XP Professional machine loses joystick calibration on reboot

[TDeacon]

I can retain calibration settings after exiting and then restarting AH.  However, if I reboot my Windows XP PC, I lose the calibration settings.  Is there a file I can make read-only, or some such known solution?    

MH

[Skuzzy]

Is calibration lost in the game?  What about Windows itself?

Make sure none of the files in the "settings" folder are marked read-only AND you are not running some type of security software that could interfere with file updates.

[TDeacon]

Windows calibration is retained when Windows is rebooted; AH calibration is lost when Windows is rebooted.

I am running Norton Internet Security, latest version.  I will pay closer attention to the files in the Settings folder.  However, I wouldn't think that NIS would allow these files to be updated during a Windows session, but then restore them to previous values on reboot.  I mean they could do that, but why?  Seems unlikely.  After all, there are many other files which the game changes (views, etc.) which retain their settings through an XP reboot.  Why just the issue with controller settings? 

What's the file (name) which contains the CH joystick and CH pedal settings?  

MH

[Skuzzy]

Norton is probably the problem.  It all has to do with data patterns.  You cannot "disable" Norton either.  All that does is stop the reporting or problems.  It does not stop Norton from messing with your files.  Horrible piece of software.

Norton is the worst thing you can do to a computer, with McAfee trailing a very close second, then Intuit.  Although Roxio is also in the running.  iTunes is too.

[TDeacon]

The file name of the file containing the calibration settings would still be helpful.  I want to fool around with it a bit.  Make a copy, and see if that remains intact, etc. 

MH

[Skuzzy]

Look for the files with the ".jsm" extension in the "settings" folder.

[Wizer]

Windows calibration is retained when Windows is rebooted; AH calibration is lost when Windows is rebooted.

I am running Norton Internet Security, latest version.  I will pay closer attention to the files in the Settings folder.  However, I wouldn't think that NIS would allow these files to be updated during a Windows session, but then restore them to previous values on reboot.  I mean they could do that, but why?  Seems unlikely.  After all, there are many other files which the game changes (views, etc.) which retain their settings through an XP reboot.  Why just the issue with controller settings? 

What's the file (name) which contains the CH joystick and CH pedal settings?  

MH

If you are using CH control Manager for your CH Joystick and CH Pedal settings, then you need to calibrate your settings in CH Control Manager.  Hopes this helps.

[bustr]

Windows calibration is retained when Windows is rebooted; AH calibration is lost when Windows is rebooted.

I am running Norton Internet Security, latest version.  I will pay closer attention to the files in the Settings folder.  However, I wouldn't think that NIS would allow these files to be updated during a Windows session, but then restore them to previous values on reboot.  I mean they could do that, but why?  Seems unlikely.  After all, there are many other files which the game changes (views, etc.) which retain their settings through an XP reboot.  Why just the issue with controller settings? 

What's the file (name) which contains the CH joystick and CH pedal settings?  

MH

So finaly the joystick brand.

Yes I would have asked you if you are running the CH Manager app and first calibrating in windows. Bentnail was talking the CH support and they recomend running the CH Control Center and checking start in Mapped mode even if you are not using any profiles. Also run the CH Manager and calibrate in windows.

If it's the game only that you loose calibration every time delete your current (chfighterstickusb.jsm) and (chprothrottleusb.jsm) and let the game generate new ones. Check their attributes and make sure Read-only is not checked on your (jsm) files. Or if you are ambitious rename the current Settings folder to (Settings.Old) then make a new folder (Settings) and start the game so it will rebuild the files and subfolder. Then run the game and calibrate your joystick. Exit the game, restart and see if the calibration holds.

Before you delete your (jsm) files copy the contents to a (txt) file. If the deletion of these files fixes this issue you can then copy the saved contents from the (txt) file back into your new (jsm) file.

When I was on XP I had to do that a few times. When the game started doing things like this more often I would completely uninstall the game and perform a fresh install after running a defrag of that volume. I backed up the Settings folder so I wouldn't loose my setups. Properties on harddrives will change over time from many sources.

How applications lay down and interact with files can be interfered with by those same sources.

I run ESET 5 which has a gameing mode that completely shuts down all the antivirus properties when AH goes into full window mode. I set the HTC folder tree to excluded for good measure. BofA ran Enterprise level Norton and occasionaly files were corrupted or their nature changed on the 3000 or so servers I babysitted. Norton is a money making scam of a virus in itself but, BofA's underwriter specified using it to keep the SEC happy.

Have you recently changed, updated your antivirus engine or added anything new to your OS that enumerates the contents of your harddrive as part of it's function?

As I stated before, if there was a simple answer Skuzzy would have given it to you already. Have you simply scrubbed the game from your hardrive and reinstalled a clean version?

[TDeacon]

Bustr,

I know it's hard to keep track of all the stuff on these long threads, but I did say that Windows controller calibration is fine; it's the AH calibration which goes away on XP reboot.  I am not so far as I know running any "CH Manager App".  AH reinstall is unlikely to be the issue, as I have done so many times over the years, and this issue has been there from the start, IIRC.  NIS is also unlikely to be the culprit, as I fail to see why they would interfere with the jsm files and allow all the others to be changed.  

In any case, I am fooling around with it.  I currently have made copies of the (not read-only, dated today) jsm files, and will see what happens to the originals next reboot.  
(EDIT:  Well that was useless.  The jsm files are unchanged through XP reboot...)

MH

[TDeacon]

Skuzzy,  

Are you sure that during AH controller calibration, the game changes/uses only the jsm files?  Consider that:

1)   When I start AH after rebooting XP, the controllers behave in an uncalibrated fashion, yet the jsm files are unchanged from the previous XP session.  (I checked them with Beyond Compare).  (Also note that Windows calibration is retained, and is still good).  
2)   So, in order to get the controllers to behave in a calibrated fashion, I have to re-calibrate in AH.  The jsm files are then updated by AH, which doesn't do any harm, but the old ones should have been good enough to do the job, as they were identical to what worked in the previous XP session.  
3)   Doesn’t this imply that AH is changing and using something *in addition to* the ...Aces High\settings\*.jsm files when I do in-game calibration?  

MH

[guncrasher]

you must have the ch manager open every time you play while in windows xp.   that's how it worked for me.  even now on win7 every now and then I will lose calibration and the only way to stop it is to have the ch manager open every time I start the game.

semp

[The Fugitive]

I have all CH products (stick throttle, and pedals) and have never had to open the CH manager over the last few years to run in the game. That's not it.

Are you running a powered USB hub for the CH gear? When the computer shuts down the hub doesn't and maintains power to the gear.

[TDeacon]

you must have the ch manager open every time you play while in windows xp.   that's how it worked for me.  even now on win7 every now and then I will lose calibration and the only way to stop it is to have the ch manager open every time I start the game.

semp

I don't use CH Manager (so far as I know).  

I have all CH products (stick throttle, and pedals) and have never had to open the CH manager over the last few years to run in the game. That's not it.

Are you running a powered USB hub for the CH gear? When the computer shuts down the hub doesn't and maintains power to the gear.

Yes, I have a powered USB hub.  I guess I am missing your point as to how having or not having such a hub would affect the .jsm files described by Skuzzy. 

MH

[The Fugitive]

If there is a power issue, windows may be looking for for the ch equipment trying to set it up. Once windows starts messing with stuff all bets are off.

[Skuzzy]

When something drops off the USb bus (power cycle, for example) Windows can give the device a new USB ID when it comes back online.  This causes the game to see the device as a new device added to the computer.

The game uses the unique USB device ID in order to support multple instances of the same device.

Windows 7 64 bit has a bug which causes the game to get flooded with "DEVICE CHANGE" request messages if the power levels of the USB bus are too low.  This problem is unique to Windows 7 64 bit.