DOCUMENT:Q314256 06-AUG-2002 [homegame] TITLE :Flight Simulator 2002: Game Performance Is Choppy PRODUCT :Microsoft Home Games PROD/VER::1.0 OPER/SYS: KEYWORDS:kbimu ====================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information in this article applies to: - Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 Professional Edition, used with: - Microsoft SideWinder Force Feedback Pro, version 1.0 - Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002, used with: - Microsoft SideWinder Force Feedback Pro, version 1.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SYMPTOMS ======== When you play Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002, you may experience poor or "choppy" game performance when Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback Pro 1.0 is connected. CAUSE ===== This behavior can occur if any of the following conditions is true: - Your sound card cannot properly process game port signals, force feedback effect and high-quality game sounds and at the same time. - Your computer's onboard sound card is enabled. - You are using outdated sound card drivers. - You connect the SideWinder Force Feedback Pro joystick to a Thrustmaster game card. RESOLUTION ========== Method 1: Disable Forces in the Game ------------------------------------ 1. Start the game. 2. Click Options, and then select Controls. 3. Click Forces, and then click to clear the "Enable Force Feedback" option. 4. Click OK, and then try the game again. If the issue continues to occur, proceed to the next method. Method 2: Disable Onboard Sound Card ------------------------------------ Some computers include a sound card or audio chip set on the motherboard. If you install a new sound card with the onboard chip set, you may encounter this problem because of direct memory access (DMA) conflicts between the onboard audio chip set and the installed sound card. Windows cannot manage the DMA channel that may still be assigned to the onboard audio chip set, and conflicts with the DMA channel assigned to the installed sound card and game port. To resolve this issue, disable the onboard sound card: 1. Make sure the onboard sound care is disabled in the computer's Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) settings. Please see your computer's documentation or manufacturer for information about how to do this. 2. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. 3. Double-click System. 4. If you are using Microsoft Windows 95 or Microsoft Windows 98, click the Device Manager tab. If you are using Microsoft Windows 2000 or Microsoft Windows XP, on the Hardware tab, click Device Manager. 5. Expand "Sound, video and game controllers". 6. Click the onboard sound device, and then click Properties. 7. If you are using Windows 95 or Windows 98, on the General tab, under Device Usage, click to clear the "Original Configuration (Current)" check box. Or, if you do not see this check box, click the "Disable In This Hardware Profile" check box. If you are using Windows 2000 or Windows XP, on the General tab, select "Do not use this device (disable)" under Device Usage. 8. Click OK or Close until you return to Windows. 9. Restart the computer. If the issue continues to occur, proceed to the next method. Method 3: Update Sound Card Drivers ----------------------------------- Contact the manufacturer of your sound card to inquire about how to obtain and install the latest version of the sound driver for your sound card. For information about how to contact your hardware manufacturer, click the appropriate article number in the following list to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Q65416 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, A-K Q60781 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, L-P Q60782 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, Q-Z How to Identify the Manufacturer and Model of Your Sound Card: 1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. 2. Double-click System. 3. If you are using Windows 95 or Windows 98, click the Device Manager tab. If you are using Windows 2000 or Windows XP, on the Hardware tab, click Device Manager. 4. Expand "Sound, video and game controllers" to expand the branch. 5. Under the "Sound, video and game controllers" branch, note the manufacturer and model of your sound card, and then click OK. 6. Close all open windows. How to Identify the Version of Your Sound Card Driver: 1. Click Start, and then click Run. 2. In the Open box, type "dxdiag" (without the quotation marks), and then click OK. 3. On the Sound tab, note the version under the Driver section (on the right side). If the problem continues to occur, proceed to the next method: Method 4: Turn Off Sound In The Game ------------------------------------ While in flight, to turn off all sounds in the game, press Q. To turn on all sounds press Q again. If the problem continues to occur, proceed to the next method: Method 5: Download and Install Sidewinder Force Feedback Software 3.02 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: This software is not compatible with Windows 2000 or Windows XP. The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center: http://www.microsoft.com/products/hardware/sidewinder/downloads/default.asp For additional information about how to download Microsoft Support files, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Q119591 How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services Microsoft used the most current virus detection software available on the date of posting to scan this file for viruses. Once posted, the file is housed on secure servers that prevent any unauthorized changes to the file. If the problem continues to occur, to work around this issue (in the absence of a patch or updated driver), unplug the game controller, and then use keyboard controls to fly the aircraft. You can also use another game controller, if one is available. MORE INFORMATION ================ For additional information about solving problems related to onboard sound cards and Sidewinder Game Controllers, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Q173689 SideWinder Force Feedback Controller Behaves Erratically Q256296 SideWinder: No Forces When Playing Games on The Computer With Onboard (Built-in) Sound Card or Thrustmaster Game Card Q294672 Flight Sims: Does Not Detect Joystick in Windows 2000 and Windows XP Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information. Additional query words: msgame shaky jittery stilted ====================================================================== Keywords : kbimu Technology : kbGamesSearch kbFlightSimSearch kbFlightSim2002Pro kbSimSearch Version : :1.0 Issue type : kbprb ============================================================================= THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY. Copyright Microsoft Corporation 2002.