Combat Flight Simulator/Combat Flight Simulator 2: How to Troubleshoot Joystick Problems (Part 1) (279208)

MORE INFORMATION

To troubleshoot joystick issues in the games listed at the beginning of this article, use the following methods in the order in which they are presented. After you finish each method, test to determine if the issue is resolved. If the issue continues to occur, proceed to the next method.

Note If you use a Logitech Warrior joystick, connect it to the game port in your computer. Do not connect the Logitech Warrior joystick to the serial port in your computer. The Logitech Warrior does not function properly with Microsoft DirectX 5.0 or later when it is connected to a serial port.

Verify That Your Operating System Supports Your Game Controller

To enable support for the game port in Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, you must install Service Pack 3 (SP3) or later. Windows NT 4.0 with SP3 or later supports most analog game controllers. However, it does not support digital game controllers.

The Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me), and Microsoft Windows 2000 operating systems support both analog and digital game controllers. For best performance, verify that the latest version of the game controller driver for your game controller is installed on your computer.

The following table lists operating system compatibility for all SideWinder game controllers:

Game Controller	Windows 95	Windows 98/Me	Windows NT 4	Windows 2000
SideWinder standard	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
SideWinder 3DPro	Yes	Yes	Yes *	Yes
SideWinder Game Pad	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
SideWinder Plug and Play Game Pad	No	Yes	No	Yes
SideWinder Game Pad Pro	No	Yes	No	No **
SideWinder FreeStyle Pro	Yes ***	Yes	No	Yes
SideWinder Dual Strike	No	Yes	No	No **
SideWinder Joystick	No	Yes	No	Yes
SideWinder Precision Pro	Yes ***	Yes	No	Yes
SideWinder Precision Pro 2	No	Yes	No	Yes
SideWinder Force Feedback Pro	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
SideWinder Force Feedback Pro 2	No	Yes	No	Yes
SideWinder Precision Racing Wheel	No	Yes	No	No **
SideWinder Force Feedback Wheel	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
SideWinder Force Feedback Wheel (USB)	No	Yes	No	No **

* Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 3 or later only supports the SideWinder 3DPro joystick in analog mode.

** You can install and run version 4.0 of the SideWinder software on a Windows 2000-based computer. However, all features may not function as expected, and the SideWinder software may not function properly. To install the SideWinder software on Windows 2000, you must log on as an administrator.

*** To use a hybrid game port/Universal Serial Bus (USB) game controller with a Windows 95-based computer, you must connect the game controller to the game port in your computer. Windows 95 does not support USB.

Note Unless otherwise indicated in the preceding table, support for all current USB/game port and USB-only SideWinder game controllers is included in Windows 98, Windows Me, and Windows 2000.

Check the Game Controller Connection to the Computer

If you use a game port game controller, verify that the game controller is connected directly to the game port in your computer. Daisy-chained game controllers or game port adapters can interfere with communication between the game port and the game controller.

If you use a USB game controller, verify that the game controller is connected properly to the USB port in your computer or to a compatible USB hub that is connected to the USB port in your computer, and disconnect all game controllers from your computer except the game controller that you want to use to play the game.

Note Windows NT 4.0 does not support daisy-chained game controllers, game port adapters, or USB game controllers.

Disable the SideWinder Game Device Profiler

If you use a SideWinder game controller, disable the SideWinder Game Device Profiler or SideWinder Game Controller software. To do this, right-click the Game Device Profiler icon or the Game Controller Software icon in the status area on the taskbar, and then click Unload or Disable.

Install the Latest Version of Microsoft DirectX

Download and install the latest version of DirectX from the following Microsoft Web site: For additional information about how to obtain and install the latest version of DirectX, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Verify That Your Game Controller Is Assigned to Controller ID 1

Many games cannot recognize a game controller that is not assigned to Controller ID 1. To verify that your game controller is assigned to Controller ID 1:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Game Controllers.
3. Click the Advanced tab.
4. If the game controller that you want to use is assigned to ID 1, click OK, and then proceed to the "Confirm the Version of SideWinder Game Controller Software" method.
   
   If the game controller that you want to use is not assigned to ID 1, click Change.
5. In the Game Controllers box, click the game controller that you want to use, and then click the Up arrow or Down arrow to change the Selected ID value to 1.
6. Click OK, and then click OK again.
7. Close Control Panel.

Confirm the Version of SideWinder Game Controller Software

If you use a SideWinder USB-only game controller, verify that version 4.0 or later of the SideWinder Game Controller Software is installed on your computer.

If you use a game port game controller or a hybrid game port/USB game controller, verify that version 3.02 or earlier of the SideWinder Game Device Profiler or the SideWinder Game Controller software is installed on your computer.

If you use both SideWinder USB-only game controllers and SideWinder game port or hybrid game port/USB game controllers, make sure that versions 4.0 or later and 3.02 or earlier of the SideWinder Game Controller software are installed on your computer.

The following table lists the SideWinder game controllers that are supported by each version of the SideWinder Game Controller software:

Game controller	Version 4.0	Version 3.02 or earlier
SideWinder Game Pad Pro	Yes	No
SideWinder Plug and Play Game Pad	N/A *	N/A *
SideWinder Dual Strike	Yes	No
SideWinder 3D Pro	No	Yes
SideWinder game pad	No	Yes
SideWinder Plug and Play Game Pad	N/A *	N/A *
SideWinder Joystick	N/A *	N/A *
SideWinder Precision Pro	No	Yes
SideWinder Precision Pro 2	Yes	No
SideWinder Force Feedback Pro	No	Yes
SideWinder Force Feedback Pro 2	No	Yes
SideWinder Force Feedback Wheel	No	Yes
SideWinder Freestyle Pro	No	Yes
SideWinder Precision Racing Wheel	Yes	No

* No software required.

If you use one of the SideWinder game controllers listed in the previous table, visit the following Microsoft Web site to determine if a software update is available for your game controller: To determine the version of the SideWinder Game Device or SideWinder Game Controller software that is installed in your computer:

1. Click Start, point to Find, and then click Files or Folders.
2. In the Named box, type sw3dpro.vxd.
3. In the Look in box, click My Computer, and then click Find Now.
4. In the list of found files, right-click the Sw3dpro.vxd file, and then click Properties.
   
   Note If the Sw3dpro.vxd file is not in the list of found files, the SideWinder software is not installed.
5. On the Version tab, note the value on the File Version line, and then click OK.
6. Close the Find: Files named sw3dpro.vxd window.

Calibrate the Game Controller

If you use a digital Microsoft SideWinder game controller with version 2.0 or later of the Microsoft SideWinder Game Device software or the Microsoft SideWinder Game Controller software, the software calibrates the game controller automatically.

To use version 2.0 of the Microsoft SideWinder Game Device software to test the calibration for your digital SideWinder game controller:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Game Controllers.
3. On the Test tab, test all of the functions for your digital SideWinder game controller, and then click OK.
4. Close Control Panel.

To use version 3.x or 4.0 of the Microsoft SideWinder Game Controller software to test the calibration for your digital SideWinder game controller:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Game Controllers.
3. On the General tab, click the game controller you want to test in the Game Controllers box, and then click Properties.
4. On the Test tab, test all of the functions for your digital SideWinder game controller.
5. Click OK, and then click OK again.
6. Close Control Panel.

If you use an analog game controller, or if you use a Microsoft SideWinder 3D Pro or a Microsoft SideWinder game pad with version 1.5 of the SideWinder Game Device software, you may need to calibrate the game controller manually. To do this:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Game Controllers.
3. In the Controller column, select the game controller that you want to calibrate, and then click Properties.
4. Click Calibrate, and then follow the instructions on the screen to calibrate the game controller.
   
   If you use a SideWinder 3D Pro with version 1.0 of the SideWinder software, when you are prompted to press a button on the controller, make sure that you press a button on the joystick instead of the joystick base.
   
   Note Because of differences between analog game controllers, you may notice a certain amount of deviation between the graphic display for the joystick position and the actual joystick movement. This is normal and does not affect the calibration of the game controller.
5. When you receive the "You have successfully calibrated your device" message, click Finish.
6. On the Test tab, test all of the functions for your game controller, and then click OK.
7. Close Control Panel.

Note No calibration option is available in version 1.5 of the SideWinder Game Device software unless you install Combat Flight Simulator with DirectX 6.0.

If you cannot calibrate your game controller, or if your game controller does not function properly when you test it, Microsoft Windows may be unable to communicate properly with the game controller. If this is true, contact the manufacturer of your game controller for information about how to configure the device correctly in Windows. You may also need to obtain and install the latest version of the device driver for the game controller.

If you calibrate and test the game controller successfully, start Combat Flight Simulator or Combat Flight Simulator 2 to test the game controller in the game. If the issue continues to occur, calibrate the device in the game. To do this, use the appropriate method for your version of Combat Flight Simulator.

Combat Flight Simulator: WWI Europe Series

1. Start a new flight in Combat Flight Simulator.
2. On the Options menu, point to Settings, and then click Calibrate Joystick.
   
   Note If Calibrate Joystick is unavailable, click Enable Joystick, and then repeat this step.
   
   NOTE: If the enable joystick option is not available, you may have a conflict between an add-in sound card and an on-board soundcard. If this is the case, disable the card not being used and ensure that the joystick is plugged into the appropriate port.
3. On the General tab, verify that the game controller that you want to use appears in the Game Controllers box.
   
   If the Game Controllers box contains a different game controller, click the game controller in the Game Controllers box, and then click Remove.
4. In the Game Controllers box, click the game controller that you want to use, and then click Properties.
5. On the Settings tab, move the sliders to the settings that you want to use.
6. Click OK, and then click OK again.

Combat Flight Simulator 2: WWII Pacific Theater

1. Start a new flight in Combat Flight Simulator 2.
2. On the Options menu, click Settings.
3. Click Calibrate Joystick.
   
   Note If Calibrate Joystick is unavailable, click to select the Enable Joystick check box, and then repeat this step.
4. On the General tab, verify that the game controller that you want to use appears in the Game Controllers box.
   
   If the Game Controllers box contains a different game controller, click the game controller in the Game Controllers box, and then click Remove.
5. In the Game Controllers box, click the game controller that you want to use, and then click Properties.
6. On the Settings tab, move the sliders to the settings that you want to use.
7. Click OK, and then click OK again.

Reset the Default Actions

To reset the default actions assigned to the game controller:

1. Start a new flight in Combat Flight Simulator or Combat Flight Simulator 2.
2. On the Options menu in Combat Flight Simulator, point to Settings, and then click Controller assignments.
   
   On the Options menu in Combat Flight Simulator 2, click Settings. On the Settings screen, click Controller assignments.
3. Click the Buttons/Keys tab.
4. In the Joystick type box, click the game controller that you want to use, and then click Reset Defaults.
5. Click the keyboard commands layout that you want to use in the game, and then click OK.
6. Click the Joystick axes tab.
7. In the Joystick type box, click the game controller that you want to use, and then click Reset Defaults.
8. To determine if the default events are selected for your 4-axis game controller, verify that the Axis settings on Joystick Axes tab for each Event match the settings in the following table:

   Event	Axis (CFS 1)	Axis (CFS 2)
   Elevator axis	Y Axis	Y-axis
   Ailerons axis	X Axis	X-axis
   Rudder axis	Z Rotation	Rz-axis
   Throttle axis	Slider	Z-axis

   If the default events are not selected, assign the default events manually. For information about how to do this, refer to the "Manually Assign Actions" method in the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   279210 Combat Flight Simulator/Combat Flight Simulator 2: How to Troubleshoot Joystick Problems (Part 2)

   If the default event is assigned to an axis, but the event behaves in reverse (for example, up instead of down, or right instead of left), click to select or clear the check box under the Reverse column for that axis.

If the issue continues to occur, proceed to the next method.

Rebuild the game and joystick configuration file.

Combat Flight Simulator stores game and joystick configuration settings in the Combatfs.cfg file.

Combat Flight Simulator 2 stores game and joystick configuration settings in the Cfs2.cfg file.

To rebuild the Combatfs.cfg or Cfs2.cfg file, press and hold down CTRL+SHIFT as you start Combat Flight Simulator and then start a new flight. Continue to hold down CTRL+SHIFT until you are in Cockpit view.

Note When you rebuild the configuration file, some of your joystick settings may change.

If your game controller is installed properly and the Devices.cfg file contains the default settings for your game controller, Combat Flight Simulator adds the appropriate entries for your game controller to the Cfs2.cfg or Combatfs.cfg file.

To view the Device.cfg file:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type the appropriate line for your version of Combat Flight Simulator, and then click OK
   
   Combat Flight Simulator 1:

   drive:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Combat Flight Simulator\Devices.cfg

   Combat Flight Simulator 2:

   drive:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Combat Flight Simulator 2\Devices.cfg

   where drive is the drive letter of the hard disk where you want to install Combat Flight Simulator.
3. If you are prompted to select the program that you want to use to open the file, click Notepad in the Choose the program you want to use box, and then click OK.

The settings under the SLEW heading determine how the game controller behaves in Slew mode. The settings under the RUDDER heading determine how the game controller behaves when the rudder is enabled. To enable the rudder settings, click to select the Rudder check box on the Settings tab in the Game Controllers tool in Control Panel.

Note If your game controller is not defined in the Devices.cfg file, Combat Flight Simulator may not assign any actions to the buttons on your game controller. To manually assign actions to the buttons on your game control device, proceed to the "Manually Assign Actions" method in part 2 of this article.