Microsoft SideWinder Game Device Profiler Readme.txt Contents
  
PSS ID Number: Q173702
Article last modified on 09-24-1997
 
WINDOWS:1.0,2.0
 
WINDOWS
 

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The information in this article applies to:
 
 - Microsoft SideWinder Force Feedback Pro
 - Microsoft SideWinder Precision Pro
 - Microsoft SideWinder Game Device software version 2.0
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SUMMARY
=======
 
This article contains a copy of the contents of the Game Device Profiler
Readme.txt file located in the root folder of the Microsoft SideWinder
Game Device software version 2.0 CD-ROM included with the Microsoft
SideWinder Force Feedback Pro and Microsoft SideWinder Precision Pro
joysticks.
 
MORE INFORMATION
================
 
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    Readme File for Microsoft SideWinder Game Device Profiler
                            July 1997
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   (c) Microsoft Corporation, 1997
 
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 Device Profiler online help.
 
To learn more about the Microsoft game devices, as well as other
Microsoft
hardware products and updates, visit our World Wide Web site at:
 
   http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/
 
------------------------- CONTENTS -------------------------
 
 Part 1: THE NEW SIDEWINDER GAME DEVICE PROFILER
 
  1.1  Accessing Online Help
  1.2  Using Profiles With the SideWinder Game Device Profiler
  1.3  Profiles Supplied with the SideWinder Game Device Profiler
  1.4  Your Existing Profiles Have Been Converted During Setup to the New
       Format
  1.5  Cutting and Pasting Events in the Profile Editor
  1.6  Adding to a Game Action in the Event Viewer
  1.7  Recording Game Pad Actions with Another Game Device Connected
  1.8  Recording the Game Pad's Start Button in a Game Action
  1.9  Only one Game Pad in a Multiple Game Pad Setup Can Be Used to
       Record Game Actions
  1.10 Adding Profiles Created for a Different Joystick
  1.11 The Profile Editor Sometimes Delays in Displaying a Profile
  1.12 Recording Game Actions that Consists of a Three-Key Combination
  1.13 Using "Cheat Codes"
  1.14 Reinstalling DirectX5
 
Part 2: DISPLAY COMPATIBILITY
 
  2.1 Use The Latest Drivers
  2.2 Diamond Edge 3D Nvidia Video Drivers
 
Part 3: MEMORY ISSUES
 
Part 4: TROUBLESHOOTING
 
=============================================================
Part 1: THE NEW SIDEWINDER GAME DEVICE PROFILER
=============================================================
 
1.1  Accessing Online Help
 
On the Help menu, if you double-click, instead of single-click, the
Device
Online User's Guide command, you may encounter an error. This is due to
the fact the Help toolbar button is located directly beneath this command
and opening help file twice in rapid succession can cause an error.
 
1.2  Using Profiles With the SideWinder Game Device Profiler
 
Profiles that you use in your games are no longer associated with
specific games but with specific game devices instead. That is, you can
use the same profile in any game that uses the game pad or joystick
associated with that profile.
 
1.3  Profiles Supplied with the SideWinder Game Device Profiler
 
When you install the SideWinder Game Device Software version 2.0 on your
computer, Setup installs approximately 85 pre-made profiles for
SideWinder game devices to your hard drive.
 
A few of these profiles will be present in the activator the first time
you run the software.  You can add profiles to the Activator as described
in "Add a profile to the Profile Activator" in the Online User's Guide.
 
A file named profiles.txt in the Games Devices\Profiles folder contains
the names of all the pre-made profiles.  Refer to this file in the event
you delete profiles and want to know what is available at a later date.
 
To reinstall any of the pre-made profiles to your hard drive, double-
click
the file named Profiles.exe in the Game Devices\Profiles folder.
 
1.4  Your Existing Profiles Have Been Converted During Setup to the New
     Format
 
When you ran Setup to install the new SideWinder Game Device Profiler
Software 2.0, your existing profiles were converted to the new format
required by the new software and added to the Profile Activator.
 
1.5  Cutting and Pasting Events in the Profile Editor
 
If, when changing a game action you recorded with your SideWinder game
pad, you copy a keystroke recorded in the "keystrokes only" mode to a
game action recorded with timing information (non-keystrokes only mode),
the timing value given to the pasted keystroke may be too fast for some
games to recognize.
 
1.6  Adding to a Game Action in the Event Viewer
 
Placing the cursor in the event viewer does not allow you to record
an event, such as a keystroke. To record an event, you must click the
"Record" button.
 
1.7  Recording Game Pad Actions with Another Game Device Connected
 
If you press the pass-through button on the game pad while recording and
another game device is connected to the pass-through connector, then one
or two d-pad arrows, or other characters, may be recorded in the event
viewer.
 
1.8  Recording the Game Pad's Start Button in a Game Action
 
The Start button cannot be recorded in a game action, although you can
assign a game action to the Start button.
 
1.9  Only one Game Pad in a Multiple Game Pad Setup Can Be Used to Record
     Game Actions
 
You can only use the game pad connected directly to the computer to make
a profile, not any game pad connected to the pass-through connector.
 
1.10.  Adding Profiles Created for a Different Joystick
 
Profiles are interchangeable between SideWinder digital joysticks,
however you cannot access profiles copied to your computer unless the
joystick used to create them is also connected.
 
To add profiles to Activator that were created for a SideWinder joystick
that you do not have (for example, someone gave you profiles created with
a SideWinder 3D Pro and you have a SideWinder Force Feedback Pro), use
the Windows Explorer to change the file extension to match your joystick
as indicated below.
 
SideWinder Joystick   File Extension for Profiles
------------------    ----------------------------
3D Pro                  .sw3
Precision Pro           .sw4
Force Feedback Pro      .swf
 
Then add the profile(s) to your game device using the Profile Activator
as
described in "Add a profile to the Profile Activator" in the Online
User's
Guide.
 
1.11. The Profile Editor Sometimes Delays in Displaying a Profile
 
On some computers, there may be some delay between the time you open a
profile and the time it appears in the Recorder window.
 
1.12  Recording Game Actions that Consists of a Three-Key Combination
 
You may experience inconsistent results when recording a game action
consisting of three keys pressed simultaneously.
 
1.13  Using "Cheat Codes"
 
If a game action consisting of a single keystroke or key combination is
assigned to a button on your game device ("Keystrokes only" mode for the
SideWinder game pad), pressing and releasing the button is the same as
pressing and releasing the key(s) as far as the timing is concerned.
However, if a game action consisting of multiple keystrokes or key
combinations is assigned to a button, the game action is played rapidly,
as if typed in quickly.  This mode is useful for "cheat" codes.
 
1.14  Reinstalling DirectX5
 
Version 5 of DirectX was installed on your computer when you installed
the SideWinder Game Device Software 2.0 and is required for games and
game devices. If you install a game that includes an earlier version of
DirectX, it is possible to overwrite DirectX version 5.  This will result
in the failure of newer games and your game device to work properly.
 
If this occurs, you will need to reinstall DirectX version 5 from the
SideWinder Game Device Software 2.0 by inserting the CD into your CD-ROM
drive and choosing "Install DirectX only."
 
=============================================================
 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
   640 X 480 resolution with 256 colors.
 
For details on how to change drivers or switch to a different display
mode, see your Windows printed documentation or online Help.
 
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 Device Profiler. Specifically, the items in the
list of devices, 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 Device Profiler should run on any personal computer
with a 486/66 or higher processor with at least 8MB of RAM.  However, if
you have other programs running, you may not have enough memory available
to start the Game Device Profiler Software 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 device and the Game
Device Profiler Online Help.
 
QUESTION: My game is behaving strangely. Is there any way I can run the
game with the Game Device Profiler turned off?
 
ANSWER: Yes. You can "suspend" the Game Device Profiler. This allows you
to run your game without the effect of any profiles.
 
To "suspend" the Game Device Profiler:
 
1. On the lower-right corner of the Windows taskbar, right-click the Game
   Device Profiler icon.
2. Click Suspend.
3. Run your game.
4. To restart the Game Device 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 Device Profiler
Software over the SideWinder Game Device Profiler, you'll experience this
sort of problem.
 
To resolve the problem:
 
1. Uninstall the new SideWinder Game Device Profiler.
2. Uninstall any old versions of the SideWinder software that are
installed
   on your computer.
3. Reinstall the new SideWinder Game Device Profiler.
 
QUESTION: I see strange colors in the Game Device Profiler. What do I do?
 
ANSWER: The Game Device 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 printed documentation
or online Help.
 
QUESTION:  Why isn't one of my game actions working in my game?
 
ANSWER:  Your game may be one that in certain situations goes into a
"non-polling" mode. This means that the game stops requesting information
from the game device. (For example, this may happen when you press a game
device button that you assigned to pause your game.) To make your game
respond again, press the original keystroke that you had assigned to
the game device button.
 
QUESTION: In the Activator, when I double-click on a profile for a
different game device, the same game device still appears in the Editor
window. How can I open my profile for the other game device?
 
ANSWER: Close the Editor and double-click the profile listed in the
Activator again.
 
QUESTION: Some of the scroll bars, dialog boxes, and control appear to be
mis-aligned in the Profile Editor or the Profile Activator.
 
ANSWER: You may experience difficulty with some dialog boxes and controls
if you use the Large Fonts option provided by Windows. It is recommended
that you choose the Small Fonts option when using the Game Device
Profiler Software 2.0.
 
QUESTION: I'm running VSC-88 Virtual Sound Canvas from Roland Corporation
and I keep getting a "not connected" status for my gaming device when I
open the Game Controller properties of the Windows Control Panel. Why is
this happening?
 
ANSWER: VSC-88 Virtual Sound Canvas is not compatible with digital game
devices and will occasionally cause a device to become disconnected. Use
the Remove and Add buttons to reestablish the device connection.
 
QUESTION: I keep getting the error message "Unable to load profile.
Game device not connected." when I double-click on a profile listed in
the Explorer window. Why can't the Activator load my profile?
 
ANSWER: You can only load and use profiles for the game device(s) that
you have connected to the game port on your computer. This error message
indicates that you are attempting to open a profile for a game device
other than that presently connected.
 
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 certain keyboards. Your game action will "play" the Ctrl+AltGr key
combination.
 
QUESTION: When pressing the buttons on my game device with the Test
window (on the Game Controllers properties of the Windows Control Panel)
open, some or allof the buttons don't light up on the image in the
window.  The game device seems to work okay in my games, why does it
appear to be not working properly when I test it?
 
ANSWER: Before you can test a game device properly, you need to make
sure there are no active profiles.  You can deactivate all profiles by
right-clicking the Game Device Profiler taskbar icon and selecting
"Suspend."
 
QUESTION:  When I test my SideWinder game pad with the Test window (on
the Game Controllers properties of the Windows Control Panel) open, and I
press one of the game pad buttons, one or more other buttons light up on
the image in the window. Is my game pad okay?
 
ANSWER: Before you can test a game pad properly, you need to make
sure that there are no active profiles.  You can deactivate all profiles
by right-clicking the Game Device Profiler taskbar icon and selecting
"Suspend."
 
Additional query words: sw3dpro
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Keywords          : joystick sidewinder
Version           : WINDOWS:1.0,2.0
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbreadme
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Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1997.