Windows 11 updates potential threat to old USB devices

[Bernard Ducret 798]

Friendly warning to all of us running "old" USB 2.0 flight sim devices, with the latest Windows 11 update, I for one suddenly lost my PFC Airliner pedals due to a "driver error" that turns out to be something totally different, having been in touch with PFC, I now have to change the card of the pedals at a cost (160 $) because the latest Windows 11 update made my USB pedals out of commission!

I also noticed that my GoFlight modules experience this "driver error" on a rotation basis (one day it can be the TQ6, the next day it's a GF 166, or the A/P, etc), so much so that I have to go through a check of all my USB devices status in Windows Settings Devices page immediately after booting up my PC. This morning, I had missed that "driver error" for my GF A/P module and found myself ready to taxi without my GF A/P... Those "driver error" messages - if overlooked - can translate into "memory error" (Kernell 411), leading to a flight terminated before its normal end.

This is a tad infuriating, to put it mildly, as GoFlight is out of business now, and I can see in the short future a lengthy and very costly shopping list of new flight sim USB devices - some of them don't even exist in terms of integration when you compare with the GF products, so you end up having modules all over your desk instead of a console with all your stuff in a logical aircraft setup on your side. GF had thought about an integrated set of products that no one else has, unless you build your own cockpit which is far more expensive and totally unnecessary in my case.

So watch out for those "Driver error"! 

Edited October 7, 2022 by Bernard Ducret

[Rossco 23]

This is a bit of a worry. I have an older PFC SAAB Desktop Yoke that is probably USB 1.0. I did have some issues with it early WIN10 but found that it worked OK in the USB 3.0 port on my motherboard strangely enough. These days however it doesn't seem to matter where I plug it so I guess as WIN10 matured it became more compatible with older USB products.? PFC quoted me US$100 for a replacement board at the time which I held off on purchasing fortunately.

Have you had any luck with sorting this out?

I do have a WIN11 laptop which I could plug my yoke into & see how it goes before taking the leap with my PC.

[Masterius 15]

I use older Saitek equipment, and I recall reading posts that mentioned they don't work well with anything higher than USB 2.0. Unfortunately, the new system I'd acquired had nothing but USB 3.0 and 3.1 ports. After a bit of thought I'd come up with a reasonably inexpensive workaround: I bought powered USB hubs that connected to USB 3.0 but had USB 2.0 ports.

[Bernard Ducret 798]

On 10/19/2022 at 4:04 AM, Rossco said:

Have you had any luck with sorting this out?

Waiting for my new PFC board now, crossing fingers. But I like what Masterius has done, and I should have done so before jumping the PFC gun as I did, although I did try my Pedals on all the USB plugs (2.0 and 3.0) with no success. PFC support comment was leaving no room for hope, but their interest is to sell!

[sirknite 0]

On 10/7/2022 at 2:33 AM, Bernard Ducret said:

Friendly warning to all of us running "old" USB 2.0 flight sim devices, with the latest Windows 11 update, I for one suddenly lost my PFC Airliner pedals due to a "driver error" that turns out to be something totally different, having been in touch with PFC, I now have to change the card of the pedals at a cost (160 $) because the latest Windows 11 update made my USB pedals out of commission!

I also noticed that my GoFlight modules experience this "driver error" on a rotation basis (one day it can be the TQ6, the next day it's a GF 166, or the A/P, etc), so much so that I have to go through a check of all my USB devices status in Windows Settings Devices page immediately after booting up my PC. This morning, I had missed that "driver error" for my GF A/P module and found myself ready to taxi without my GF A/P... Those "driver error" messages - if overlooked - can translate into "memory error" (Kernell 411), leading to a flight terminated before its normal end.

This is a tad infuriating, to put it mildly, as GoFlight is out of business now, and I can see in the short future a lengthy and very costly shopping list of new flight sim USB devices - some of them don't even exist in terms of integration when you compare with the GF products, so you end up having modules all over your desk instead of a console with all your stuff in a logical aircraft setup on your side. GF had thought about an integrated set of products that no one else has, unless you build your own cockpit which is far more expensive and totally unnecessary in my case.

So watch out for those "Driver error"! 

 

[sirknite 0]

Hi ran into the windows 11 issue today. I am in the process of setting up a sim and of course the new gaming computer came with Windows 11. I am running MSFS 2020 and it is on three gaming curved monitors. working great and an amazing flying experience. My plane is the TBM 850 which i hope to own the actual real one, one day. I haven't searched here to see if there is a topic on just the aircraft. Anyway, I am using the Honeycomb yoke and throttle, and I also just purchased and tried to install today, rudder pedals from Logitech. I checked with them about it being compatible with my computer and MSFS etc and they assured me it was. So you can emagine my surprise when i went to load the driver for it and it is NOT compatible with Windows 11. I called them and asked if it would work on 10 and the person I talked to could not answer my question, as he was in the wrong group and it would take a few days for them to get back to me. BTW there are a number of messages about problems getting support from Honeycomb and I have experienced that myself. In any case I did install the next lower driver and the results are mixed. The toe brakes work, however, i do not get any rudder movement. However looking at the map for it it is in fact moving the output to the rudder. It maybe a simple parameter fix. I will be looking into this in the morning. This is the rudder that Honeycomb seems to suggest using with their system. I think that there are better out there.

My only two issues are so far:

1. I can NOT make the hat switch change cockpit views USING the LOOK POV's for left, right etc.

2. For some reason the gear down lights work, but on occasion the gear up lights red and green do not come on. Either on the yoke or the MSFS sim display.

I really hope that someday I will find a list confirming all the correct mapping for the TBM and in the end I will probably develop it myself.

Look forward to this support forum since we can not seem to get any support from Honeycomb!

 

[sirknite 0]

Called Honeycomb again. I did discover the solution to a problem with the rudder responding that had to do with the TBM 850 MAPING FOR IT.  However my number one issue is the most important and I suspect they can help with that one and my number two. There is a chance that the unit is defective. It really surprises me that Honeycomb seems to make a nice product, but they do not seem very willing to support it. Ultimately the community will get the message and buy from other manufacturers. Maybe because this is made in China and hard for them to get support from China???

 

[pgde 571]

There is a Honeycomb-specific forum here at https://www.avsim.com/forums/forum/907-honeycomb-aeronautical/.