Saitek Gaming Keyboard stealing the limelight

[feenster]

Hi all,
I'm using the demo of LFS, trying to play it with my USB rumble joypad (can't afford a wheel at the moment!). However, the controller isn't appearing the LFS options screen even though it is installed correctly. I believe this is because my Saitek Gaming Keyboard is stealing the limelight, and pretending it is the main controller on my PC. I have disabled it in the Device Manager (as Saitek tech support suggested), and removed it from the Game Controllers list in the control panel, but it is still the default controller in LFS.

Is there any way to force LFS to look for other controllers? This problem also happens in other games, such as GT Legends, TOCA and GTR. Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers,
Matt

[Woz]

Hi all,
I'm using the demo of LFS, trying to play it with my USB rumble joypad (can't afford a wheel at the moment!). However, the controller isn't appearing the LFS options screen even though it is installed correctly. I believe this is because my Saitek Gaming Keyboard is stealing the limelight, and pretending it is the main controller on my PC. I have disabled it in the Device Manager (as Saitek tech support suggested), and removed it from the Game Controllers list in the control panel, but it is still the default controller in LFS.

Is there any way to force LFS to look for other controllers? This problem also happens in other games, such as GT Legends, TOCA and GTR. Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers,
Matt

LFS will pick up every controller you have plugged in and that is visible to Direct X

I have the following

- DFP
- Act labs pedals + shifter
- PS2 controller

All appear in LFS and all axis and buttons are selectable.

That said I have had many bad experiences with Saitek crap. I had an R440 wheel and there were driver issues that load reported on the Saitek forum but they did NOTHING about it.

[feenster]

Woz,
Thanks for the reply. If I run DxDiag, it shows the following under "Input":
- Mouse (Attached, n/a)
- Keyboard (Attached, n/a)
- Saitek Gamers Keyboard (Attached, 17)
- Saitek Gamers Keyboard (Attached, 17)
- Saitek Gamers Keyboard (Attached, 17)
- USB Vibration Gamepad (Attached, 0)

So I imagine it is there, its just that the 3 instances of the keyboard are stealing the show, as most games only allow up to 4 controllers. Do you know of a way to reorder them in the list, or just get rid of the Saitek ones altogether?

Cheers,
Matt

[semvhu]

I know this thread is a few months old now, but I thought I'd throw in my experience. I have a Saitek Gamers Keyboard and Saitek P2500 game pad. If I have both connected and start LFS, LFS will NOT recognize the P2500. If I disconnect the keyboard, let LFS go through the opening sequence (I don't see any way of canceling the opening sequence with no ESC key), and head into the options, the P2500 is available. I can then reconnect the keyboard and play just fine.

I have the same problem with the NFSU series, and the same sequence of unplugging the keyboard and plugging it back in after the game starts works just fine.

I have no idea what Saitek did to cause so may problems with this keyboard, but you'd think their own products would be nice to each other. I guess the keyboard is a hog.

I think it's time to put this keyboard up on eBay and find something else. It's probably also time to bring in my DFP and get it to work on the PC, but I'm awfully lazy. :o)

FYI, when I first ran into the problem with NFSU, I e-mailed both EA and Saitek. Can you guess the outcome? Neither of them wanted to take the blame. O_o Now that I see LFS having the same issues, it's obvious it's a Saitek issue.

[feenster]

I actually managed to solve my problem, but forgot to post back. Saitek tech support guided me through removing the "gaming" part to the keyboard. Basically, I had to disable the item "USB Gaming Keyboard Pro" under "Human Interface Devices" in the device manager, and it all works as it should.

Hope that helps.

Matt