Enabling CH Products Joystick Control Manager in Windows 10

[Buzzsaw 1091]

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 40]

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, 2019 by Proudtiger

[jollyjack 254]

CM, interesting hardware, didn't know of its existence. Seems to be no more, and you're sent on to this site: https://www.apem.com/int/37-joysticks

[Sokol1 1766]

Apem that you link made joystick for industrial use.

 

Apem division that make domestic joystick is CH-Products.

http://www.chproducts.com/

 

Good products, the downside is that still using the same 8 bits introduced in ~1999, design is too from last century. 😀 

 

If fair they probable are the most durable game joysticks ever made.

 

 

 

 

 

[Buzzsaw 1091]

On 8/8/2019 at 7:25 AM, Sokol1 said:

Apem that you link made joystick for industrial use.

 

Apem division that make domestic joystick is CH-Products.

http://www.chproducts.com/

 

Good products, the downside is that still using the same 8 bits introduced in ~1999, design is too from last century. 😀 

 

If fair they probable are the most durable game joysticks ever made.

 

 

 

 

 

I have one which I bought in 2000 which is still working perfectly.

[jarg1 35]

My CH setup is approaching 20 years of use also.

[MurrayCod 0]

What I have just found that so far has worked for me several times in a row is to........

 

1. Open / launch the Control Manager software using "Run As Administrator"

2. Before loading a profile, ensure the mode is set to OFF (ie. don't have it in DIRECT mode or MAPPED mode)

3. You can now load a profile, edit it and then press the DOWNLOAD button and the buttons won't grey out  (well, at least for me they didn't)

 

You can then play whichever game you want to play and the key assignments will be working as you have programmed them.

 

Please note that for me if I go back to Control Manager program after playing a game and then load and download a different profile the buttons grey out again.  The workaround for that so far for me is to:

1. Close the game I was playing

2. Close the Control Manager program

3. Re-open /launch the Control Manager program (Run as Administrator)

4. Put Control Manager into OFF mode

5. Load the different profile

6. DOWNLOAD the different profile

 

 

I hope this works for everyone

Edited September 5, 2019 by MurrayCod
extra info added

[Jodet 4]

I tried MurrayCod's trick.   (After doing the power management  thing). 

 

As soon as I click 'OFF' the download button and three mode buttons are greyed out.   I load a map... they never come back. 

 

I've been screwing around with this for days.    I'm wondering if it's time to just give up on flight sims.    This is just too much.  

 

[Jodet 4]

More test results.... I thought the 'load your map as soon as you start your computer' would work ok.    But after five minutes or so my rudder pedals stopped working.   

 

Getting lots of really random results here.   

[Bert_Foster 138]

This issue was really bad around 12 months ago with a number of work arounds posted. The issue it turned out was within Windows 10 itself, as determined by some of the CH gurus. In my case a Win10 update around 10 months fixed it. I have not seen greyed out CH manager buttons since then.

 

So all I can suggest is make sure your Win 10 install is up to date.

[Comrad64 2]

The current fix for greyed out CH Control panel is to click the start button and type STORE (yes the Microsoft store) then you will hear the chirp.

 

If you are still having problems then stop Gigabyte's RGB fusion 2 (it somehow interferes with CH products getting loaded for the first time) Once you are up and working you will not need this fix until your next reboot/map load. There may be other RBG software causing the problem too. Just exit those wait for the chirp then restart them.

 

 

 

[Eclipse4349 40]

On 9/21/2019 at 5:06 PM, Bert_Foster said:

This issue was really bad around 12 months ago with a number of work arounds posted. The issue it turned out was within Windows 10 itself, as determined by some of the CH gurus. In my case a Win10 update around 10 months fixed it. I have not seen greyed out CH manager buttons since then.

 

So all I can suggest is make sure your Win 10 install is up to date.

This was my experience, also. I've been away from flying a while, just getting back to it, but I haven't had any problems. I also have a brand new installation of WIN10, FWIW. 

 

I hope this issue is resolved for everyone else, also! 

[Eclipse4349 40]

This issue is back with a vengeance. I restarted more last night than I have in a long time. I came across this solution on Reddit a few minutes ago, so I'm spreading the word:

 

Post 1:

When the buttons grey out, sign out of windows and then sign back in. The devices will reinitialize and Control Manager will be in the mode you had tried to switch to.  I have used this solution, and can confirm it works for me and for a friend.

 

Post 2:

Turn off and Disable the Windows Service called SysMain. That fixes all the issues. It gets reenabled by updates though. 

*Edited for better wording.*

The service has something to do with precaching for the windows metro apps. If the buttons grey out again, just open the Windows Store app. Disabling SysMain completely fixes it.

 

Post 3:

Killing the Microsoft Store process in the task manager literally fixed every single problem I've had with Control Manager in Windows 10.

 

 

Edited October 13, 2019 by Eclipse4349
updated - solution 1 confirmed

[1./KG4_EKat 7]

On 9/23/2019 at 11:14 AM, Comrad64 said:

The current fix for greyed out CH Control panel is to click the start button and type STORE (yes the Microsoft store) then you will hear the chirp.

 

Typing STORE at the start button fixed the grayed-out panel for me as well. Glad there's an easy way out of that. I had been unplugging all my CH devices, restarting, and plugging them all back in again, which usually worked for me. A hassle to do though. Thanks for posting this solution.

[AKA_TG- 1]

 

 

 

 

I am only after the ability of the throttle to (upon a button press) supplying a 'ctrl key press'  in the stream (as if from the keyboard IO.)

There has to be a way to program this without ch manager.

 

 

[Sokol1 1766]

2 hours ago, AKA_TG- said:

There has to be a way to program this without ch manager.

 

Joystick Gremlin?

Edited October 31, 2019 by Sokol1

[AKA_TG- 1]

Looks like a good lead Sokol1

Thanks!

 

[Eclipse4349 40]

On 9/23/2019 at 11:14 AM, Comrad64 said:

The current fix for greyed out CH Control panel is to click the start button and type STORE (yes the Microsoft store) then you will hear the chirp.

Holy **** where did you find that??  It worked... I didn't even have to log out.  Thanks!

[HC1Gunner 0]

None of this works for me, I only use the CH Pro throttle. My problems started over a year ago after a windows update, whenever I put my PC into sleep mode, once awoken, Ctrl Manager. software would no longer work. Sometimes I could just reinstall the software over top of itself, it they did not work, then I would have to restart my PC.

Then a few months later with a newer build of Win 10, it got so bad that I could not uninstall the software at all, I would get an error every time, and CH support would not give any type of manual uninstall.

CH Support told me that you do not need to even use the Control Manger software, that without it, the device will work inside windows games.

 

I'm at Windows 10 build 18363.657,  Win 10 see's my Pro throttle, the mini joystick functions properly, same for all the buttons. But no matter if the if the software in "not"  installed, or it is installed, NONE of my games even see the throttle (can't remap anything). If I do install the software "properly" Control Manager never sees my throttle, you will never get a download button, no matter what, it is always grayed out, and also you can go into the test / calibration area, and "no" device is seen.

 

Sometimes I can get to a point where I load a map, the download button is live, I download, and get a success window, but when you go to the key check, nothing shows, and if you try to use the calibration, the app will hang, and eventually crash or have to be killed.

 

I have three things to say:

1. As in IT professional for over 20 years (retired), I have NO idea why Ms had to start constantly messing around with the USB ports.

 

2. It all went downhill after APEM bought out CH, and APEM just wanted the OEM controller side, and could care less about the gaming part that was acquired along with the OEM CH told me they would no longer support Control Manager Software under the Win 10 OS, this means APEM/CH is never going to fix any of this. With that note I would like to have law suit against the them, and any site that’s sell their controllers, CH still states they function "with" Control Manger software for the Win 10 OS.

CH statement, "Total of 176 programmable functions with Control Manager software, Compatible with Windows 98, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10 and Mac OSX".

 

3. My Nephew is a programmer by trade, and gamer, is going to look into this, I just sent him a 2nd Pro Throttle I had. He just finished a side project where he had to replace (6) mother boards in a 3D CNC machining center, purchased a generic USB controller, and wrote code for the USB device to run the CNC, and interact with a touch-screen monitor.

If he's able to fix or create new software, I will pass it on here.

 

I can't tell how much I miss my pro throttle, I used it for everything, I had maps for all my games, used it for my video editor, adobe PS. All the functions I did by muscle-memory via the throttle, I had to start relearning all the commands in games, and my apps.

Edited March 3 by HC1Gunner
update

[RTA_Mojo 7]

On 3/3/2020 at 9:23 PM, HC1Gunner said:

 3. My Nephew is a programmer by trade, and gamer, is going to look into this, I just sent him a 2nd Pro Throttle I had. He just finished a side project where he had to replace (6) mother boards in a 3D CNC machining center, purchased a generic USB controller, and wrote code for the USB device to run the CNC, and interact with a touch-screen monitor.

If he's able to fix or create new software, I will pass it on here.

 

I can't tell how much I miss my pro throttle, I used it for everything, I had maps for all my games, used it for my video editor, adobe PS. All the functions I did by muscle-memory via the throttle, I had to start relearning all the commands in games, and my apps.

I'm really interested in this, I have the same problem as you mentioned.

[MonThackma 3]

My recent experience - after a clean install of Windows 10 and IL-2, I installed Control Manager v4.55. Before loading my backed-up presets, I decided to launch IL-2 to see how my Combatstick and Pro Throttle worked out of the box. They both worked perfectly and all buttons and axes were mappable. 

 

I did eventually run the control manager to calibrate each without a problem.

 

Fortunately no fuss at all, as opposed to my other sims.

[666GIAP_Miji 12]

On 9/23/2019 at 5:14 PM, Comrad64 said:

The current fix for greyed out CH Control panel is to click the start button and type STORE (yes the Microsoft store) then you will hear the chirp.

 

 

Yeah, i can't believe it when i read it, man

 

But it works !!!!

[Eclipse4349 40]

For anyone who experiences the crippling "yeah, I just told you that your profile has been downloaded successfully, but it actually will only half-work" issue with Control Manager that I had been having, I found a really great solution. 

 

Ditch Control Manager and use JoyToKey.  It can do everything CM does, and more.  For example, I now have JTK play a nice, mechanical click (a .wav file) to indicate what mode I just switched to.  one click for mode 1, two clicks for mode 2, 3 clicks for mode 3.  I thought I would miss CM's functionality, but it's quite the opposite.  I think I've finished working the mistakes and little kinks out.  

 

For anyone who decides to give it a try, the game engine will see L-shift + key as both that command and also the plain lowercase key without shift.  So, parking brake (L-shift+g) will also toggle your landing gear (g)!  The solution for me was to just delete the g keybind in-game, since I use the separate landing gear up and landing gear down keybinds.  Similarly, I deleted the "b" keybind for dropping bombs and bound that to my joystick button directly.  Toggle the supercharger while carrying bombs resulted in the supercharger gear toggle (L-shift+b) and drop bomb (b) both being processed.  Apparently the game engine doesn't differentiate between upper and lowercase keys very well.  I verified in Notepad that JTK is indeed sending only the correct characters, B vs b, and G vs g.

 

Good luck, everyone

[AKA_Ramstein 6]

I had problems with the damned CH control manager and my CH pedals. My ch pedals were no longer in my flight sim controller menus, I removed the ch controller manager software and had to redo all my aircraft. I got rid of the very worn out Saitek equipment, and bought some ch pedals to last until I could get some better ones, but invested in the TM Warthog along with other expensive pc parts so I could fly my flight sims. The CH pedals have some bad spiking, , which sucks because just  about a few short years ago, maybe 2016 CH sent me a new potentiometer for the ch pedals. Sadly, that newish pot is spiking now with the rudder movement. I really want new pedals, but the ones I want go from $300 to $500.

[jollyjack 254]

On 11/1/2019 at 12:43 AM, Sokol1 said:

Joystick Gremlin?

 

Looks very interesting ... a bit complicated setting it up maybe. Online manual has been made well, has someone a downloadable PDF manual?

Curious; anyone compared this with TARGET?

On 7/12/2020 at 10:01 PM, AKA_Ramstein said:

....... The CH pedals have some bad spiking, , which sucks because just  about a few short years ago, maybe 2016 CH sent me a new potentiometer for the ch pedals. Sadly, that newish pot is spiking now with the rudder movement. I really want new pedals, but the ones I want go from $300 to $500.

 

I have fixed quite a few pots, slide or turn types in the past fixing audio mixing desks etc. Your ''spiking' is caused mostly by dust collected on the contact surface. 

Most of them you can take apart (be carefull) for a thorough cleaning. Sometimes you have to de-solder them for proper access. 

Don't use those ready made potmeter quick-fix lubrications;  most affect the glues used underneath the contact surface film.

Only a very few expensive brands are somehow OK. 96% cleaning alcohol is best IMO.

[Sokol1 1766]

A guy say that he use prompt command for load maps in "DOS" mode, and always have success.

[AKA_Ramstein 6]

a couple years ago CH sent me some a free potentiometer for my pedals. But, I had used it for the center pot on my CH usb pro pedals Then recently the right pot which is the brakes starts to leave the right brakes on. I cleaned it with alcohol. I didn't touch it at all just dripped some into the pot through openings. Fixed the issue. Working good for now. I have my eyes on new ThrustMaster pedals, but they are about $500.00 USD !!