Help! Keyboard not recognized in IL2 1946

[f6f5hellcat]

Hello,

I have a problem with IL 1946 (v4.12.2) and so far I was not able to find any solution to my issue . I do hope the community here has some ideas how to fix this.

Symptom:
IL2 1946 is not recognizing my keyboard inputs both in-game and in the game Controls panel (change key bindings). The keyboard input is recognized in Full Mission Builder -> Edit -> Mission Description but the keys behave like they are stuck (ex: aaaabbbbbbbbb, etc.).
Joystick/mouse inputs are recognized in the game. No other software/games have problems recognizing the keyboard input and no conflicts are reported in the Device Manager.
If booted in Safe Mode the keyboard is recognized in the game (I can change the key bindings in Controls), but the behavior in Full Mission Editor is unchanged (stuck-liked keys).

Background:
I had IL2 1946 installed for a long time and everything worked just fine. Sometime ago I bought a wireless keyboard (Logitech K800). Windows installed it automatically and for the first time it worked with IL2 without any issues. A couple of weeks after (no valid restore point) I’ve tried to play IL2 but no keyboard input was recognized from either the laptop’s keyboard or the wireless one.
The game is not installed in C:\Program Files\ but on a different drive from the system drive.

What I’ve done so far:
* Uninstall the wireless keyboard drivers => no effect
* Uninstall and reinstall IL2 1946 (DVD – v4.7) => no effect
* Reinstall IL2 Pacific Fighters (CD) => same behavior (keyboard not recognized)
* Compared Device Manager between Safe Mode and Normal boot. One difference was the Microsoft eHome IR keyboard. I’ve disabled Human Interface Devices -> ITECIR Infrared Receiver (EC) and the eHome keyboard was deactivated, but no effect unfortunately.

System Information:
* Computer: Alienware M15
* Processor: Intel i7-840QM
* RAM: 8GB
* Video card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M, 1.5GB GDDR5 VRAM
* OS: Windows 7 with SP1 and latest updates
* DirectX 11, Input Related Devices->PS/2 Devices->Standard PS/2 keyboard (service i8042prt) and HID Keyboard Device (service: kbdhid)

Any ideas are more than welcome. I have limited time (job … ) and other software installed on my computer so Windows re-install is really the ultimate solution which I try to avoid. Does anybody knows where IL2 is reading the keyboard input (registry key, etc.).


Thank you for your support and many thanks to Team Deidalos for keeping IL2 alive!

[Pursuivant]

I don't think that it's necessary to reinstall Windows.

It sounds more like a device driver conflict, possibly triggered when your keyboard drivers were updated.

If you've still got your old USB keyboard, uninstall the wireless keyboard and see if IL2 works properly using the USB keyboard. At least you'll be able to determine if it's IL2 being weird in general, or just responding strangely to your wireless keyboard.

Next:

First, clean the registry using the registry cleaner of your choice.

Second, make sure that Win 7 is updated with the latest updates.

Third, make sure you've got the latest drivers for your keyboard.

Fourth, make sure that you've installed all the patches for IL2 (up to patch 4.12 - there have been loads of updates and changes since the 4.07 patch).

If all that doesn't work, uninstall the drivers for the keyboard and try installing older drivers for it (e.g., the drivers on the CD that came with the keyboard).

As a long shot, in IL2 Setup, click on the Joystick tab and then Advanced, Make sure that your joystick is actually your preferred control device. It's just possible that IL2 thinks that the keyboard is your "joystick".

Finally, although you might not like to hear it, it might just be simpler, faster and cheaper (in terms of time) to go back to using an ordinary keyboard when playing IL2.

[f6f5hellcat]

Hello Pursuivant,

Thank you for your quick answer. I agree with your that there is some device driver conflict, I just cannot pin-point it.

Just to clarify, before installing the Logitech wireless keyboard I had only the laptop standard keyboard (PS\2). IL2 1946 (patched to v4.12.2) worked perfectly with the standard laptop keyboard, joystick (CH Combatstick) & rudder (CH pedals).

When I first connected the Logitech wireless keyboard windows recognized and installed the drivers automatically and it worked in IL2. After that either keyboards (laptop standard PS/2 & the USB wireless one) stopped working in IL2. In the end I've installed the Logitech drivers, but unfortunately with no effect.

Even after uninstalling/disabling the USB keyboard drivers IL2 is not responding to the laptop standard keyboard input.

To follow your advice:
1. - reg cleaninig. Done (CCleaner + Norton Registry cleanup) => no effect;

2. - win updates. I have the latest windows 7 updates (I run win update regularly);

3. - keyboard drivers. I've downloaded the latest logitech drivers => no effect;

4. - IL2 patches. When IL2 stopped responding to keyboard inputs it was patched to v4.12.2. I think the problem is independent of IL2 patch version. As I mentioned same thing (standard keyboard not recognized) happens for a fresh install of IL2 Pacific Fighters (from CDs). I'm thinking to keep the IL2 1946 install until I solve the problem and then I'll update to the latest patch. Anyway, I'll give it a try (patch to v4.12.2).

5. - Install the old drivers. The wireless keyboard did not come with installation CD. They provided a web link for drivers installation so I guess no older drivers.

In IL2 setup->joystick tab->advanced the joystick is set as preferred control device, but no effect (joystick is recognized in the game but the keyboard is not).

So, no joy so far

Thank you again for your help, hopefully we'll figure it out.

[RPS69]

He stated that he uses a notebook, and that he already uninstalled the wireless keyboard, and tried to use the NB keyboard alone with no results.

Can you edit your pilot name, within safe mode or normal mode?

Can you use it while flying?

Those two different times in game are not evaluated on your post.

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by RPS69

He stated that he uses a notebook, and that he already uninstalled the wireless keyboard, and tried to use the NB keyboard alone with no results.

I somehow missed the notebook part.

My idea was that testing using a cheap USB keyboard that Win 7 recognizes by default might prove/disproof a problem with the wireless keyboard device drivers.

Since IL2 doesn't recognize the NB keyboard either, that idea probably won't work.

I'm thinking that it might be a problem with a driver upgrade that's incompatible with IL2, since the problem came on suddenly after several weeks with no problems.

Clean the registry. Upgrade Win 7 to the latest version. Reinstall drivers. Make sure that both keyboards are recognized as input devices in the Device Manager. Upgrade IL2 to the latest version. If that doesn't work, roll back the keyboard drivers to an older version.

Originally Posted by RPS69

Can you edit your pilot name, within safe mode or normal mode?

Can you use it while flying?

Those two different times in game are not evaluated on your post.

Good points. But the problem with being able to use the keyboard in the FMB or to change key bindings makes me think that he'll get the same problem from the other UI screens. It can't hurt to try, though.

[RPS69]

I doubt it to be IL2 fault. Well... a bit, because windows management of devices changed a lot since IL2 was continuously being upgraded. Now, those glitches that could be generated by a desktop configuration are annoying and hard to detect.

Also, I don't believe the drivers to be bad. There must be something else related to keyboard usage that is generating that kind of behavior.

The only thing I may suggest to confirm this is to make an image of your hard drive, (always good to have a backup), and select an older restore condition, where your il2 worked fine. If it do works, then see which updates are missing and go installing them one by one until shit happens again. A tough job for sure.

[f6f5hellcat]

Hello,

Originally Posted by RPS69

I doubt it to be IL2 fault. Well... a bit, because windows management of devices changed a lot since IL2 was continuously being upgraded.

I completely agree with you RPS69, it’s nothing wrong with IL2 it worked for years without any problem, including about 3 years on my current laptop. The drivers seems to be ok, there are no conflicts in Device Manager.
Just to mention the laptop keyboard is US standard (bought in US), but the wireless keyboard is UK standard.

Anyway, following your suggestions here are the results:

Normal boot
a) Add new pilot name => OK! (backspace key is weird – it is not working on one char, it only deletes the whole word);
b) Binding new keys (Controls): Not working! No keys are recognized;
c) In game: Not working! No keys are recognized => exit by killing the application in Win Task Manager;
d) FMB->Mission Description: keys are recognized but behave like they are stuck (aaaaabbbbbccc, etc.).

Safe Mode
a) Add new pilot name: OK! (backspace key works – deletes one char);
b) Binding new keys (Controls): OK! Keyboard input is recognized;
c) In game: OK! Game responds to keyboard commands;
d) FMB->Mission Description: keys are recognized but behave like they are stuck (aaaaabbbbbccc, etc.).

Originally Posted by RPS69

The only thing I may suggest to confirm this is to make an image of your hard drive, (always good to have a backup), and select an older restore condition, where your il2 worked fine.

Regarding restoring to an older restore point, unfortunately I don’t have one from before the wireless keyboard installation. I have a system disk image but it is more than a year and half old. The other disk images are more recent than the moment when my wireless keyboard messed up.
I’ve compared the keyboard drivers in Device Manager between Normal boot and Safe Mode and the same drivers are loaded. One difference is in HID Keyboard Device -> Properties -> Details -> Physical Device Object Name. For normal boot the value is \Device\00000096, while in Safe Mode is: \Device\0000008f. I don’t think it is relevant, but there it is.

Thank you all for your suggestions!

[f6f5hellcat]

Hello,

For some reason my previous two replays have not been posted - I do not know what I'm doing wrong

RSP69, I completely agree with you, it’s nothing wrong with IL2 it worked for years without any problem, including about 3 years on my current laptop.

Anyway, first of all thank you Pursuivant and RSP69 for your advice!
Second - good news, I found the culprit !!!

So to summarise:

<> Issue: loss of keyboard (laptop built-in) input into IL-2 1946 (see the initial post for details)

<> Behaviour:
** Normal boot
a) Add new pilot name => OK! (backspace key is weird – it is not working on one char, it only deletes the whole word);
b) Binding new keys (Controls): Not working! No keys are recognized;
c) In game: Not working! No keys are recognized => exit by killing the application in Win Task Manager;
d) FMB->Mission Description: keys are recognized but behave like they are stuck (aaaaabbbbbccc, etc.).

** Safe Mode boot
a) Add new pilot name: OK! (backspace key works – deletes one char);
b) Binding new keys (Controls): OK! Keyboard input is recognized;
c) In game: OK! Game responds to keyboard commands;
d) FMB->Mission Description: keys are recognized but behave like they are stuck (aaaaabbbbbccc, etc.).

<> Solution (applicable to Alienware laptops only???):
The culprit was "HappyOSD" service, which in my case was listed as 'Running'. Deactivating it solves my problem!
To do this go to: Control Panel -> System & Security -> Administrative Tools -> System Configuration -> Services tab. Then look for HappyOSD service and disable it.

This restored IL2 1946 access to the keyboard inputs for both the laptop built-in keyboard and the wireless one (Logitech K800). I'm now patched to v4.12.2 and Enjoyr DGen patches and everything works just fine!

In my case 'HappyOSD' is part of a software used to display on-screen various indications of laptop functions (brightness level, volume level, battery level, etc.) when the corresponding touch buttons or FN keys are pressed. Looks like it was installed by Alienware from the initial build. It is still wired than it started to misbehave all of a sudden!
By deactivating the service the FN keys still function, but the nice on-screen sliders are lost ... well I can live without it!

Thank you all for your suggestions! I hope this will help.