Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback Pro Joystick

BigBoy

BigBoy

BigBoy

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Hi guys i have one of the above joysticks but have been unable to get it to work with Win XP Pro or home with the USB converter pluged in in just comes up as an unknown device and i cannot find drivers for XP anywhere. Works fine under Win2000 using the game/midi port but again with the usb converter it will not function. Am unablt to try midi port win Win XP as i dont have one on this box.

Does anyone know of how to get this working? its driving me mad!!!
 
I dont think you will get it working matey,

I used to have one, sold it on.

Get the 2nd edition from somehwhere, its a cracking joystick, have had mine for over 5 years (since it came out) now and its still in working as if new my fav j-stick :D
 
If you've got a spare pci slot you could always pick up an old sound blaster card for <£10 for it's midi port? If not then yeah, the new one is awesome, but hard to find now unfortunately - can't believe MS have abandoned the range!

Edit: have you tried forcing the Win 9x drivers to see if they work under XP?

Found this as well, as the Joystick is not supported by MS you can try the following:

Just go into Control Panel in XP, and select Game controllers. Click Add, and find your joystick. The Sidewinder has an auto-detect driver, so select that.

That should be all
Click to expand...
 
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looks like i will have to call it a day :( sad really as this stick has had me through many games. Tie fighter X-wing and the like.

The 98 drivers just refuse to work and cause bsod so wont try them again it realy bugs me that Microsoft just dont care.!
 
cavemanoc said:
If not then yeah, the new one is awesome, but hard to find now unfortunately - can't believe MS have abandoned the range!
Click to expand...

Yeah! the m$FFPro2 is an awsome joystick. I bought the v1 (the one with the rubber sleeve thing) with msfs2000. Had it a day before I read that the pro version was about to be released so I got a refund and waited for the FFPro1. Works even now. The ww2 sims like il2 take its toll on the trigger but reassigning to one of the top buttons before it malfunctions seems to be a better setup.

When PCWorld were getting rid of their remaining stock at the end of life for the FFPro2 I bought the last 2 brand new in store they had for a crazy knocked down price of I think about 20 something pounds each if I recall.

I really thought I was being crazy as something better would surely come along with newer tech but I am truly amazed that nothing has.

The CH joysticks are suppose to be really good but no feedback unfortunately.

I think low profitability was the reason m$ cited for originally abandoning the sidewinder range. I found this story dated last year where m$ were to revive the sidewinder range starting with a gaming mouse. Maybe if enough people email m$ then they may bring back the FF joystick. I know seems unlikely but m$ seem to be getting some bad press lately with the hardware issues plaguing the 360 and vista on low take up. The "FFPro returns" would be a great headline story for them.
 
BigBoy said:
looks like i will have to call it a day :( sad really as this stick has had me through many games. Tie fighter X-wing and the like.

The 98 drivers just refuse to work and cause bsod so wont try them again it realy bugs me that Microsoft just dont care.!
Click to expand...

Did you try the 2nd option using the built in autodetect drivers from the control panel - sounded promising?
 
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