</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. Â I play. Â 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. Â I plug it in, out, in out, check the cable. Â Nothing. Â I even try other USB ports... nothing.
It's not like I dropped it or anything. Â 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. Â He troubleshoots just about everything he can think of. Â 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. Â So he instructs me to shut my computer off and plug the joystick in and out 30 times. Â At this point I began to question his motives. Â I did what he suggested and nothing happened. Â 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. Â So I did, paying the stupid $2.00 parking fee at the mall yet again. Â I got a new Precision 2 joystick, installed fine, detected fine... worked for 5 days fine and then the next day it also simply wouldn't get detected. Â As if the thing went dead.
Since the store only offers 5-day return policy I had to call Microsoft again (long distance call) and ask them if I can return it to them directly for a refund, surely enough they said yes. Â I mailed it out yesterday and hope to never, ever buy any of their crappy joysticks again.
I'm stopping by a store today to pickup the Thrustmaster and hope the one who designed the Precision 2 chokes on it.
I run Windows 2000 on a Pentium III @ 1Ghz and 512 MB PC133 SDRAM with the latest updates for all software/hardware.
Has anyone experienced something similar of this sort? Â This post is also meant to be a caution for those considering to buy this joystick, because if it stops working (as mine did twice), then don't be surprised to be instructed by a highly-trained Technical Support Representative to plug/unplug the joystick 30 times to get rid of the static that so many people have been reporting.<span id='postcolor'>
Dont get pissed at M$ 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.