More recent patches should have no effect upon your current graphic settings, other parts of conf.ini may have been updated, you will have to find and read the readme for each patch to get the exact details.
Test your joystick in win7's game controllers section, if you can see it working there, it should be ok in game, you set buttons etc. using controls section in game, the button for that is on the opening page (main menu) of game. Does your stick need drivers? Maybe they will install in 32bit compatability mode?
I'm not familiar with win7 x64 but if you have the game in the program file, it will prevent you from making changes that you will want to make, so copy IL2 to a folder such as C:\Games (or somesuch). There are no registry entries so it will work ok.
There are some people who learnt to fly using the keyboard and still do, not many mind! Stick and keyboard are fine to learn the game with, a fighter probably uses less than 10 buttons and they include the guns.
Best stick IMHO is M$ FFB2 which has force feedback and has other advantages, see sticky thread on page one of forum. They can sometimes be gotten for a song on flea bay and apart from the gun switches that are easily replaced if they fail, they are practically indistructable. Next get pedals, then track ir or freetrack which is a headtracker device that gives you the best way to look around, takes some getting used to and some never do and TIR also obscenely priced for what it is. I have one btw. Then throttle. Trick is to use what you have to the max first before lashing out on more gear, each new thing means you have to relearn how to fly, until you've adapted to it. There are people who use win7 x64 and play IL2 so your problems are solvable, let know how you're getting on. Welcome to the addiction and have fun!
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