Stick loosing all mapping

[DmonSlyr]

So how is it that I come into the game, my rudder isn't working, I'm in the middle of a sortie, realize rudder isn't working. So I unplug and replug, still not working. I restart computer, replug it in, log into game. Now Rudder is working but all of my Winwing stick mapping and throttle mapping have vanished. have to remap literally everything. This has happened a few other times after I downloaded a new game.

Just frustrating to keep doing this...

[The Fugitive]

And that is why you make a copy of your settings folder and store it someplace you can get to easily. Windows loves to mess with your files.

[Wiley]

This one has been fairly long standing from what I've seen, as far as I know nobody has a consistent procedure for reproducing it.

When I changed to my new throttle, I had something similar happen.  Just out of nowhere most/all of my mappings vanished a couple times during the course of setting it up.  The weirdest one was I changed a button mapping while I was in flight, and everything on whichever control I did it on went blank.  Axes and buttons.

Since then, my 2 rules for mappings are:

- After the session I make a change, take a backup of the Settings folder
- Never change mappings in flight, only in tower

Since I've been doing that, I haven't had a mishap with mappings since.  I've had it happen as you describe as well, in between logins.  Again, I've never seen someone show a procedure that can reproduce it, which really sucks.

The one thing with configuration on my setup that drives me nuts though is my microphone volume level gets reset at random in between logins.  It's at the point I check my voice settings every time I log in.  For my mic to work normally for people to hear me I need to set volume to full and boost to about 80%.  If I log out and back in, it very often reverts to volume at about 70%, no boost.  Sometimes, it doesn't.  No idea why, but it seems to be something vaguely similar to the mapping issue.

Wiley.

[DmonSlyr]

This one has been fairly long standing from what I've seen, as far as I know nobody has a consistent procedure for reproducing it.

When I changed to my new throttle, I had something similar happen.  Just out of nowhere most/all of my mappings vanished a couple times during the course of setting it up.  The weirdest one was I changed a button mapping while I was in flight, and everything on whichever control I did it on went blank.  Axes and buttons.

Since then, my 2 rules for mappings are:

- After the session I make a change, take a backup of the Settings folder
- Never change mappings in flight, only in tower

Since I've been doing that, I haven't had a mishap with mappings since.  I've had it happen as you describe as well, in between logins.  Again, I've never seen someone show a procedure that can reproduce it, which really sucks.

The one thing with configuration on my setup that drives me nuts though is my microphone volume level gets reset at random in between logins.  It's at the point I check my voice settings every time I log in.  For my mic to work normally for people to hear me I need to set volume to full and boost to about 80%.  If I log out and back in, it very often reverts to volume at about 70%, no boost.  Sometimes, it doesn't.  No idea why, but it seems to be something vaguely similar to the mapping issue.

Wiley.

Very interesting. Yeah im not sure what's going on with that, but can be quite frustrating. It was weird because my peddels weren't working, but everything on stick was, then I restarted and replugged in the peddels but when I logged into the game, all my controls disappeared but the rudder was working.. very strange. Usually happens when I download a new game and still have my stick/throttle plugged in. But I notice this happened when ive downloaded other games before. Its certainly interesting. 

[Eagler]

I lose rudder occasionally but just unplug replug and calibrate usually fixes it..

Eagler

[Animl-AW]

Sounds like a Windows issue.
What OS?
What kind of stick?
Do you use Windows game controller settings when you install each game?
Is your stick still properly shown in AH when this happens?

I’m curious if something in the address changes and AH doesn’t see it therefore reverts to default in the profile.

I don’t understand the AH controller file yet. What data is stored there? That could be where the numbers no longer correspond.

[Randy1]

Had the same thing happen to me a couple months back when replugging rudders.

[Wiley]

We're all working a bit blind, but when I took a bit of a look at the settings folder, AH does seem to reference the controls by name, and appears not to use the order they're plugged in, unlike some other programs that use the identifier, so if the order they show in windows changes, so do the mappings.  I know on my system order in controller config doesn't play a factor in AH, because I had mine switch at one point and it completely hosed my mappings in other games, but AH was unaffected.

One time when it went blank, I believe I remember that the contents of the file had been reset, so I don't think it was misidentifying the peripherals.  Just some sequence of events made it clear out everything.  Buttons and axes.

Not saying you're wrong about it being a Windows issue, but the game being installed off the root directory should negate UAC doing weird and wonderful things (maybe not, but that's been my experience in other situations) and I've never found another copy of those files somewhere I didn't expect it.

Pretty sure I had it happen on both Win10 and 11, but for sure 11.

[Animl-AW]

We're all working a bit blind, but when I took a bit of a look at the settings folder, AH does seem to reference the controls by name, and appears not to use the order they're plugged in, unlike some other programs that use the identifier, so if the order they show in windows changes, so do the mappings.  I know on my system order in controller config doesn't play a factor in AH, because I had mine switch at one point and it completely hosed my mappings in other games, but AH was unaffected.

One time when it went blank, I believe I remember that the contents of the file had been reset, so I don't think it was misidentifying the peripherals.  Just some sequence of events made it clear out everything.  Buttons and axes.

Not saying you're wrong about it being a Windows issue, but the game being installed off the root directory should negate UAC doing weird and wonderful things (maybe not, but that's been my experience in other situations) and I've never found another copy of those files somewhere I didn't expect it.

Pretty sure I had it happen on both Win10 and 11, but for sure 11.

I think what I'm trying to say is, it's a combo between Windows - peripherals and AH,.. not strictly an AH issue/bug. When he says it happens when he installs other games that throws me to a common point of Windows - peripherals, something changing.

As you said, working in the dark,... at least for me.

Are we talking about settings/contols.cfg?
On my file it reads
1168
1001

This is where I'm not sure what these numbers are doing. I haven't look that far but maybe GUID and/or product ID? Probably an HT question.

I assume if AH doesn't see something it's going to write defaults,...or blank, if that's how AH reverts to defaults.

"If you quickly and repeatedly insert and remove a USB device, the USB port may stop responding. When the port is in this state, it no longer recognizes any USB device, and the USB device will not work."

I had a thumb drive left in a port that started having slowness issue reading files, changed to another USB port and it was fine. Then at some point that port was slow went back to the other and it was fine again.

I have >NO CLUE< if this had anything to do with my mapping stopped being lost,... but since then I've had no issues.

Disable Universal Serial Bus Controllers sleep mode
How to disable USB ports from automatically entering sleep mode on Windows. When the USB port enters sleep mode, it can cause a peripheral to “time out” and become unresponsive to the operating system.
(I'm think if this happens and AH doesn't see it, boom there it goes.....all reckless assumption.)

1) Right Click the Start Menu Icon on lower left of screen. Select Device Manager to open it.

2) Scroll to the bottom and click the arrow next to Universal Serial Bus Controllers to expand the list.

3) Right click each item that has HUB in it and select Properties

4) Click the Power Management tab.

5) Make sure the Allow computer to turn off this device to save power box is unchecked on all HUBs that allow it.

6) Click OK to close the window.