are controlled via keyboard

 

From what I've read, seems everyone who has the SWFF2 loves it, and it's the preferred stick.

Some stated that the EVO's FF effects are too light...?

 

Even w/o the software for the SWFF2, the FF still works....apparently, if you dont really adjust the EVO's effects or use it's software, then unless you want multiple profiles, you dont need the FF software of either stick... (if I'm reading that correctly).

 

I dont use the SW for any other games (just RoF and soon OFF).

 

If the EVO is the better stick, tho, then I'll try to pick one up as soon as I recover from the TrackIR/pedals purchases.