X52 Support page
Welcome to the X52 Flight Controller support pages. Here you will find answers to commonly asked questions and step-by-step guides to help you get the most out of your X52.
Q1: When I plug in my controller it installs as an Unknown Device. Why is this?
A1: There could be a few reasons for this. One is if you have Windows 98 Second Edition (SE) and are running an AMD processor with a VIA chipset motherboard. If this is the case then USB devices sometimes won't detect correctly so you can go to the following link for a fix.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/release.asp?ReleaseID=12904
It may also be because the controller is actually faulty or if you are plugging it into an external hub then try plugging it directly into a USB port on the computer itself.
Q2:Game Controllers/Gaming Options recognizes that my controller is present but when I click Properties I get the following error message, "An error occurred whilst working with the file c:\windows\system\joy.cpl" What do I do now?
A2 : This is a fault with a file on your PC called dinput.dll. Please go to the following link for suggestions on how to solve this.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q188106
If the fix outlined in this article does not help then You need to extract the HID.DLL from the Windows '98 Cabs. To copy this file in to the C:WindowsSystem directory and overwrite the existing HID.DLL please follow the instructions below.
1. Place the Windows98 CD in the drive. Now go to Start then Run and where it says 'Open' enter SFC and click OK.
2. Click on 'Extract one file' and enter HID.DLL. Now click the Start button.
3. Where it says 'Restore from' this should be the location of the Windows 98 CD. So If your CD-ROM drive is letter 'Q' it would read 'Q:WIN98. 'Save file in' should read 'c:/windows/system'. After this click on OK
4. Now it will ask you to back up the HID.DLL file. Make a note of the directory if need be and then click on OK, then click yes to create the Folder.
5. Now restart your PC and everything should now be OK.
If that doesn't work then there are only two other fixes that we are aware of.
The first is to reinstall Windows over the top of itself - this would involve no data loss on your hard drive and does seem to fix the fault in the majority of cases. If that doesn't work then the only other way is to format your PC's hard drive and reinstall Windows completely.
Q3: Does the X52 Flight Controller work with other companies' rudder pedals?
A3: It will work if you have a set of USB-connected pedals - simply plug them in and install as usual for those pedals. They will work alongside our controllers just fine but there is an issue that is dependent on the games that you're using. A lot of PC games do not accept inputs from more than one controller so you would not be able to use your pedals with a controller in them. Examples of games that do accept inputs from multiple controllers would be Microsoft's Flight Simulator series (2000 upwards), Microsoft's Combat Flight Simulator 2 and 3, Ubisoft's IL-2 Sturmovik, IL-2 Forgotten Battles and Lock On: Modern Air Combat.
Q4: My Controller isn't working in my game, why is this?
or
My controller is not performing correctly in my game, what's happening?
A4: 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).
Q5: What does the rotary/hat switch/ trigger/etc. do in my game?
A5: Simply put: whatever you want it to! Using the SST programming software you can program every part of the X52 to emulate a key or combination of keys on the keyboard, or even a mouse button click. Therefore the question shouldn't be, "What does the rotary/hat switch/trigger/etc. do in my game?" but rather, "What do I want my rotary/hat switch/trigger/etc. to do in my game?"
Q6: I am experiencing problems with my X52 and it is plugged into a USB hub. Is there anything I can do to solve this?
A6: If you are experiencing problems with the stick then connect it directly to a USB port on your PC.
Q7: My X52 was working fine but now when I try and load any of my profiles I get the following message: "The file <profilename.dat> does not contain a profile for this device. The device was not profiled." How do I fix this?
A7: This is because you have downloaded the latest driver from Windows Update which means you also need to get the latest programming software. Go to Game Controllers, open the Properties for the stick and then click the About tab at the top. In there click the link to download the latest programming software. Once that's downloaded, install it and things should be back to normal.
Note: When you click on the link it will bring up our website; do not click anything on there. Instead, wait for a bit and you should get a download prompt for the file - Save that to your PC and then install it once downloaded.
