Sidewinder for xp help.

[unknownpharoah]

I just picked up a Sidewinder joystick. It has the plug in the back that I have never used. Not USb. The funny shaped one. I plugged it in and Xp did not auto detect or find drivers. Anyone know how to get this device to work in xp? I have never used that plug before so I dont know what its called. THanks for any help.

 

[kestrel1]

Do you mean the 15 pin d shape plug? This is the common joystick plug theat plugs into the sound cards games/MIDI port.
Have a look on the Microsoft website for a diver or

http://www.driverguide.com

Hope this helps

 

[bcastner]

If it is the original series of Sidewinders they are not supported under XP. I have never seen a fix.

 

[FXWizard]

Have you ever connected anything to the gameport before -- do you know if it's working at all?

Is it on a soundcard or built into your mobo? If it's part of the mobo, it could be disabled by default (check your BIOS). Gameports on soundcards are usually set as enabled, but that might be something else to look at.

 

[natejake]

There is another thread going about this. Go to

http://www.driversguide.com

and download the version 4 Sidewinder software. If you are using a force feedback stick, this will enable it. You won't have any real control over the forces but they do work. If it is a standard Sidewinder, this will work as well. I personally tested this with the same symptoms that you are experiencing. The software that came with your stick WILL NOT function in XP and it tells you as much if you attempt to use it. Microsoft's website is not much help and I would also recommend emailing a complaint to then about them dropping support for these devices since they can still be purchased in stores. If you did not do this already, go to your hardware manager and ensure that the game port is listed as fuctioning normally. For more details concerning the Windows XP / Sidewinder Controllers, go to

http://www.tomshardware.com.

He not only addresses issues with this problem but gives excellent hardware reviews as well. Good luck.