SideWinder: List of Hardware with Compatibility Issues

MORE INFORMATION

The following sound cards, game cards, computers, and chipsets have known compatibility issues with SideWinder game controllers.

NOTE: SideWinder game devices are designed to work with only one game port installed. You may experience erratic joystick or game pad behavior if more than one game port is installed in the computer.

Diamond Multimedia Monster Sound Cards

The Monster sound card drivers included with Microsoft Windows 98 are not compatible with the SideWinder Game Controller Software 3.0.

To resolve this issue, run the F3remove.exe program on the Diamond Monster Sound installation CD-ROM to remove the Windows 98 drivers.

After you remove the Windows 98 drivers, install the Diamond drivers from the CD-ROM, or download and install the latest version of the drivers from the following Diamond Multimedia Web site:

ESS Sound Cards

You may experience erratic game control or poor game performance if you connect your SideWinder game controller to the game port on an ESS-based sound card.

To resolve this issue, configure the sound card to use single-mode DMA.

Maxi Game Theatre 64

When you connect a SideWinder game pad to the game port on a Maxi Game Theatre 64 sound card, and then connect a SideWinder game controller to the game port connector on the game pad, you may experience erratic game controller behavior.

To resolve this issue, connect your SideWinder game controller directly to the game port on the sound card.

Media Vision Sound Cards

You may experience erratic game control or poor game performance if you connect a digital SideWinder game controller to the game port on a Media Vision sound card.

To resolve this issue, install the MS-DOS drivers for the sound card in addition to the Windows 95/98 drivers. If you use a SideWinder 3D Pro joystick and you still experience problems, switch the SideWinder 3D Pro to analog mode.

For information about how to configure Media Vision sound cards, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

MiroConnect 34 Sound Card

You may experience erratic game control if you connect a digital SideWinder game controller to the game port on a MiroConnect sound card.

To resolve this issue, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

IBM MWave Sound Card

You may experience erratic game control if you connect a digital SideWinder game controller to the game port on an IBM MWave sound card.

To resolve this issue, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Opti Sound Cards

You may experience erratic game control or poor game performance if you connect your SideWinder game controller to the game port on an Opti-based sound card.

To resolve this issue, configure the sound card to use single-mode DMA. For information about how to configure single-mode DMA on an Opti-based sound card, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Quick Shot PCMCIA Game Card

You may experience erratic game control if you connect a digital SideWinder game controller to a Quick Shot PCMCIA card.

To resolve this issue, contact your hardware manufacturer to obtain the latest version of the drivers for the game card.

TeleVideo TeleWave Q32/SRS

You may experience erratic game control or poor game performance if you connect a digital SideWinder game controller to the game port on a TeleWave Q32/SRS sound card.

To resolve this issue, install the MS-DOS drivers for the sound card in addition to the Windows 95/98 drivers. If you use a SideWinder 3D Pro joystick and you still experience problems, switch the SideWinder 3D Pro to analog mode.

For information about how to configure the TeleVideo TeleWave Q32/SRS sound card, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Toshiba Tecra 720 Notebook Computer

If you connect your digital SideWinder game controller to the game port on your Toshiba Tecra 720 notebook computer, the computer may not detect the game controller, or you may experience erratic game control or poor game performance. This behavior can occur if the computer is running in Low power mode.

To resolve this issue, configure the computer to run in Full power mode. For information about how to configure the computer to run in Full power mode, see your hardware documentation.

Incompatible Devices

The game ports on the following devices are not compatible with digital SideWinder game controllers:

• ASound Plus - Avance Logic ALS 100+ chipset
• BTC 1815-Analog Devices 1815 SoundComm chipset
• Chromatic Research !MPACT, !MPACT 2 sound cards
• CMI8330 Audio Codec
• Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 SCSI-1
  
  NOTE: The game ports on all other Sound Blaster cards are compatible with digital SideWinder game controllers.
  
  
• Cyrix MediaGX, including the built-in game port on the Compaq Presario 2120 and 2200
• Diamond Multimedia Edge 3D multimedia adapter
• Digital Research DRSound3D - Avance Logic ALS 100+ chipset
• ESS978-based Laptop Docking Stations
  
  NOTE: If your laptop uses the ESS18xx chipset and does not have a game port, your docking station probably uses the ESS978 chipset.
• Hewlett-Packard HP4000CT laptop docking station
• New Media Systems Game Jammer PC card
• Roland RAP 10/AT
• Toshiba Tecra 700CT notebook computer
• Via AC '97 sound card

To use a SideWinder game controller with these devices, install a standard game port or PCMCIA game card in the computer, and then disable the game port on the device. If you have a SideWinder 3D Pro joystick, you can use it in Analog mode.

The third-party products that are discussed in this article are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.