Weird Saitek x52 issue: Need Control Panel open for pinky trigger to function

[aRottenKomquat]

I have a Saitek x52 for Elite: Dangerous and never had trouble with it, except the little mouse control thingy on the throttle didn't work. I was just using stock Windows drivers. Finally, I installed the official Saitek drivers, and now not only does the mouse control not work, but the pinky trigger on the stick does not work UNLESS I have the game controller's property page open in Control Panel - Devices and Printers. As soon as that window closes, the pinky trigger quits working in the game. I haven't figured out how to roll back to the stock Windows drivers that worked.

Any thoughts? I've changed about every setting I could find to no avail. I just have to have that control panel open under the game. This is the control panel by the way:



EDIT: Solved. You need to install the programming software, then open it from your Notification Tray. Create a new profile, go to Grid View, delete the three profiles using the Pinkie Trigger, switch to your new profile, then play Elite: Dangerous.

 

[49rTbird]

Same here so I pinned it to the toolbar. It is a pain if I forget to open it. I just play with it open.

 

[DevilDogWill]

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/45373807/NoMouse.pr0

Please note, the above profile is for the Saitek X52 Pro joystick. I have no idea if it will work with the regular x52 or really mess things up, so keep this in mind. I read an online tutorial several months back when I was having the same problem. I can't find the tutorial anymore, but you are welcome to use the above profile I made for my Saitek x52 Pro. Everything is set to default, with the exception that the stick mouse is disabled and the pinky trigger works properly. You can import it from the profile editor. Hope it helps.

 

[metatheurgist]

Yep, I just need a properly defined profile loaded. Everything works fine then.

 

[DaveB]

Why this is happening: When your stick is "unprofiled" - the MFD reads "no profile" - what you actually have is the "default profile" that you see when you hit "new profile" in the programming software. In that state the pinkie is a shift key and is intercepted by the driver and not passed to the OS UNLESS the control panel is open, in whaich case the control panel app has to be able to see it so it forces the driver to pass through all button and switch states, regardless of whether they are configured as shift keys.

Solution: always have the stick profiled. If you want it all as raw controls with no macros or anything, make a "raw buttons" profile by deleting from the default profile all the shift states that are triggered by the pinkie switch.

 

[aRottenKomquat]

Why this is happening: When your stick is "unprofiled" - the MFD reads "no profile" - what you actually have is the "default profile" that you see when you hit "new profile" in the programming software. In that state the pinkie is a shift key and is intercepted by the driver and not passed to the OS UNLESS the control panel is open, in whaich case the control panel app has to be able to see it so it forces the driver to pass through all button and switch states, regardless of whether they are configured as shift keys.

Solution: always have the stick profiled. If you want it all as raw controls with no macros or anything, make a "raw buttons" profile by deleting from the default profile all the shift states that are triggered by the pinkie switch.

That makes sense. So how do I create a profile? I installed the software but it doesn't show up in my Start Menu anywhere...

EDIT: Nevermind, I found it. It doesn't go in the Start Menu, it goes in the notification tray...

 

[DaveB]

That makes sense. So how do I create a profile? I installed the software but it doesn't show up in my Start Menu anywhere...

EDIT: Nevermind, I found it. It doesn't go in the Start Menu, it goes in the notification tray...

Now you;re perfectly set to go "aaargh, I'm out of buttons" and dive into custom profiling so the three modes become useful