Enabling CH Products Joystick Control Manager in Windows 10

[Buzzsaw 405]

The popular CH Products Joysticks and Rudders have software designed to allow them full function.  Unfortunately CH has said they will not support the software and provide updates for W10 changes.

 

WIN 10 CH Manager Work Around

 

Problem:  The controllers are grayed out in CH Control manager software and they do not work properly.

Below is the work around for this problem since the latest Windows 10 creators updates.

First, you need to prevent your computer from saving information to boot faster upon shutdown (you need to turn off fast startup in windows) so that it treats the controllers the same whether you cold boot or restart.

1. Click the start button and type "CONTROL PANEL", then choose Hardware and Sound then Power options. On the left side click "Choose what the power Buttons do". Now click "Change settings that are currently unavailable". Lastly UNcheck "Turn on fast startup (recommended)"

2. Now when you boot from cold boot or a restart it will treat the controller the same way.

3. Boot/reboot the computer. When it comes up DO NOT DO anything related to games or control manager loading scripts. You must open Control Center, or Control manager and wait for about 2-3 minutes until you hear the last chirp of the USB being recognized. Once that last chirp happens you can then load scripts or change whatever. If you do not wait for the last chirp (2-3 minutes) and you try to manage your controllers then you must reboot and start over.

4. Instead of manually opening control center upon startup. You can add the CMStart.exe (CH startup program for the 5 sec delay) shortcut to your SHELL :

 

STARTUP folder.
* CMSTART *
To add CMStart to your SHELL : STARTUP Folder

1. in the Address bar of Windows Explorer type or paste C:\Program Files (x86)\CH Products

2. in windows explorer top left choose FILE Open New Window. In the Address bar of that window type or paste SHELL : STARTUP

3. once you have both windows up RIGHT click and drag the CMSTART application to the SHELL : STARTUP folder and let go. When the options come up, select "create shortcuts here".

4. now every time you boot, the controller will begin the process of the 2 min wait

In addition in STEAM:

 

Under STEAM > SETTINGS > CONTROLLER > GENERAL CONTROLLER SETTINGS > Uncheck the "Guide Button Focuses Steam" checkbox to prevent Steam from turning your Controller Gray again when Loading CM scripts.

[Eclipse4349 20]

The workaround above does not work for many, including myself.  I have had intermittent success, sometimes restarting a few times to get it to work.  Tonight, after the 10th restart, I decided to look for an answer some more, or just start mapping my gear in the game and not using the Control Manager Software anymore. 

 

I THINK I FIXED IT!!!  Here is how: 

 

1)  Open Device Manager in Windows 

2)  Find the CH Products list and expand it 

3)  For every device listed: 

      A)  Right click, then click properties in the window for the device.  

      B)  Click the Power Management tab, if there is one.  If not, just close the window and move to the next device 

      C)  UNCHECK the box that says “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power” 

 

After I finished all the devices in the list, I restarted my PC 

 

After that… it worked flawlessly, like it always used to.  I can switch back and forth between direct and mapped modes over and over, load a new profile, switch between modes some more, load another profile, all is right with the world again.  I even restarted again to be sure.  I didn't wait for anything.  When the desktop came up, I opened Control Manager, and switched from direct to mapped mode, and it worked fine!

 

Hope this helps someone (hopefully everyone with this problem!)!! 

Edited February 3, 2018 by Eclipse4349

[Proudtiger 0]

I did this the old school way by making the folder.

 

Edited February 2 by Proudtiger