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Joystick problem in DOS under Windows XP

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First post, by rfnagel

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(Wasn't sure where to post this question, sorry if it's in the wrong section.)

I can't seem to to get my joysticks and/or gamepads functioning in a DOS shell under Windows XP. Initially I was trying to run Death Rally under DOSBox, and couldn't get the game to recognize my Gravis Gamepad. At first I thought the problem might be with DOSBox, but then realized that the gamepad wasn't recognized under a simple DOS shell as well.

I have a P4 2.66ghz CPU, running Windows XP Pro w/SP2, with a Sound Blaster Live Value CT4780 that has a standard gameport on it. I can calibrate the gamepad within Windows XP and it appears to be working fine (my MIDI keyboard works fine as well, it uses the gameport of the sound card too). In a DOS shell (as well as under DOSBox), the gamepad isn't recognized at all. I tried several DOS games (e.g. DOOM/Duke 3D/Death Rally/Stargunner/etc...), as well as a little QBasic joystick tester that I had whipped together years ago... no dice, the gamepad isn't recognized under DOS (or DOSBox); even though in Windows XP (in the 'Game Controllers' applet in the control panel) it works just fine.

Windows games work fine with the gamepad, but nada in a DOS shell or DOSBox.

Note that I had never previously checked if the gameport and/or joysticks were working on this PC under DOS, I just discovered it the other day.

Any ideas? Any help would be much appreciated 😀

(edit) P.S. One thing that I just tried: I booted from a flash drive to W98 DOS and loaded the SBLive DOS drivers. The gameport/gamepad works fine like this (with my JoyTest utility, as well as the gameport being reported in MSD). So, I'm sure that the gameport and gamepad is woking under native DOS, it simply isn't recognized in a DOS shell under Windows XP.

('nuther edit) In Windows' device manager, the gameport is listed as 'Creative Game Port', with I/O address of DF08-DF0F. The 'Use automatic settings' checkbox and 'Change setting' button is grayed out, so's I can't piddle with those settings.

In the old(er) DOS/W9x days (with standard non-PNP hardware) the standard gameport address was (what was it?) 200 (maybe 201?). Could this be the problem, that the Creative Game Port I/O address is set for an obscure address (that I can't seem to change)? Maybe there is a way to change it to a standard setting?

Last edited by rfnagel on 2009-11-10, 10:48. Edited 2 times in total.

Rich ¥Weeds¥ Nagel
http://www.richnagel.net

Reply 2 of 5, by HunterZ

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None of that should matter for getting it to work in DOSBox, as long as you have set up the gamepad as an actual device in Windows (so that you can see the Windows joystick test screen etc.).

You may want to try VDMSound for better joystick support in NTVDM sessions.

Reply 3 of 5, by rfnagel

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HunterZ wrote:

None of that should matter for getting it to work in DOSBox, as long as you have set up the gamepad as an actual device in Windows (so that you can see the Windows joystick test screen etc.).

That's exactly what I was thinking... as long as Windows can see the controller, DOSBox shoulf be able to as well.

Anyhow, an update: Seems that I had a 'Mapper.txt' file in my DOSBox directory, and this mapper file had *NOTHING* assigned for the joystick axises (sic? <G>) or buttons. I'm not sure when/why I had originally created this custom mapper file (as I don't use any custom keyboard mappings; except to lock 'turbo' mode 'on' when playing the old DOS Monopoly, and for that game I have a seperate DOSBox.conf file for which in turn calls the custom mapper file).

Anyways, after deleting the Mapper.txt file, everything worked great... MSD reported a gameport, all of the DOS games worked fine with joystick support, and even my archaic and crude little QBasic stick testing utility worked fine 😀

HunterZ wrote:

You may want to try VDMSound for better joystick support in NTVDM sessions.

Thanks for the info, but DOSBox seems to be working quite well with my current setup. I tried both of my Gravis gamepads simultaniously connected (using my own 'custom' Y-splitter cable - it also functions as a MIDI cable for my MIDI keyboard, and has a few various other joystick rewirings internally in the cable). Also tried my Virtual Pilot and TM rudder pedals, as well as my Flightstick Pro and standard Flightstick connected at the same time... all worked great 😀

I 'lived and learned' 'tho <LOL>: I'm assuming that Windows XP's crappy DOS 'emulator' doesn't support game controllers. As an experiment, I had also installed two other sound cards with the same results: screwball I/O addresses for the gameports, and no gameport detected within a standard DOS shell.

I even tried it on another PC, difference being with that one, the gameport's address was *normal* (200-201), still no joy under a regular DOS shell from Windows XP. 'Course, DOSBox worked fine then, after I deleted that Mapper.txt file 😀

Rich ¥Weeds¥ Nagel
http://www.richnagel.net

Reply 5 of 5, by rfnagel

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HunterZ wrote:

Glad you got DOSBox working, it's definitely the way to go.

Yep yep. To tell the truth, if it weren't for DOSBox, I'd still be running W98SE <G>... SERIOUSLY! So far, there hasn't been a single thing that I couldn't throw at DOSBox and get it running 😀

Rich ¥Weeds¥ Nagel
http://www.richnagel.net

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