Hard Light Productions Forums

Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Bobboau on August 07, 2003, 09:29:08 am

Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Bobboau on August 07, 2003, 09:29:08 am
ever sence I got my new computer I have been un able to use my gravis digital blackhawk joy stick, I have tryed useing the exsisting MS drivers the drivers tha came with the stick, the updated drivers/sowtware from gravis (gravis xperience 4.5) wich seems to have done more harm than good. now if it isn't in the list already, and I open the game controler window I get a 'new hardware found' mesage, it seems to install and when its done and says everything is fine I have the stick in the controler list but it is listed as 'not connected' (when it quite very much is).

some odd things;
I have a 'standard game prot' on my mobo and a 'creative game port' on my audigy, currently it is hooked up to the creative, but I have tryed the standard one, no change.
though it is in the active list in the game controlers list, it is not in the available list (ie when you go and hit the 'add' button), it was at one time but it is not now, I have un instaled every version of the gravis drivers (tryed reinstaling, made the game contrloler window crash when I tryed opening the properties window (by double clicking on the iem))
every now and then it will show up for a very short amount of time and seems to work fine, if I open the properties page, once closed though it stops working, this has been happening less and less often.
god seems to hate me, or at least bill gates.
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Hudzy on August 07, 2003, 10:27:30 am
Is it Windows XP? I know my joystick stopped working when I upgraded to XP.
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Bobboau on August 07, 2003, 10:35:27 am
yes, XP
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: redsniper on August 07, 2003, 01:08:42 pm
I hate to say this but you just got screwed over by MS.
I had a Sidewinder Precision Pro and it stopped working when I got XP, I looked everywhere for a patch but later found out there wasn't one. I finally coughed up $70 for a new joystick (a nice one tho)
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Bobboau on August 07, 2003, 09:11:52 pm
oh, come on, we can do better than 'your screwed'

ok, lets try this a diferent way, if I don't get my joystick working, I can't help finish BWO, without me it is likely to be given up
as I am probly the most active person (perhaps second to Icefire, but were the only realy active ones... any way...) on the team, I was hopeing to get a lot of work done with my new computer but so far I have barely been able to do a damned thing.
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Unknown Target on August 07, 2003, 09:42:18 pm
if you do decide to get a new joystick, I recommend the Cyborg 3D Pro from Saitek. Major Kick-455 product there.
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Bobboau on August 07, 2003, 09:55:50 pm
:sigh: does it work in XP...
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Unknown Target on August 07, 2003, 10:07:00 pm
yep, have one myself. Most of the buttons are well placed, and the only thing I can complain about is when you are about 2 degrees off-center on the rudder twist, it doesn't auto-center :( That usually doesn't matter, tho ;)
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: pyro-manic on August 07, 2003, 10:16:03 pm
You could try the Cyborg 3D Gold USB, the previous top-spec one from Saitek. It's really well made, is adjustable to any size of hand (left or right), and you can get it for about £30, so it's cheaper then the newer sticks. (I assume that UT is talking about the newest Saitek stick, rather than this one - the names are similar. If this is the same thing, then yeah - get one! :nod: )
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Fury on August 07, 2003, 11:28:45 pm
I don't know what the hell is this talk about joysticks not working on XP. I've got MS Sidewinder Precision Pro which can be plugged either to gameport or USB port. And it works like a dream in both.
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Bobboau on August 08, 2003, 01:06:23 am
you say you have a

MS  

Sidewinder Precision Pro
and it works flawlessly on

MS  

windows XP

hmm, isn't that interesting
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Fury on August 08, 2003, 02:17:58 am
Bobboau, in a case you did not notice:
Quote
Originally posted by redsniper
I hate to say this but you just got screwed over by MS.
I had a Sidewinder Precision Pro and it stopped working when I got XP, I looked everywhere for a patch but later found out there wasn't one. I finally coughed up $70 for a new joystick (a nice one tho)
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Turnsky on August 08, 2003, 02:56:16 am
http://www.gravis.com


download the bloody updated drivers, and check your gameport drivers as well..

i've got the same bloody joystick and had the same problems...

oh yeah, if your mobo has a gameport, please disable it via the Bios...
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Fury on August 08, 2003, 05:36:36 am
I believe you mean BIOS rather than CMOS... :rolleyes:
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Turnsky on August 08, 2003, 06:14:54 am
ugh... right...:blah:
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Nico on August 08, 2003, 06:22:07 am
Quote
Originally posted by Bobboau
you say you have a

MS  

Sidewinder Precision Pro
and it works flawlessly on

MS  

windows XP

hmm, isn't that interesting


I just had to plug mine, didn't even install any driver, it worked fine. go wonder.
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Bobboau on August 08, 2003, 10:34:04 am
Quote
Originally posted by Turnsky
http://www.gravis.com


download the bloody updated drivers, and check your gameport drivers as well..
 


Quote
Originally posted by Turnsky
I have tryed useing the exsisting MS drivers the drivers tha came with the stick, the updated drivers/sowtware from gravis (gravis xperience 4.5) wich seems to have done more harm than good.

now unless they have something other than the crappy gravis xperience 4.5 on there site, I have tryed several diferen't times to do this, and it failed miserably,
I also just updated my creative audigy drivers, nothng.
and I did just disable the on bord game port
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Gloriano on August 08, 2003, 11:14:01 am
what if you joystick is broken?
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Bobboau on August 08, 2003, 05:44:23 pm
it was working fin on the old computer, and while I still had it I tested it out seeral times to make sure it was working properly
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Flipside on August 08, 2003, 05:54:58 pm
Try running Freespace 2 in Windows 98 compatability mode, it fixed the problem for my old joystick :)

Flipside.
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Bobboau on August 08, 2003, 05:55:57 pm
tryed that, didn't work
FS uses direct input so if it doesn't show up in the game controlers window, it isn't going to work in game
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Flipside on August 08, 2003, 06:09:51 pm
Uggh! That's a software problem.....

Reading on how you are describing it, I would say it is almost certainly drivers. If you haven't tried already, try removing everything to do with the joystick drivers and don't reinstall. And then add the thing manually, see if it will come up connected then?
The only other thing I can suggest is updating the sound card drivers for both cards (or disabling one of the game ports in the BIOS, 2 game ports on different cards tends to REALLY confuse XP for some reason) I use an Audigy as well, so I know what a meglomaniac that thing is :(

Flipside :D
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Bobboau on August 08, 2003, 06:33:34 pm
tryed all that :(
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Flipside on August 08, 2003, 06:54:29 pm
Damn :( Well, to be honest with you, I do NOT think there is anything wrong with your joystick other than it doesn't have a USB connector on it, that, in my opinion, is what is causing XP to have a strop :(

I will try and think of something else that may have caused it tonight, but right now, I really am out of ideas, sorry :(

Flipside.
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Turnsky on August 08, 2003, 07:59:40 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Bobboau
tryed all that :(


well... you've got me there Bob...

Note: WinXp and Gravis Blackhawk digital on my rig as well..

and so far niether have given me any trouble
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Gloriano on August 09, 2003, 02:16:35 am
which XP you have home edition or pro ?
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Bobboau on August 09, 2003, 02:20:43 am
home

and I have tryed removeing anything and everything related to the stick, and then I plug it in, then I go to the controle pannel thing and once I hit the add button I get the new hardware thing it says 'gravis digital blackhawk(gameport)' then says it is instaled then in the window it says not conected and at around that time I am filled with a horable white hot burning rage and a desire to hunt down bill gates and push his head into the broken shards of my monitor still smoldering in my room
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Gloriano on August 09, 2003, 02:46:55 am
could the proplem is that you have XP home edition? because i don`t find any other reason to your proplem

if you can`t find what is wrong then you should buy new joy stick
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Fury on August 09, 2003, 04:42:07 am
Why should Home version be the problem? :wtf:
Home and Pro are basically the same, Home only lacks some more advanced features, mostly regarding networking.
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Flipside on August 09, 2003, 07:46:01 am
Right, somewhere lurking on your system, the old DLL for your Gravis gamepad still lurks.....
I don't know if XP comes with built in drivers for it, if so there should be absolutely NO excuse for it not working apart from a dodgy connection at the Joystick-in port.
Try doing regedit and finding everything with Gravis in for a start, the problem is with XP is that it has a nasty habit of telling you it's installing drivers, but never asking you if you actually want it to do so!

Flipside :)
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Fury on August 09, 2003, 09:29:04 am
In any case, I think it would be wise to try reinstalling WinXP before going to buy a new joystick.

A clean install that is, not an install which installs XP over existing installation. Boot from XP CD and format.

If you haven't already, create a dedicated partition for Windows.
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Hudzy on August 09, 2003, 09:45:40 am
A random thought. Might you be able to get a thing with a joystick port/usb adapter? So you plug it into a usb port and then plug the joystick into that. That's going back to Flipside's comment about the only other problem being it doesn't have a usb connector on it.

Yeh I know, lame idea. :nervous:
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Bobboau on August 09, 2003, 12:15:11 pm
I tryed the regedit idea, and it looked like it had worked for about five minutes, but when I checked the properties it wasn't working, and when I closed the game controlers window, it once again said not conected, and hasn't changed sence
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Gloriano on August 09, 2003, 12:22:51 pm
then your only option is buy new joy stick
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Singh on August 09, 2003, 01:05:04 pm
Still dont know why you americans bother with the joystick. i dont have one and i manage just fine :lol: :nervous: :ha:
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: ShadowWolf_IH on August 10, 2003, 02:02:44 pm
why not create a virtual hd and instal 98 on it, then instal the game on that.  XP will ask you which OS you want to run at startup, and you can just pic 98 to run when you want to work on the game.
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Bobboau on August 18, 2003, 03:50:21 am
my beloved has returned!!!

tonight as I was testing a SCP build I saw my throtel was set at an odd percentage, after a moment I thought oh the joystick is working momentaraly again so I picked it up to play with it for the two or three seconds I was expecting it to work, and as soon as I sat it on my lap, as expected, it stoped working, so I set it down, and then as I did the ship I was flying jerked to the left, oh it's working again, picked it up, no no it isn't, set it down, my ship shakes again, I then looked at it suspisusly, sat it on my lap and started moveing it about, then grabed the cord and it started working, after a moment of playing about I figured out that the wires in the cord near the conection to the base were damaged, so, I grabed my drill and my sodering iron and some old cable I grabed from when the store next to my meat packing plant got upgraded and I replaced it slopily hackes and sodered it together, so now my stick is not only working as good as before it is actualy better becase it has a longer cord that doesn't get pulled to it's limet whan I sit back on my futon and play
I'm so happy!!!
:D :D :D
the only problem is I lost one of th centering springs while I was trying to put it back together
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Flipside on August 18, 2003, 01:43:50 pm
LOL Glad to hear you got it fixed! So it WAS a dodgy connection ;)

As far the spring, it's got to be round there somewhere, take off your socks and walk round the room, I promise you will find it ;)

Flipside :D
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Ashrak on August 18, 2003, 02:21:40 pm
rofl i was actually just gonna suggest:


chek your port flashlight and count iff all the pins are there and chek the cord ;)
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Bobboau on August 18, 2003, 05:01:43 pm
I ain't finding that spring, you havn't seen my room
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Flipside on August 18, 2003, 05:11:35 pm
LOL I know how you feel, I've just pulled out two boxes of various unidentified audio and computer leads looking for a midi converter, and can I find it? Nope! :(

Flipside :D
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Bobboau on August 18, 2003, 05:22:13 pm
I've lost hous cats in my room, and they wanted to be found,
a little 3/4in spring that went flying off in some random direction is just gone
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: IceFire on August 18, 2003, 05:32:37 pm
Wow...what a conclusion!

Countless DLL searching, driver fighting, and near hate mail encounter with Bill gates...AND FOR ALL THAT TROUBLE IT WAS....a wire.

I love technology :)

Why didn't any of us (including myself) think of that?
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Thorn on August 18, 2003, 05:36:01 pm
The same thing is happening with my mouse.. on both ends of the cord.... move it the wrong way and it cuts out....
I think I'm gonna steal my work mouse...
Title: joy stick problems
Post by: Ashrak on August 19, 2003, 02:51:29 am
i thought of that showed up too late though ;)