Believe it or not, I got my MS FF Pro replaced well out of warranty. I simply called Microsoft, described the spiking problem with the stick, and they gave me another number to call. There they asked me if I wanted a new one or a refund, even though well out of warranty. I ended up getting a new MSFF2 shipped at no charge. I know of several other people getting the same, it's worth a shot if the stick is on the way out.