Dhauzimmer X36/X45 drivers under Windows 8

[najevi]

Has any Windows 8 user succesfully installed Dhauzimmer's v2.106 drivers for the Saitek X36 and X45 flight controller?

 

I followed these instructions for disabling driver signature enforcement to allow the instalation of Dhauzimmer's unsigned drivers ....

1. Windows Key + R
2. Enter “shutdown.exe /r /o /f /t 0″ – this tells the computer to restart and prompt how you want to start
3. Click the “OK”
4. The system will restart to a menu allowing you to change how it boots.
5. Select “Troubleshoot”
6. Select “Advanced options”
7. Select “Windows Startup Settings” – this will restart Windows and let us change the boot options
8. Click “Restart” button
9. System will restart to “Advanced Boot Options” screen
10. Select “Disable driver signature enforcement” – this tells the computer to booth without forcing signed drivers.
11. Reboot the computer and install the device driver as normal (either using the installer if available or Device Manager)

.... but during instalation the following error is reported:

 

Windows found driver software for your device but encountered an error while attempting to install it.
Saitek X45 Flight Controller D-USB
This device cannot start. (Code 10)

 

I've tried uninstalling the device and drivers and then re-installing. I've tried rebooting (always disabling driver signature enforcement) after the error appears but the error persists.

 

Inspecting the driver details confirms that v2.106 of x36f.sys has been installed at

C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\x36f.sys

 

The hardware is functioning OK using either the default (signed) drivers that windows locates or the latest (signed) drivers from Saitek/MadCatz. Of course the problem with using signed drivers from Saitek is that the Saitek/MadCatz Smart Technology programming software is as useless in 2013 as it was in 2003.

 

My host machine is a Dell Inspiron 17R SE running 64-bit Windows 8.

 

 

[najevi]

A little more diagnostic information gleaned from inspecting the event log for this device:

 

Saitek X45 Flight Controller D-USB

 

Device HID\VID_06A3&PID_053C\6&6f4f514&4&0000 was configured.

Driver Name: input.inf
Class GUID: {745A17A0-74D3-11D0-B6FE-00A0C90F57DA}
Driver Date: 06/21/2006
Driver Version: 6.2.9200.16628
Driver Provider: Microsoft
Driver Section: HID_Raw_Inst.NT
Driver Rank: 0xFF1002
Matching Device ID: HID_DEVICE_SYSTEM_GAME
Outranked Drivers: input.inf:HID_DEVICE:00FF1004
Device Updated: false

Device HID\VID_06A3&PID_053C\6&6f4f514&4&0000 was started.

Driver Name: input.inf
Class GUID: {745A17A0-74D3-11D0-B6FE-00A0C90F57DA}
Service:
Lower Filters:
Upper Filters:

Driver Management has concluded the process to add Service HidUsb for Device Instance ID HID\VID_06A3&PID_053C\6&6F4F514&4&0000 with the following status: 0.

Driver Management has concluded the process to add Service x36f for Device Instance ID HID\VID_06A3&PID_053C\6&6F4F514&4&0000 with the following status: 0.

Driver Management concluded the process to install driver  for Device Instance ID HID\VID_06A3&PID_053C\6&6F4F514&4&0000 with the following status: 0x0.
 

 

As I understand things an exit status of zero is the desired result.

[najevi]

I have tried a "clean start" following these instructions by Dhauzimmer found at FrenchToast's web site:

 

So you've had some trouble and want a clean start (assumes you have no other Saitek controllers attached to your system):
1.Unplug your X36/45.
2.Go to \WINDOWS\inf. Do a text search for 'Saitek X36' or 'Saitek X45'. Delete any .infs that match. If running XP (2k as well?) delete the matching .pnf files.
  viz.
    find /i "saitek" *.* | more
  finds e.g. oem127.inf with matching oem127.pnf
3.Launch regedit (Start..run, type 'regedit' and hit enter.||Win+R, type 'regedit' & enter) Search for 'VID_06A3'. Delete any folder with this in the name and all subfolders (clears all Saitek-related hardware information.)
4.Reboot, just to be safe.
5.Plug your stick back in. It should detect as a 'USB Human Interface Device'. (In Windows 8 this reads: "HID-compliant game controller")
6.In the Device Manager, update-driver the USB Human Interface Device over to the latest copy of my (Dhauzimmer) drivers.
7.Done!

Still no joy but I do feel like I am getting familiar with what is involved with this whole driver installation process.

 

I can't believe that I am the first person trying to get these older/unsigned drivers to work under a newer windows OS.

You can rest assured that when I finally do have the solution it will documented here for the benefit of others.