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---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Readme File for Microsoft SideWinder Game Controller Profiler July 1998 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (c) Microsoft Corporation, 1998 THIS COMPUTER PROGRAM IS PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT LAW AND INTERNATIONAL TREATIES. UNAUTHORIZED REPRODUCTION OR DISTRIBUTION OF THIS PROGRAM, OR ANY PORTION OF IT, MAY RESULT IN SEVERE CIVIL AND CRIMINAL PENALTIES, AND WILL BE PROSECUTED TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT POSSIBLE UNDER THE LAW. This document provides late-breaking or other information that supplements the Microsoft SideWinder Game Controller Profiler online Help. To learn more about the Microsoft game controllers, visit our World Wide Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/sidewinder/ To learn more about other Microsoft hardware products, visit our World Wide Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/ ------------------------- CONTENTS ------------------------- Part 1: SIDEWINDER GAME CONTROLLER PROFILER ISSUES 1.1 Recording Game Pad Actions with Another Game Controller Connected 1.2 Recording a Two-Key or Three-Key Combination in a Macro 1.3 Reinstalling DirectX, version 5.2 Part 2: DISPLAY COMPATIBILITY ISSUES 2.1 Use The Latest Drivers 2.2 Diamond Edge 3D Nvidia Video Drivers Part 3: MEMORY ISSUES Part 4: TROUBLESHOOTING ============================================================= Part 1: SIDEWINDER GAME CONTROLLER PROFILER ISSUES ============================================================= 1.1 Recording Game Pad Actions with Another Game Controller Connected If you press the Pass-through button on the SideWinder game pad while recording a game action, and another game controller is connected to the pass-through connector, then one or two D-pad (Directional pad) arrows, or other characters, may be recorded in the Game Action Recorder. 1.2 Recording a Two-Key or Three-Key Combination in a Macro You may experience inconsistent results when recording a macro that includes two or three keys pressed simultaneously. 1.3 Reinstalling DirectX, version 5.2 Version 5.2 of DirectX was installed on your computer when you installed the SideWinder Game Controller Software 3.0 and is required for games and game controllers. If you install a game that includes an earlier version of DirectX, it is possible to overwrite DirectX version 5.2, and your game controller will no longer work properly. If this occurs, you will need to reinstall DirectX version 5.2, from the SideWinder Game Controller Software 3.0 compact disc. To do so, insert the compact disc into your CD-ROM drive and then select "Install DirectX only" from the Welcome screen. NOTE The Windows 98 operating system includes DirectX version 5.0a. If you re-install Windows 98, make sure to re-install the SideWinder Game Controller Profiler 3.0 software and update your version of DirectX, or your game controller will not work properly. ============================================================= Part 2: DISPLAY COMPATIBILITY ============================================================= 2.1 Use The Latest Drivers In general, it is a good idea to make sure you have the latest release of the video drivers for your video card. If you have the latest video drivers and still have display problems, try the following: 1. Switch to one of the drivers included with the Windows software. 2. Change to a different display mode. An alternative to using a different driver is to change your video mode to a standard video mode such as 640x480 resolution with 256 colors. For details on how to change drivers or switch to a different display mode, see your Windows manual. 2.2 Diamond Edge 3D Nvidia Video Drivers If you use the Diamond Edge 3D video card with the video driver NVDISP.DRV (version 4.0, dated 10/25/95), you will notice a display problem in the Game Controller Profiler. Specifically, the items in the list of controllers, games, and profiles display initially as white boxes. Once you click an item in the list, all items and text appear correctly. To correct this problem, contact Diamond Multimedia Systems for the latest video drivers. ============================================================= Part 3: MEMORY ISSUES ============================================================= The SideWinder Game Controller Profiler should run on any personal computer with a Pentium 90 or higher processor with at least 16MB of RAM. However, if you have other programs running, you may not have enough memory available to start the Game Controller Profiler and run your game at the same time. When your system doesn't have enough memory available, you will either receive an error message or you will notice that your screen won't redraw properly. If you encounter these problems, close any other open programs and try again. If you receive an error message that you do not have enough space on your hard disk to perform an action, you will need to delete unnecessary files from your computer to gain some free space. ========================= Part 4: TROUBLESHOOTING ========================= This section contains answers to specific questions you may have. For additional troubleshooting information, see the Trouble-shooting sections of the Online User's Guide for your SideWinder game controller and the Game Controller Profiler Online Help. QUESTION: My game is behaving strangely. Is there any way I can run the game with the Game Controller Profiler turned off? ANSWER: Yes. You can "suspend" the Game Controller Profiler. This allows you to run your game without the effect of any profiles. >>>To "suspend" the Game Controller Profiler: 1. On the lower-right corner of the Windows taskbar, right-click the Game Controller Profiler icon. 2. Click Suspend. 3. Run your game. 4. To restart the Game Controller Profiler, repeat step 1 and click Resume. QUESTION: I've started having trouble running the Game Controller properties in the Windows Control Panel and sometimes get a "general protection" fault message. What can I do to get it working properly again? ANSWER: If you install and earlier version of the Game Controller Profiler Software over the SideWinder Game Controller Profiler, you'll experience this sort of problem. >>>To resolve the problem: 1. Uninstall the new SideWinder Game Controller Profiler. 2. Uninstall any old versions of the SideWinder software that are installed on your computer. 3. Reinstall the new SideWinder Game Controller Profiler. QUESTION: I see strange colors in the Game Controller Profiler. What do I do? ANSWER: The Game Controller Profiler is designed to run at 640x480 resolution, or higher, with a minimum of 256 colors. If your display is set to show 16 colors, change your display to show 256 colors or more. For details on changing your display settings, see your Windows manual. QUESTION: I'm running VSC-88 Virtual Sound Canvas from Roland Corporation and I keep getting a "not connected" status for my gaming controller when I open the Game Controller properties of the Windows Control Panel. Why is this happening? ANSWER: VS.-88 Virtual Sound Canvas is not compatible with digital game controllers and will occasionally cause a controller to become disconnected. Use the Remove and Add buttons to reestablish the controller connection. QUESTION: When recording a game action and I press the AltGr key, I get Ctrl+AltGr in the event viewer. Will I get Ctrl+AltGr in my game action, or just AltGr? ANSWER: This is the result of an incompatibility between the software and some keyboards. Your game action will "play" the Ctrl+AltGr key combination. QUESTION: What's the minimum system configuration I need to run the SideWinder Game Controller Software 3.0? ANSWER: The minimum system requirements vary depending on the game controller you're using and whether you want to connect to a game port or a USB port, as described in the section below. TO CONNECT TO A GAME PORT ------------------------- If you have a SideWinder 3D Pro, SideWinder game pad, SideWinder Precision Pro, or SideWinder Freestyle Pro, make sure that you have the following hardware and operating system: * Personal computer with Pentium 90 or higher processor * Microsoft Windows 95 or later Windows operating system * 16 MB of RAM * 15 MB of available hard-disk space, plus 10 MB for setup * Quad-speed CD-ROM drive * Super VGA, 256-color monitor * Sound Blaster compatible sound card with game port * Frames-capable browser such as Internet Explorer 3.0a or later or Netscape Navigator 3.0 or later (to view the online Introduction to SideWinder Game Controllers.) If you have a SideWinder Force Feedback Pro or SideWinder Force Feedback Wheel, make sure that you have the following hardware and operating system: * Personal computer with Pentium 90 or higher processor * Microsoft Windows 95 or later Windows operating system * 16 MB of RAM * 15 MB of available hard-disk space, plus 10 MB for setup * Double-speed CD-ROM drive * Super VGA, 256-color monitor * Sound Blaster compatible sound card with MIDI-enabled game port * Frames-capable browser such as Internet Explorer 3.0a or later or Netscape Navigator 3.0 or later (to view the online Introduction to SideWinder Game Controllers.) To CONNECT TO A USB PORT (For USB-ready SideWinder game controllers only) ------------------------------------------------- If you have a USB-ready SideWinder Precision Pro or SideWinder Freestyle Pro, make sure that you have the following hardware and operating system: * Personal computer with Pentium 90 or higher processor * USB port * Windows 98 * 15 MB of available hard-disk space, plus 10 MB for setup * Quad-speed CD-ROM drive * Super VGA, 256-color monitor * Sound Blaster compatible sound card * Frames-capable browser such as Internet Explorer 3.0a or later or Netscape Navigator 3.0 or later (to view the online Introduction to SideWinder Game Controllers.) 
