htamas

Apparently I'm not the only person in the world experiencing this issue I received a request for the file I'm using to start PinballX which eliminates the crash. So I thought just in case this helps others, I'd attach the (ZIPped) batch file here to this post. You have to verify the device ID using Device Manager if it is the same for your controller like in my case. This is then used with the devcon command. After disabling the controller, PinballX is started with a simple shortcut. Then, the next command waits 8 seconds before re-enabling the controller. px.zip

I know it IS the controller that causes the problem... and the driver IS the native driver. The tool only sets certain sensitivity values, doesn't replace or modify the driver itself. Since I do have a workaround that solves the issue, this is not too big of a deal after all... it's just strange that connecting the controller causes a crash in a program, but only if the controller is enabled when the program starts, afterwards it can be enabled and it works perfectly, without causing any trouble. Oh well. Thanks for the replies.

I know this is probably related to my hardware and it may be a unique issue that won't be reproducible... I was just wondering if the captured error means something that would shed some light on the culprit. The problem started when I plugged in the Sidewinder, and as soon as I unplug it, there is no issue so it is clearly caused by this peripheral being connected to the system. Why would this result in PinballX crashing is a mystery to me. I didn't change anything on the system, all drivers are the way they used to be for the last year or so. Being on Windows XP, this dictates me to stick to an old nvidia driver (270.61) because some tables hang in Visual Pinball if I install any newer driver. Other people have this exact same situation so it is not unique to my setup. Therefore I cannot install the latest video driver. As for the Sidewinder driver, I use the built-in Windows one (which is obviously pretty old). There isn't any newer version available as far as I'm aware, at least Windows Update doesn't offer anything newer. The Windows built-in calibration works but doesn't allow to get the ball perfectly still on a test table that is used to fine tune the controller. Many people are using the same exact DXtweak tool after the stock calibration to get the desired result with the Sidewinder connected, it just refines the settings of the Windows calibration. Wouldn't an eventual VP database error lead to a problem even without the Sidewinder being connected? Because I have no problem if I unplug the controller, so it doesn't seem likely this would be the case. I believe it is a legacy peripheral, the driver is dated from year 2001.

Agree with boiydiego (except for the murder part )... and thanks for the software, it's leaps and bounds better than hyperpin. Doing this for free is amazing.

This pbx getting minimized did happen to me as well on occasion but couldn't find a pattern yet when.

The tweak tool was used only once, to refine the initial calibration of the controller. It is not used or loaded anymore since then. I don't know how to 'disable' it, or if that's even possible. The resulting settings are essential for the Sidewinder to work properly, since the built-in Windows calibration doesn't give the necessary result. Does the error in the log tell anything useful about the problem?

No, I'm not using XPadder, but I did use a tool called DXtweak to fine tune the calibration of the controller. How would additional software help to avoid the crash?

OK, thanks for the reply. Attached are the requested files. Actually, there are two log files attached. The one called log_error.txt is the log which shows PinballX crashing upon exiting the table. This is when the program is started with the Sidewinder plugged in and enabled. Apparently there is some application error in this case. I'm running an older version of PinballX but even the latest version (1.92) behaves the same way, I just returned to the older one thinking this will make a difference. In the meantime, I was able to get around the issue, but my solution is a bit hokey. Since I noticed that if I start PinballX with the Sidewinder disabled or unplugged, then I enable (or plug in) the controller, then everything works, this got me thinking. I ended up creating a batch file which first disables the Sidewinder, then starts PinballX, waits a few (7 or 8) seconds and enables the controller again. Waiting only 4 seconds was not enough, I had to increase the wait time before re-enabling the Sidewinder. This allows PinballX to work correctly, nudging is still OK and upon exit, I'm returned to PinballX. The corresponding log file is log.txt Granted, this allows me to keep PinballX as my frontend but not having to do such a workaround would be certainly great. Thanks again. PinballX.ini log_error.txt log.txt

I installed a Sidewinder Freestyle Pro in my pinball cabinet to handle nudging. It works fine but now I started to have a problem with PinballX which was working great for the last year or more. When I exit a table, the system doesn't go back to PinballX but it also quits PinballX and returns to the desktop. If I disable the Sidewinder in Device Manager (or unplug it), everything is back to normal. I tried to change the buttons to quit the table and to exit PinballX, but no matter what combination I select, this doesn't help. I also tried to plug the Sidewinder to different USB sockets and play around with changing the other USB peripheral plug locations - nothing makes a difference. Did anyone else experience such a problem? What could be the solution? I would hate to be forced to return to Hyperpin since PinballX works much better for me, but I also want to have the nudging provided by the Sidewinder. I'm running Windows XP 32-bit, don't know if this matters.

Just installed the latest version (1.65) and the exit time is greatly improved. Now it is only about 2-3 seconds. Thanks! The cursor is still visible but at least I should be able to use some other program to hide it.

The cursor does disappear when the table is loaded (in fact it disappears shortly after the 'LOADING' text shows up), but it stays on screen whhile navigating the tables in PinballX. I'm using a cabinet so no mouse when playing. And for me, exiting the table while in HyperPin is very fast.

All right, to resolve issue #2, I found the advice to disable the Esc key in VP which gets rid of the dialog box upon exit. So now only suppressing the cursor and the slow exit problem remains

Hi everyone, first of all, thanks for this very nice frontend! I'm in the process of switching over from HypePin but noticed a few things with PinballX that I couldn't quite figure out yet, so I hope someone can point me in the right direction. Sorry if these questions have been already discussed, couldn't find an answer while searching the forum (or maybe I just missed them). 1., Can the cursor be disabled while in PinballX? I know there are probably other programs that can do this but wonder if this could be a feature of PinballX instead of having to install another program. 2., When exiting from a Visual Pinball table, for a few seconds there is a square in the middle still showing part of the playfield while the rest of the screen is black. Looks like this square is due to the dialog box that appears when VP asks for quitting the table or return to it. This doesn't happen in HyperPin. Can this be eliminated? 3., I have about ~180 VP tables and ~20 FP table installed in my cabinet. When exiting a VP table, it takes anywhere to 7-10 seconds for the PinballX menu to appear, the same when exiting a FP table is much quicker. Any way to get back to the menu faster? In HyperPin, this is pretty much instantaneous. Thanks for the help!