I have rediscovered an ancient MS SideWinder 3D Pro that I originally used under Windows 95 (to play the legendary FURY3!) about 12 years ago. I want to use this joystick on another, newer PC that has Windows 98 (original version) installed on it. However, when I plug the joystick into the gameport of the Win98 PC, it says "Not Connected." I am wondering if there is any way I can get Windows 98 to recognize the joystick?Appreciate any ideas, thanks!JS

>I have rediscovered an ancient MS SideWinder 3D Pro that I>originally used under Windows 95 (to play the legendary>FURY3!) about 12 years ago. I want to use this joystick on>another, newer PC that has Windows 98 (original version)>installed on it. However, when I plug the joystick into the>gameport of the Win98 PC, it says "Not Connected." I am>wondering if there is any way I can get Windows 98 to>recognize the joystick?>>Appreciate any ideas, thanks!>>JSWow, that one is an oldie, I used to have one too. I think a driver installation is necessary for that one. Something like this http://www.download.com/Microsoft-Sidewind...4-10045405.html

Hi.If it's just Pro, or Precission pro Plus they were Gameport only, if it is Precission Pro, NOT Plus, you can get an adapter to USB for it, I can send you a schematic if you want. No driver needed for any that I recall.You can also get a Gameport to USB conveter from RadioShack for about $20.00 and use any Gameport device with USB, you may loose some functionality / buttons, but the 3 axis should work in all. TV

I have the "Sidewinder 3D Pro" with a 15-pin socket. It is a true joystick with a total of 8 buttons and a hat switch.Here's a link to a pic:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2...nder_3D_Pro.jpgI just installed the Sidewinder software from the link posted above but there is nothing for my particular game in it and it still says "Not Connected". The PC I am installing to runs Windows 98 (plain vanilla, never updated with anything.)Are you saying that if I get a 15-pin-to-USB converter, the stick might still be usable but with limited functionality? I found this. Would it be any good?Belkin Sidewinder Joystick Adapter (f3u200-08inch)F3U200-08INCH 1 x 4-pin Type A Female USB Joystick Adapter Belkin Corporation. 8" 1 x 15-pin DB-15 Female 1 2 www.belkin.com http:/ / Price: $3.99Thanks!JS

Hi!Had one of these quite some years Ago, used it For FS95!! Later upgraded to Force Feedback Pro that is still here probably to be replaced by Saitek Yoke...The Sidewinder 3D pro has a modal switch behind it... try flipping it... one mode makes it work as a standard 3-axis joystyick, emulating an analog device... in the other mode it works fully digital as Sidewinder 3D Pro... it used to work with WinXP as well!http://www.mario.wspilots.com/signature_forum.gifhttp://www.mariopilot.6x.to

Ah! So THAT is what the switch is for eh? One of my sons noticed that just about an hour ago. I'd never seen it!Well, anyway....(sigh!)....still does not work !JS

Hi JSACKS,The 3D Pro operated as a standard gameport stick or, if you installed the drivers, it ran as a digital stick. It's highly unlikely that it will work as a digital stick today, it didn't work that well when it was new. In any case, the USB converter won't work with it in digital mode. USB is fast, but not frequent, and the 3D Pro needed to be read every 2 microseconds or so to operate digitally.It should operate as a gameport stick okay. In that case, you lose the use of the base buttons. To run as a gameport stick, you don't install the SW drivers, just plug it in. One thing to check is that the gameport itself is installed. They weren't necessarily PnP at the time, you had to manually run the "Add New Hardware" wizard and add the gameport yourself. You may also have to enable the port in the BIOS.The switch on the front determined the mode when it was used as a gameport stick. At the time, there were two basic configuration. The CH FlightStick Pro and the Thrustmaster FCS. The basic difference was in the way the POV switch worked. CH used "chorded" buttons, combinations of the existing buttons were decoded to provide more than the four buttons that the gameport itself provided. The downside there was that you could only use one button at a time, probably not much of a problem in civilian sims, but anathema in a combat sim. The upside was you could still use the throttle.. With the switch in position I, it operated that way and you just added the stick as a CH Flightstick Pro.In position II, it emulated the TM FCS. The FCS used the throttle axis for the POV, it generated different resistances for different hat positions. The upside was that you could use multiple buttons at the same time, the downside was you lost the throttle axis. With it set to position II, you need to add it as a TM FCS.If you still have the software, it might work. If it works, the base buttons do work and the switch on the front does nothing except to reset the stick if you flip it. You can basically ignore it in that case. Getting the drivers to work is a chancy operation, though. They tried to time the machine so they could predict the pulse train. It didn't actually use the axes, it bundled things up into a digital package and sent it as serial data down the button lines. The packet was triggered by firing the axes, but they didn't return a value, that just started the digital transmission, and it was the timing of the pulses that was problematic.Check that the gameport is installed and working, pick CH or TM mode, and plug it in. Add the appropriate type (FlightStick Pro or FCS). If it's going to work, it should work then.Hope this is some help.Best regards,- BobThe StickWorkshttp://www.stickworks.com