X36 Gameport Support
Welcome to the X36 Gameport support pages. Here you will find commonly requested files such as game configurations and the latest software, answers to commonly asked questions and step-by-step guides to help you get the most out of your X36 Gameport
Q1: Why won't my X36 install correctly on a machine running Windows 98?
A1: A few customers have commented on not being able to install the version of software that came with the combo into Windows 98, This is a problem we are aware of and there are two "work arounds". The first is to, install the X36 Launcher software while your machine is in Safe/Recovery Mode. The other is to download the second version of the Launcher software from our downloads page.
Q2: Will the X36 work with other companies' rudder pedals?
A2 : The X36 works well with the Thrustmaster RCS and CH products' CH Pedals, but not with the CH Pro Pedals. You will need to get into contact with CH, who will provide you with the necessary equipment. Also remember to disable the analogue rudder function on the throttle within the launcher software.
Q3: When Windows has started up, why do I get 'Initialization Error' message?
A3: The joystick and PC communicate on a constant basis, when our software is run it attempts to initialize the joystick, by sending and receiving correct codes. When these codes are interrupted the software produces this error, in most cases this won't affect the joysticks. In a small number of cases the joystick will not program and the error message is received several times. This is due to the manner in which some motherboards communicate with the keyboard. In order to correct this problem you will need to alter the BIOS settings. The ISA bus is normally adjusted using the 8bit and 16bit settings in windows, you will need to increase the settings and test the response. Increasingly though it is the case that most PC's these days are unable to handle the X36. As a general rule any PC over 300 MHz in speed is going to struggle to run the X36 and this is due to the keyboard pass-through that the controller relies on for it's programming. For those people experiencing this problem there is not usually a fix and the only solution is to get the USB X45 (the successor to the X36) instead. This doesn't rely on a keyboard pass-through so it will work on all PC's running Windows 98 or ME.
Q4: While I'm playing a game, why does the shift key or something get stuck?
A4: This problem comes from PS/2 and the manner in which it communicates. When the joystick was design and first developed, it was built so that it used the AT keyboard, 15pin game and the 9pin serial port. These came as standard on every machine at the time, however this is no longer the case, PS/2 controllers now comes as standard and control both keyboard and mouse information. The problem occurs when both mouse and keyboard are providing information at the same time. When the joystick is connect to your computer, information is sent from both joystick and keyboard continually via the keyboard port. The mouse will interrupt information from the keyboard, which cause the sticky key problem. The only possible work around is to convert your PS/2 mouse to serial, this will reduce the occurrence of the problem. Again though, this can be related to the PC speed problem mentioned in the above FAQ so it may be unsolvable
Q5: My Controller isn't working in my game, why is this?
or
My controller is not performing correctly in my game, what's happening?
A5: The first thing to check if the controller isn't working in the game is whether it is working in Game Controllers/Gaming Options in Control Panel. You can do this following the instructions in the General FAQ. If it is working okay in there then we know the controller is okay and problem has to do with the game itself.
First, make sure that the game actually supports game controllers, because some PC games just don't (if you're unsure you should contact the game publisher for more info on this).
Secondly, make sure you have correctly enabled the controller in the game's control options screen - most games have an options screen where you have to set up the controls - if this is a little unclear to you then the best people to contact this are, again, the publisher of the game as they will be more familiar with the game's inner workings.
Thirdly, the game may well need an update to correct an existing problem that the game may have shipped with. Always check the game's website to see if there are any updates for it (typically called Patches).
Windows 2000/XP
The X36 Gameport is our oldest product and development ceased on the combo back in 1998, shortly before it was discontinued in production. Development will not be started again on this controller because it would be hampered by the fact that the X36 is unlikely to work on any PC that is powerful enough to comfortably run 2000 or XP due to the keyboard pass-through that it uses. This is the source of the programming ability for the stick and on modern-day faster PC's there is too much information coming through on this connection and the stick gets locked up, thus handicapping the full use of the combo. Therefore under 2000 and XP we will only be supporting our current, USB-connected controllers. Sorry for any inconvenience.
