Troubleshooting Your Immersion Gaming Device

The following is a list of steps you can follow to help diagnose some typical installation issues. By following these steps, you can solve 90% of all issues with your Immersion Gaming Device.

1 - Is the device plugged in?

Check to ensure that the device is plugged in properly. Typically, Immersion Gaming devices possess an LED to indicate that the device is receiving power. If this light is not on, check to see that all cables, including the AC adapter, are plugged in properly and that your outlet is working properly.

2 - Are the drivers installed?

for USB Immersion Gaming devices:

If the drivers are correctly installed for your device, the name of your device will appear in the Controllers listbox of the Gaming Options (DirectX 8) or Game Controllers (DirectX 7) control panel applet whenever the device is connected to the computer.

However, for more recent Immersion Gaming devices that support the Human Interface Device standard, you should highlight the device in the Controllers listbox and click Properties. If the Immersion Gaming device control panel applet appears, this typically indicates that the driver install was successful. You will recognize the Immersion Gaming device control applet by noting that on the Test Input page, the following logo is displayed near the bottom right-hand corner:

3 - Is DirectX 7.0a or later installed?

Windows ME and Windows 2000 both ship with DirectX 7 - the only operating system that shipped with a DirectX version prior to 7 is Windows 98. For more information on installing DirectX version 7.0a or later, see the system requirements section.

4 - Is there a hardware conflict?

If you are using the USB version of the joystick/wheel, be sure that the device is not conflicting with your mouse, modem, or other devices. Check in your Device Manager to see if you have any hardware conflicts. These will be indicated by a yellow exclamation point next to the problem device. If a conflict is present, contact your hardware or computer manufacturer to clear the conflict. Also, in Windows 98/ME, you may have DOS serial mouse drivers running in your Windows environment. These may conflict with the joystick and are not necessary in Windows. Contact your manufacturer for more details.

To find the Device Manager, follow these steps:

Windows 98/ME:

1. Start your computer.
2. Plug the device into the computer, making sure that the device's power is on.
3. Open the Control Panel from the Start menu under Settings.
4. Open the System icon and click on the Device Manager tab.

Windows 2000/XP:

1. Start your computer.
2. Plug the device into the computer, making sure that the device's power is on.
3. Open the Control Panel from the Start menu under Settings.
4. Open the System icon and click on the Hardware tab.
5. In the Device Manager area, click on the Device Manager button.

Since hardware conflicts can be software related, read on to determine if your problem is software conflict-based.

5 - Is there a software conflict?

If you have joystick or game controller installed upon your computer, be sure that its Profiler program or drivers are not conflicting with the Immersion device. The Profiler program can be removed through your Add/Remove Programs Icon in your control panel or unloaded by right-clicking on the icon in your start bar in the lower right-hand corner of your desktop. This may disable your non-Immersion device, so you should consult your hardware manufacturer before making changes to your system.

6 - Is there a conflict with background programs?

In Windows 98/ME, you can TEMPORARILY remove background programs by pressing the Ctrl-Alt-Delete keys together once. This will bring up a "Close Program Box" where you can terminate individual programs by highlighting the program and clicking on the END TASK button. Simply select a program, then hit the End Task button. Keep the Systray, Explorer, and any other programs that are vital to your computer's function. If you make a mistake, simply restart your computer, and all programs will be restored. Through trial and error, you may be able to determine if a program is causing a conflict with the device.

The procedure outlined above is not recommended for Windows 2000/XP users.

7 - Does your computer have USB support?

Make sure that USB support is installed on your computer. Check the Device Manager for a "Universal serial bus controller." If you do not see it, you must install the USB support found on your operating system CD. Typically, if no USB controllers appear in Device Manager, that implies that no USB hardware is present on your computer. Contact your computer manufacturer for proper USB installation procedures.

If you still have problems, please consult the Frequently-Asked Questions section.