| Mirrored from Zapp's Page - http://www.cc.utah.edu/~dlg7/sidewinder/Repair.html
This page presents a method I have used to "revitalize"
old Sidewinder 3D Pro joysticks. As these 'sticks age, they
develop quite a bit of slop in the dead zone, making centering
difficult and decreasing your small movement control. Because
M$ refuses to produce or repair the 3D Pro, home-brew repairs
such as this will become the only means of keeping your
Sidewinder functional. I hope you find this helpful. Please
send any comments to: dlg7@utah.edu.
"Not connected" error?
An updated sw3dpro.vxd
that is supposed to fix the dreaded "not connected" error
with newer systems. I have not tested this, since I don't
use the Sidewinder drivers (I use the 3D pro as a Thrustmaster
Flight Control System w/ pedals and thus don't have any problems),
but it appears to work on some systems from posts in alt.games.descent.
Update: This fix only appears to work w/ ME, and not
very often. The latest official Sidewinder drivers can be
found here, The
original drivers can be found here.
So far the only sure way to fix the "not connected" problem
is to upgrade to Win2k or XP, which have the drivers built-in.
Note that you must add the joystick in the game controllers
control panel, it does not appear automatically. Also,
"not connected" can occur if you have too many game ports
listed in the device manager, causing a game port conflict.
If you only have one game port, make sure you have only one
listed in the device manager.
Update: I have been testing
a registry edit for Win98SE that has gotten me one step
closer to solving this problem. Thought I should post this
here and get input from other users and see if we can finally
fix this. First, install the 3d Pro drivers. I have used
both the original and version 3 for this. Now open your
registry and go to "HKLM\system\currentcontrolset\control\mediaproperties\privateproperties\
joystick\oem\Microsoft sidewinder 3d pro". Edit the string
entry "OEMCallout" and delete the value of it (MSgame.vxd)
and exit. Then remove and re-add the sidewinder 3D in the
game controller panel. It should show up as "OK" now. The
problems I have found- W/ the 3.0 drivers, the callibration
window is all messed up. W/ the original drivers, everything
works fine, except you can only push one button at a time,
a la CH flightstick mode. If you have any other information
on this, please contact me.
Update: This
was pointed out to me by Daniel
Nerf- From an XP help file-"If the controler is connected
and still not reconized, while the computer is on, unplug
the controler from the port and plug back in several times...
It says that the Sidewinder 3d Pro has a problem with static
build-up. Static build-up for some reason keeps the system
from recognizing the joystick". If anyone can confirm this,
let me know.
Update!
Something I have suspected but have been unable
to verify until now is that apart from the mainboard, there
is no difference between the Mac and PC versions of the
sidewinder. This means that you can use parts from the Mac
version to fix any problem related to hat, button functions
or worn hardware. If you are really good w/ a soldering
iron, you can also use many parts off the mainboard of the
Mac version (optical pick-up, many resistors/capacitors,
the main processor, those 4 extra fire buttons, etc.) Speaking
of buttons, you can now order replacements direct from Omron.
WARNING! DO NOT use
a power screw driver unless the torque is set very low.
You will strip the screw holes.
While you are up to your elbows in Sidewinder guts, why
not add an extra fire button to your 3D Pro? Read about
it here.
This requires you to be somewhat mechanical and able
to use tools. It can also completely
screw up your stick if you mess up, so be careful!
This will of course void your warranty, but since Microsoft
will only replace your 3D pro with a Precision Pro (a fate
worse than death!) instead of repairing it, I don't count
that as much of a deterrent. Not to mention the warranty
period has expired for most 3d Pro owners.
- Tools you will need:
- Medium Phillips screwdriver
- Very small Philips screwdriver
- Some small flathead screwdrivers, or butter knives
(for wedging and levers)
- Scissors/sharp razor
- Mylar- 50 mm X 50 mm (thickness needed is variable,
depending on how much wear there is, usually the
thin or medium thick Mylar sheet)
- Fine grit sandpaper
- Flat/needle-nose pliers
- Silicone grease (opaque/white)
- Ruler or compass for measuring diameter (a baby
bottle lid like the one shown has the right inner
diameter)
- Sharpie marker
- Thread-loc (optional, but recommended)
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*WARNING*
Any grease containing lithium or mineral oils can
damage plastic! Be sure to use ONLY Silicone. You
should be able to get this from an electronic supply
store (However, Radio Shack didn't have it in my area).
 Note on the Mylar- You can get non-melt Mylar
from stores that sell craft or quilting supplies.
It is used to make templates for drawing and quilting,
and comes in several colors and finishes... you need
the smooth, shiny finish (this is the stiffest), in
any color you want. It also comes in several thicknesses.
Unless you have extreme amounts of wear in your sidewinder,
thin or medium thickness should be fine. Unfortunately,
the only way to determine what thickness you need
is by experimentation, so you might end up making
several washers before you get it right. If you can't
find thin mylar, you can use the clear, stiff plastic
that is used as a "window" in product packaging.
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 The two hardest things to find...
(you can click on any image in this site to get an
enlarged view) |
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| Note on washer construction-
The easiest method is to use a compass to trace a washer
on the square piece of mylar. Simply trace an inner
diameter of 22 mm and an outer diameter of 44 mm, then
cut it out. My son took my compass to school, so I ended
up using a baby bottle lid as the template for the inner
diameter (it's exactly 22 mm) and then tracing around
the actual joystick base for the outer diameter. I've
included instructions for both methods, but I suggest
you avoid the hassle and use a compass. |
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Next: Removing the base |
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