Known Game Controller Issues with Halo: Combat Evolved

This article describes known controller issues with Microsoft Halo: Combat Evolved.

Halo can support up to four game controllers. You can add up to four game controllers to a profile from a list of up to eight of the currently installed and detected controllers. Halo lists all the controllers that are installed and are working correctly in Control Panel.

Add a game controller

When you create a profile, the game controllers that are connected to the computer and that are detected by the computer are added to the profile. If there are more than four game controllers installed on the computer when a profile is created, the first four controllers, as determined by device ID, are added to the new profile. You must assign actions in the game to the buttons and the axes of any controller that you want to use in the game.

After a profile is created, any new controller has to be added to your game controller settings in the profile. To add a new controller to an existing profile, follow these steps:

1. Start Halo.
2. Click Profiles.
3. Select the profile, and then click OK.
4. Click Settings.
5. Click Gamepads.
6. Click the controller that is listed in the right side of the screen to add it to the Devices in profile list, and then click OK.
7. Click Controls Setup, and then select the new controller in Devices.
8. Adjust any of the settings as appropriate, and then click OK.

Note The settings for the game controllers are stored in a binary file and you cannot edit them by hand.

Although you can assign the same action to multiple devices, Halo does not support macros. You cannot assign multiple actions to a single key or button.

Troubleshooting

If your controller is working correctly in Microsoft Windows but is not being detected and enabled by Halo, try the following methods.

Method 1: Update drivers

Contact the manufacturer of your game controller for information about how to download and install the most recent drivers for your game controller. Contact information is located in the "References" section of this article. If this does not resolve the issue, go to the next method.

Method 2: Change sound settings

If the controller is not detected by the game or stops working as soon as the game starts, lower some or all the sound settings from the game. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Start Halo.
2. Click Settings.
3. Click Audio Setup.
4. Set Hardware Acceleration to No.
   
   This sets Environmental Sounds to Off.
5. Set Sound Quality to Normal or to Low.
6. Set Sound Variety to Medium or to Low.
7. Click OK two times.

Method 3: Check the game controller connection to the game port

If you use a game port game controller, verify that the game controller is connected directly to the game port in your computer. "Daisy-chained" game controllers or game port adapters can interfere with communication between the game port and the game controller.

If you use a USB game controller, verify that the game controller is connected correctly to the USB port in your computer or to a compatible USB hub that is connected to the USB port in your computer.

Method 4: Turn off the SideWinder Game Device Profiler

If you use a SideWinder game controller, turn off the SideWinder Game Device Profiler or SideWinder Game Controller software. To do this, right-click the Game Device Profiler icon or the Game Controller Software icon in the notification area, and then click Unload or Disable.

Method 5: Reset defaults

If you receive unexpected results in the game, reset the game controls to their default settings. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Start Halo.
2. Click Settings.
3. Click Controls Setup.
4. Click Defaults.
   
   This sets the currently selected game controller back to the default configuration.
5. In Devices, select the next game controller.
6. Repeat steps 4 through 5 until all the controllers are set to their default configuration.
7. Click OK two times.

Method 6: Disable any game controllers that you are not using

Some game controllers, may cause unusual behaviour in Halo even though they are not enabled in the game. Symptoms include erratic character movement, rapid "skipping" through menus, unwanted Zooming with the Pistol and Sniper Rifle, and other erroneus input symptoms. To resolve this issue, follow these steps:

1. Start Halo.
2. Click Profiles.
3. Select your profile, and then click OK.
4. Click Settings.
5. Click Gamepads.
6. Click any controllers that are listed on the left side of the screen to remove them from the Devices in profile list, and then click OK two times.

Make sure that your controller is set up correctly and that it is installed in Windows.
For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

For information about your hardware manufacturer, visit the following Web site: Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.