Work arounds to disable the native controller support of games

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Primal Fear
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Work arounds to disable the native controller support of games

Post by Primal Fear »

There are games where it isn't simply possible to disable the native controller support with an setting if you want to use Xpadder instead. This post explains different work arounds for this problem.
I will update this post if I have new informations, maybe you can help me with that. If you find one of the ways working with your game and it isn't already in the listed, post it here and I will add it.


1.Disconnect the controller before starting the game
This is a really uncomfortable way, since you have to do that every time you start the game, but it works for the most games.
not working games: Show
Battlefield Bad Company 2
Hydrophobia: Prophecy
How to do: Show
Load the respective profile for your controller and then disconnect it. Start the game and reconnect the controller when the game is completely running (main menu). If it is working, the game itself won't detect the controller. But as Xpadder can detect the controller while it is already running, the profile will work.
If you have a AutoProfile entry for this game configured, you need to tab out of the game (Alt+Tab) and back in, to make Xpadder loading the profile. With some games tabbing out is buggy, the game may crash or simply not even react (sometimes it helps to leave Xpadders main window open in background). Try Ctrl+Alt+Del alternatively to get out of the game or simply load the profile manually before.
2.Connect a second Xbox360 compatible controller (Xinput only)
Found out by rossharris121. You need a second Xbox360 compatible controller for that.
How to do: Show
Simply connect two Xbox360 controllers, the games will usually use the controller with the ID1 (you can read the ID on the LED's around the Guide Button of the controller), so you can use the second controller via Xpadder. With some games however you have to login into Windows Live or at least to leave the title screen to the main menu with one of the controllers to use the other one via Xpadder.
3.Select another controller as "preferred device" (Dinput only)
This mainly with older games, but there are also some newer games especially "The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion" it also works with. You need to have a second controller connected for that.
working games: Show
Hexen 2
GTA: Vice City
GTA: San Andreas
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
How to do: Show
Press Windows Key+R (opens the Run Dialog) type joy.cpl and press Enter. In the opening Game Controller Control Panel of Windows click on the button "Advanced..." and select there the second controller than you don't want to use for the game. Close both windows by clicking on "OK", done.
4.Special "Xinput.dll" in the main folder of the game (Xinput only)
This workaround works only with newer game that support only xinput compatible controllers, like the Xbox360pad. This Xinput.dll causes that the game cannot detect the Xinput signals of your controller anymore. For some games you may need to combine the xinput.dll with the dinput.dll of the next possibility.
working games: Show
http://code.google.com/p/x360ce/wiki/Ga ... bilityList
Also:
APB: All Points Bulletin/APB Reloaded
Battlefield 3 (rename file to xinput9_1_0.dll)
Dead Space (combined with Dinput.dll)
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (rename file to xinput9_1_0.dll)
Hydrophobia Prophecy (combined with Dinput.dll)
Mass Effect 1 (to eliminate this bug that occurs when moving both stick fully to the left)
Metro 2033
Overlord
Overlord: Raising Hell
Overlord 2
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
How to do: Show
Download and place it in the folder with the .exe file of your game. Thats usually the main folder, but sometimes there is a folder called "Bin", "Bin32", "Bin64" or "Binaries" that contains the .exe file. If it is not working, try copying the xinput1_3.dll three times and rename these copies as follows:
  • xinput1_1.dll
    xinput1_2.dll
    xinput9_1_0.dll
If there should be an original file with one of these names, rename it before. That way you can restore it if something should work wrong. If there is no original file, you only need to delete the file(s).
Known issues: Show
If you get an error message like "Application has failed to start because MSVCR100.dll was not found" while starting the game, install Microsoft Visual C++ 2010. The most people that play games will have it already installed.
Important Notes: Show
If you should be using this file in an online multiplayer game, you are taking the risk of getting kicked or even banned by the cheat protection, as you modified the game folder.

Also don't place this file in exactly the same folder with the Xpadder.exe. It will cause the same thing like for the games, Xpadder will not be able to detect the Xinput data of your controller(s) anymore.
5.Special Dinput.dll in in the main folder of the game (Dinput only)
Basically this is the same like the previous possibility, but only for Direct Input. For some games you may need to combine it with the xinput.dll of the previous possibility.
working games: Show
GTA: San Andreas
Dead Space (combined with Xinput.dll)
Hydrophobia Prophecy (combined with Xinput.dll)
How to do: Show
Download this file and place it in the folder with the .exe file of your game. Thats usually the main folder, but sometimes there is a folder called "Bin", "Bin32" or "Binaries" that contains the .exe file.
If there should be an original file with this names, rename it before. That way you can restore it if something should work wrong. If there is no original file, you only need to delete the file.
Important Notes: Show
If you should be using this file in an online multiplayer game, you are taking the risk of getting kicked or even banned by the cheat protection, as you have modified the game folder.

Also don't place this file in exactly the same folder with the Xpadder.exe. It will cause the same thing like for the games, Xpadder will not be able to detect your controller(s) anymore.
6.Edit the .ini file of the game (Only Elder Scrolls 4 known)
Not all games have such an .ini file (mostly older games) and from game to game it is different which entries are necessary to edit. So I will provide here a list of forum links that use such an solution
Links: Show
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Last edited by Primal Fear on 11 Jan 2013, 17:27, edited 26 times in total.
Reason: Update

Jonathan
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Re: Work arounds to disable the native controller support of games

Post by Jonathan »

Good post - stickied!

mattg568
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Re: Work arounds to disable the native controller support of games

Post by mattg568 »

What about Steam games that are controller enabled? As soon as you activate the gamepad in Half-Life 2 the only way to remove all gamepad mapping is to type "unbindall" into the developer console and press enter. Then go into keyboard settings and restore keyboard commands.

Just un-checking enable gamepad removes the dpad weapon GUI and left and right analog sticks mapping. ABXY, start, back, L&R stick buttons, L&R bumpers & L&R triggers remain under control with native gamepad support. Valve needs to get it fixed where un-checking the gamepad enabler removes all gamepad mapping.

tap
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Joined: 26 Aug 2012, 18:15

Re: Work arounds to disable the native controller support of games

Post by tap »

Dungeon Defenders also recognizes Xbox 360 controllers as soon as they are plugged in. A lot of games these days are supporting that controller, making XPadder frustrating with those games.

I have been trying to get a comfortable control scheme in Portal 2 for months. I have a mouse+wiimote style hook-up that XPadder maps almost perfectly, but like mattg mentioned, Valve games like to automatically assign controls to the gamepad. -.-

Primal Fear
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Re: Work arounds to disable the native controller support of games

Post by Primal Fear »

mattg568 wrote:As soon as you activate the gamepad in Half-Life 2 the only way to remove all gamepad mapping is to type "unbindall" into the developer console and press enter.
Doesn't unbindall help?

mattg568
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Re: Work arounds to disable the native controller support of games

Post by mattg568 »

Primal Fear wrote:Doesn't unbindall help?
It does. Why are you asking? The unbindall console command removes all bound keyboard & mouse buttons. Then you have to go back into keyboard options and restore default keyboard and mouse bound buttons. Simply deselecting "Enable the Gamepad" first in the mouse tab, the keyboard & mouse bindings still remain set to the Xbox 360 controller.

Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2, on the other hand, are a completely different matter. It has a different menu appearance. Enabling the Xbox 360 controller shifts keyboard & mouse controls to the controller. Disabling the controller restores natural keyboard & mouse controls.

Quick note: If you have the controller enabled, you can go into keyboard options and there you can see controller buttons mapped to the game's various commands and can also change them.

Primal Fear
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Re: Work arounds to disable the native controller support of games

Post by Primal Fear »

I was asking because taps post sounded like he wouldn't have found a solution for Portal 2.

I play Left4Dead2 and also played Portal and Portal2 with a joystick and a mouse, and never had any problem with it except that I cannot enable and configure the native controller support for analog movement without looking up/down with the rudder control (twisting the stick) of my joystick.

evi1drugmonkey
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Re: Work arounds to disable the native controller support of games

Post by evi1drugmonkey »

i have this problem with borderlands 2. I,ve tried all the suggestions to no avail.

Anyone have an idea?

Primal Fear
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Re: Work arounds to disable the native controller support of games

Post by Primal Fear »

I wonder why I didn't directly mention that, but try to rename the xinut1_3.dll, into:
xinput1_2.dll
xinput1_1.dll
xinput9_1_0.dll
You can also copy that file three times and rename the new ones to have directly all four of them.

rossharris121
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Re: Work arounds to disable the native controller support of games

Post by rossharris121 »

i think most games on windows still use direct/x inputs for keyboard and mouse input. I don't think messing with these .dlls would be the best workaround.

Primal Fear
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Re: Work arounds to disable the native controller support of games

Post by Primal Fear »

I have tested these files, they are definitely only affecting the controller input. Also if something turn out working wrong, you can still remove these .dll files and restore the perhaps present original ones.

The only thing you should worry about is the cheat-protection of multiplayer games, they may not like additional files.

GenLloyd
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Re: Work arounds to disable the native controller support of games

Post by GenLloyd »

I don't have a second controller and none of the other workarounds work with a game. Am I just screwed? lol

Primal Fear
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Re: Work arounds to disable the native controller support of games

Post by Primal Fear »

You could buy a second controller. :lol:

Seriously, for what games do you need it? Maybe you made something wrong with these .dll's. Especially with that xinput.dll you have quite a lot possibilities.

GenLloyd
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Re: Work arounds to disable the native controller support of games

Post by GenLloyd »

The War Z is the only one I've run into so far.

Ah well, I can deal with the m/kb I'm just so much better at shooting with a controller lol.

Primal Fear
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Re: Work arounds to disable the native controller support of games

Post by Primal Fear »

From what I could find in the Internet, this Xinput.dll seems definitely not to work with The War Z. And as it only supports Xbox360 Controller (Xinput compatible) you can directly forget about the Dinput.dll.

The only safe solution would be buying a second controller that is not Xinput compatible.

Skarn
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Re: Work arounds to disable the native controller support of games

Post by Skarn »

Hi, I have some further suggestions which worked for me.
1. Use JoyIds.exe to move a controller out of ID1 position.
This application was made a long time ago and is kind of hard to find now...maybe I can upload it somewhere?
Now applications which auto use ID1 or 'Preferred Controller' (as XP/7/8 like to call it) may not see any joy connected at all.
JoyIds has profiling support but seems easy enough to just use when needed.

2. Use vJoy to create a dummy controller and set it as preferred.
Effectively does the same thing as 1. but maybe will work better for some games which don't like not having a joy in Id1?? Don't know.

I think Jason could probably work out windows ID swapping or input blocking?
One thing that is related is my arcade controller has a permanently uncalibrated x-axis and y-axis which doesn't exist.
The internals must have support but the controller only has buttons and a d-hat.
So if xpAdder enabled 'locking/disabling' of a controller and on a more granular level, a controllers axis or buttons, that would be cool.
Maybe a built in calibration for weird controllers that have this 'axis linked to physical digital button or nothing at all' issue?

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