Ms sidewinder precision 2 joystick

[advocatexxx 0]

So I went out and bought one, figured airplanes/choppers in Flashpoint would handle better.

I thought about the force feedback model, but seeing how it's identical to the plain Precision 2 (minus the force feedback) I got the Precision 2 instead for $39.99 at the mall.

I install the software, plug it in, and it gets detected. I play. I shut my computer down, go to sleep... The next day the joystick simply won't show up in my Game Controllers in Control Panel. I plug it in, out, in out, check the cable. Nothing. I even try other USB ports... nothing.

It's not like I dropped it or anything. It's a brand new joystick and just as it worked perfectly the day before I left it there on the table, untouched.

So I call Microsoft, a long distance call across the USA and I spend 90 minutes on the phone with this so called Technical Representative. He troubleshoots just about everything he can think of. He then goes off to talk to his comrades and returns to tell me that people have been complaining because of the metal base plate this joystick has, and that it often results in static. So he instructs me to shut my computer off and plug the joystick in and out 30 times. At this point I began to question his motives. I did what he suggested and nothing happened. He had me edit the registry, manually install the drivers and just about every other thing he could think of but nothing worked.

He then said to go get an exchange in the store. So I did, paying the stupid $2.00 parking fee at the mall yet again. I got a new Precision 2 joystick, installed fine, detected fine... worked for 5 days fine and then the next day it also simply wouldn't get detected. As if the thing went dead.

Since the store only offers 5-day return policy I had to call Microsoft again (long distance call) and ask them if I can return it to them directly for a refund, surely enough they said yes. I mailed it out yesterday and hope to never, ever buy any of their crappy joysticks again.

I'm stopping by a store today to pickup the Thrustmaster and hope the one who designed the Precision 2 chokes on it.

I run Windows 2000 on a Pentium III @ 1Ghz and 512 MB PC133 SDRAM with the latest updates for all software/hardware.

Has anyone experienced something similar of this sort? This post is also meant to be a caution for those considering to buy this joystick, because if it stops working (as mine did twice), then don't be surprised to be instructed by a highly-trained Technical Support Representative to plug/unplug the joystick 30 times to get rid of the static that so many people have been reporting.

[theavonlady 2]

"Joystick", the latest oxymoron in the PC owner's dictionary.

[LowLevelFunctionary 0]

hmmm

I have one of those. got it back in october its working fine, although i had to replace one of the earlier models the prescision pro because it was too sensitive!!! lol man i mean sensetive it responded to the air conditioning making my life hell when i was using mouse. Oh and when i was holding the joystick the slightest of movements triggered it... and i had only had this joystick for a year...

Thats microsoft for you i guess... i hope the same thing doesnt happen to this one

Oh and another thing ive never experianced the prob your talking about....

good on you for sending it back and getting a thrustmaster they are a bit pricey for me though.

289$ is a bit too much for a joystick . im not rich you know

[cpl_BOB 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (advocatexxx @ Nov. 26 2002,14:14)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">So I went out and bought one, figured airplanes/choppers in Flashpoint would handle better.

I thought about the force feedback model, but seeing how it's identical to the plain Precision 2 (minus the force feedback) I got the Precision 2 instead for $39.99 at the mall.

I install the software, plug it in, and it gets detected.  I play.  I shut my computer down, go to sleep... The next day the joystick simply won't show up in my Game Controllers in Control Panel.  I plug it in, out, in out, check the cable.  Nothing.  I even try other USB ports... nothing.

It's not like I dropped it or anything.  It's a brand new joystick and just as it worked perfectly the day before I left it there on the table, untouched.

So I call Microsoft, a long distance call across the USA and I spend 90 minutes on the phone with this so called Technical Representative.  He troubleshoots just about everything he can think of.  He then goes off to talk to his comrades and returns to tell me that people have been complaining because of the metal base plate this joystick has, and that it often results in static.  So he instructs me to shut my computer off and plug the joystick in and out 30 times.  At this point I began to question his motives.  I did what he suggested and nothing happened.  He had me edit the registry, manually install the drivers and just about every other thing he could think of but nothing worked.

He then said to go get an exchange in the store.  So I did, paying the stupid $2.00 parking fee at the mall yet again.  I got a new Precision 2 joystick, installed fine, detected fine... worked for 5 days fine and then the next day it also simply wouldn't get detected.  As if the thing went dead.

Since the store only offers 5-day return policy I had to call Microsoft again (long distance call) and ask them if I can return it to them directly for a refund, surely enough they said yes.  I mailed it out yesterday and hope to never, ever buy any of their crappy joysticks again.

I'm stopping by a store today to pickup the Thrustmaster and hope the one who designed the Precision 2 chokes on it.

I run Windows 2000 on a Pentium III @ 1Ghz and 512 MB PC133 SDRAM with the latest updates for all software/hardware.

Has anyone experienced something similar of this sort?  This post is also meant to be a caution for those considering to buy this joystick, because if it stops working (as mine did twice), then don't be surprised to be instructed by a highly-trained Technical Support Representative to plug/unplug the joystick 30 times to get rid of the static that so many people have been reporting.<span id='postcolor'>

Dont get pissed at M$ for this, its your USB connection, same thing happened to me on MANY occasions, so i reinstalled my Generic USB hub drivers and viola the Joystick reappeared.

I have NEVER had a faulty M$ product!

Everytime it happens i just reinstall the USB drivers and back it comes.

[bn880 5]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (cpl_BOB @ Nov. 26 2002,17:19)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (advocatexxx @ Nov. 26 2002,14:14)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">So I went out and bought one, figured airplanes/choppers in Flashpoint would handle better.

I thought about the force feedback model, but seeing how it's identical to the plain Precision 2 (minus the force feedback) I got the Precision 2 instead for $39.99 at the mall.

I install the software, plug it in, and it gets detected. I play. I shut my computer down, go to sleep... The next day the joystick simply won't show up in my Game Controllers in Control Panel. I plug it in, out, in out, check the cable. Nothing. I even try other USB ports... nothing.

It's not like I dropped it or anything. It's a brand new joystick and just as it worked perfectly the day before I left it there on the table, untouched.

So I call Microsoft, a long distance call across the USA and I spend 90 minutes on the phone with this so called Technical Representative. He troubleshoots just about everything he can think of. He then goes off to talk to his comrades and returns to tell me that people have been complaining because of the metal base plate this joystick has, and that it often results in static. So he instructs me to shut my computer off and plug the joystick in and out 30 times. At this point I began to question his motives. I did what he suggested and nothing happened. He had me edit the registry, manually install the drivers and just about every other thing he could think of but nothing worked.

He then said to go get an exchange in the store. So I did, paying the stupid $2.00 parking fee at the mall yet again. I got a new Precision 2 joystick, installed fine, detected fine... worked for 5 days fine and then the next day it also simply wouldn't get detected. As if the thing went dead.

Since the store only offers 5-day return policy I had to call Microsoft again (long distance call) and ask them if I can return it to them directly for a refund, surely enough they said yes. I mailed it out yesterday and hope to never, ever buy any of their crappy joysticks again.

I'm stopping by a store today to pickup the Thrustmaster and hope the one who designed the Precision 2 chokes on it.

I run Windows 2000 on a Pentium III @ 1Ghz and 512 MB PC133 SDRAM with the latest updates for all software/hardware.

Has anyone experienced something similar of this sort? This post is also meant to be a caution for those considering to buy this joystick, because if it stops working (as mine did twice), then don't be surprised to be instructed by a highly-trained Technical Support Representative to plug/unplug the joystick 30 times to get rid of the static that so many people have been reporting.<span id='postcolor'>

Dont get pissed at M$ for this, its your USB connection, same thing happened to me on MANY occasions, so i reinstalled my Generic USB hub drivers and viola the Joystick reappeared.

I have NEVER had a faulty M$ product!

Everytime it happens i just reinstall the USB drivers and back it comes.<span id='postcolor'>

Yes same thing happended with my (whats the name again?)......

oh yes, Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback Wheel USB... I can not say precisely how I got my game/USB setup to get stuck like that but I managed to get it back up after playing around with rebooting and enabling/disabling my USB hub (on monitor).

15 minutes of that and it has worked perfectly ever since. So it's not your stick... no need to go bananas and get a different brand or anything. If it really broke, just replace it... MS DOT controllers are pretty good IMO.

[Mister Frag 0]

One thing that can cause USB devices to drop out randomly is power consumption -- they are allowed to draw current from the USB port to power them, and if you exceed the rating of the port (typically 500mA), one or more devices may disappear intermittently.

Try disconnecting any non-essential USB devices, or get a powered USB hub so that you don't have to rely on the rated output of the motherboard ports.

[advocatexxx 0]

My USB hub is powered and the port into which I plugged the joystick into was used by my webcam, which always works perfectly, just as every other USB device on my system. But like I said, I tried other USB ports with no luck.

If it's not the joystick but USB how come this only happens to the joystick? Shouldn't my mouse or keyboard do this from time to time? Something which has never happened.

Thrustmaster isn't exactly $289. Not sure which model you're talking about but the one I'm looking at is $39.99.

Thanks for the suggestions though.

[Guest]

Be aware that some MS peripheral devices are not supported by WinXP. How stupid can you get....your own OS doesn't support your product. I guess they were too busy sucking up Billy Gates' **** to co-ordinate on that one. At least they make half decent mice...