Readme File for Microsoft SideWinder Force Feedback 2
May 2000
(C) 1995-2000, Microsoft Corporation. All rights
reserved.
This document provides late-breaking or other information that supplements
the Microsoft SideWinder Force Feedback 2 software User's Guide.
To learn more:
- See the Sidewinder Force Feedback 2 User's Guide for
troubleshooting information, feature descriptions, and tips on using the
SideWinder software to customize the controller's in-game performance.
To access the SideWinder Force Feedback 2 User's Guide, double-click the
SideWinder Game Controller Software 4.0 icon on the Windows taskbar, and then
select User's Guide.
CONTENTS
Compatibility Information
SideWinder Force Feedback 2 Software
Game Play and Game Compatibility Information
USB Connection Information
Compatibility Information
Version compatibility information
- The compact disc that came with your SideWinder
Force Feedback 2 joystick includes only the drivers and predefined profiles for
the SideWinder Force Feedback 2 joystick. To use another SideWinder USB-only game
controller, you need to install the software included in the box with that
controller.
- If you want to use or customize your SideWinder game port controllers, do not remove the earlier version
of the SideWinder software. The SideWinder Force Feedback 2 software will be installed alongside the
earlier version without deleting or overwriting any files. Each version will run with
compatible devices.
- The SideWinder Force Feedback 2 includes version 4.0 of
the SideWinder software. If you have a profile (or scheme)
that you created in version 2.0 or 3.0 of the SideWinder software
and you want to use it with SideWinder software version 4.0, you can
import profiles (or schemes) from other SideWinder controllers using the SideWinder
Force Feedback 2 software.
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Compatible operating systems
The SideWinder Force Feedback 2 software was designed to run on Windows 98 or Windows 2000 Professional operating system. It
is not compatible with earlier Windows-based operating systems.
To install the SideWinder software under Windows 2000,
you must log on as an administrator.
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Windows 2000 compatibility
The SideWinder Force Feedback 2 software is compatible
with Windows 2000 Professional. However, signed drivers were not available at
the time this software was released. If it's important to you to have signed drivers, please check the SideWinder Update Web site for an updated version of the software.
To install the SideWinder software under Windows 2000,
you must log on as an administrator.
If you're recording a game command and can't see the recorded characters in
the SideWinder software, or if your current profile appears to be blank, this
may be due to a Windows font problem. To resolve the problem, restart your
computer.
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SideWinder Force Feedback 2 Software
Extra button symbols on the Macro Recorder tab
When you record a macro consisting of two or more keys or buttons pressed
simultaneously, the Game Action Recorder may insert extra keys or button
presses into the macro. This occurs because the Game Action Recorder
is extremely sensitive to joystick and keyboard input. For example, A+B
might get recorded as A A+B B; AA+B; or A+BB. If this occurs, select the
extraneous keystroke or button press, right-click, and then click
Cut.
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Key combinations that the Game Action Recorder doesn't record
It is not possible to record the following keystroke combinations on the
Keystrokes or Macros tab of the Game Action Recorder:
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Installing version 1.5 of the SideWinder software over the SideWinder Force Feedback 2 software
If you install SideWinder Game Device Software version 1.5 on your computer after the SideWinder
Force Feedback 2 software has already been installed, your SideWinder Force Feedback 2 will no longer appear in Control
Panel: Game Controllers. To fix this problem, disconnect the SideWinder Force Feedback 2
from the USB port, close the Control Panel, and then reconnect the joystick.
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In version 2.0 of the SideWinder software, an additional SideWinder game pad
appears on the Test tab when the SideWinder Force Feedback 2 is
connected
If you are using version 2.0 of
the SideWinder Game Controller software with a SideWinder game pad and you also have
the SideWinder Force Feedback 2 software installed, the Test tab in
Control Panel: Game Controllers for the SideWinder game pad
will display two game pads when both the SideWinder game pad and the
SideWinder Force Feedback 2 are connected. The buttons on the second game pad (Game Pad
2) will not respond when you press buttons on either the SideWinder game pad or
the SideWinder Force Feedback 2.
This happens because the Test tab in version 2.0 is able to test up to
four SideWinder game pads that are connected together. It recognizes the
SideWinder Force Feedback 2 as a game pad and displays a second device
even though the SideWinder Force Feedback 2 is not compatible with
version 2.0 of the software. You cannot test the SideWinder Force Feedback 2 on the Test tab for the SideWinder game pad. You can use this page
to test the buttons on your SideWinder game pad, however only Game Pad 1 in the
picture will respond when you press the SideWinder game pad's buttons.
To test the buttons on your SideWinder Force Feedback 2, select it
from the list of devices in Control Panel: Game Controllers, click
Properties, and then click the Test tab. (This starts the SideWinder
Force Feedback 2 software.)
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Game Play and Game Compatibility Issues
If your joystick's forces do not appear to be working, see the Troubleshooting section of the software User's Guide for tips on how to solve force feedback issues.
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General notes
You may experience problems in some games while using the
SideWinder Force Feedback 2. If this occurs, try the following troubleshooting steps to help you resolve the problem.
If your game isn't responding to the joystick or some of its controls,
try the following:
- Make sure that the SideWinder Force Feedback 2 is
connected securely to a USB port on your computer, monitor, keyboard, or USB
hub.
- Make sure that the SideWinder Force Feedback 2 software is installed.
- Use the SideWinder Force Feedback 2 software to test the buttons
on your joystick to see if they're working correctly. If the buttons work
correctly on the Test tab, but not in your game, you may need to select
the SideWinder Force Feedback 2 in your game's Options or
Configuration menu. Many games automatically detect
which game controller is connected; however, in some cases, you may have to
manually set the controller type to "joystick," or, if the option is
available, "SideWinder Force Feedback 2."
- Your game may not use all eight buttons on the SideWinder
Force Feedback 2. In this case, you can use the SideWinder software
to assign game actions (keystrokes or macros) to the joystick controls that are
unused in your game.
- Make sure your SideWinder Force Feedback 2 is assigned as
Controller 1 on the Advanced tab in Control Panel: Game
Controllers.
- If you have multiple game controllers plugged into your computer, try these
steps:
- Unplug all game port controllers.
- Unplug all other USB controllers (keep the SideWinder
Force Feedback 2 plugged in).
- Make sure that the SideWinder Force Feedback 2 is the only
controller listed in the Control Panel.
- Restart the game.
- Make sure that you've selected the appropriate profile for the game you're playing from
the SideWinder Force Feedback 2 software. If there isn't a profile listed for your
game, check the SideWinder Update Web site for updated profiles or create a new
profile using the SideWinder software.
- Make sure that Windows is configured correctly for your USB port. (See
the SideWinder Force Feedback 2 software User's Guide for instructions
on how to do this.)
- Make sure your computer meets or exceeds the minimum
system requirements for the SideWinder Force Feedback 2.
For more information about any of the previous
troubleshooting tips, please refer to the SideWinder Force Feedback 2 software User's
Guide.
If you continue to experience problems:
If the troubleshooting tips included here and in
the SideWinder Force Feedback 2 User's Guide don't resolve your problem, your game
might not be compatible with the SideWinder Force Feedback 2. You can
also try:
- Consulting your game's manual and readme file to see if either
of these sources contains information about configuring the SideWinder
Force Feedback 2 for the game.
- Checking the game publisher's Web site to see if a software update is
available.
- Checking the SideWinder Update Web site for updated information.
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Game compatibility issues for the SideWinder Force Feedback 2
Some games do not work as expected with
USB game controllers. For example, game
response may be slower than normal when playing with a USB game controller.
Incompatible games:
- The SideWinder Force Feedback 2 Setup program installs
Microsoft DirectX 7.0a. If you're experiencing problems (for example, if you're having difficulty getting your
game to recognize the SideWinder Force Feedback 2), first go to
the DirectX Web
site to see if a
newer version of DirectX has been released.
- For a list of incompatible games, please check the SideWinder Update Web site. (If a game is
incompatible, you may want to check the game publisher's Web site to see if a
software update is available.)
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Playing MS-DOS based games with a USB game controller
SideWinder USB game controllers will function with most MS-DOS games played
under Windows 98; however, there are some games that do not work with USB
controllers. If you are having difficulty playing your MS-DOS game, it may be
due to USB incompatibility.
When playing MS-DOS games with SideWinder USB game controllers, keep in mind
the following:
- If no game port controllers are set up in Control Panel: Game
Controllers, the first USB game controller connected and recognized by
Windows 98 will be the only game controller recognized by an MS-DOS game
launched in Windows 98. As long as that game controller is attached to the USB
port, it will be the controller used by MS-DOS games, even if you remove it
from Control Panel: Game Controllers. If you have multiple SideWinder
USB game controllers attached, unplugging the first USB game controller will
shift the MS-DOS controller emulation to the USB game controller with the next
highest ID listed in Control Panel: Game Controllers.
- If you have an MS-DOS-compatible game port controller set up in Control
Panel: Game Controllers, no USB game controller will be visible to an
MS-DOS game until you remove the game port controller(s) from Control
Panel: Game Controllers, unplug all USB game controllers, then re-connect
the USB game controller you wish to use in the MS-DOS game. The reverse is
also true: if you want to use a game port controller in MS-DOS games when USB
game controllers have been the only game controllers listed in the Control
Panel, you must unplug all USB game controllers, add your game port game
controller in Control Panel: Game Controllers, and then re-connect the
USB game controllers if needed.
- If you're using a USB game controller for MS-DOS games, but you set up a
game port game controller on a lower ID in Control Panel: Game
Controllers, the USB game controller will continue to function as the
MS-DOS controller until you restart Windows 98. When you restart, the game
port controller will become the MS-DOS game controller.
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USB Connection Information
Connecting multiple SideWinder USB game controllers to a USB hub
If you have a USB hub and you connect, disconnect, and then reconnect two or
more SideWinder USB game controllers to the hub in succession, Control Panel:
Game Controllers may not update correctly and you may receive a "Game
Controller Not Connected" message for a game controller that is connected to the
hub.
To fix this problem, close Control Panel: Game Controllers and then
re-open it to update the game controller's status in the Control Panel.
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System may freeze when starting the computer with multiple USB game
controllers connected
If you have both version 3.02 and version 4.0 of the SideWinder software installed on your computer and have at least one version
3.02-compatible USB controller (SideWinder Precision Pro USB or SideWinder
Freestyle Pro USB) connected in addition to the SideWinder Force Feedback 2, your system may freeze up when you start or restart your computer.
If this occurs, unplug any version 3.02-compatible game controllers that are connected to your
computer, start Windows 98 or Windows 2000, and then re-connect your USB game
controllers.
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