Trouble with Steam and Controls settings

[DoolittleRaider]

I am having trouble with Steam settings versus Game settings:

If I have enabled Cloud synch (whatever that means) in Steam COD game properties, my controls and settings (keys and joystick and joy buttons) all work as I have set them; BUT, when I exit a Mission using the ESC key, the game shuts down and flips me immediately to the Steam account Library, where I have to re-start COD from scratch.

WithSteam Cloud NOT enabled, when I ESC from a Mission, it correctly goes to the COD Mission Menu (Single Mission options menu for example), and I can re-fly the Mission or choose another....HOWEVER, with Cloud not enabled, my controls/settings are all Default apparently, because my joystick doesn't work, keys and buttons don't do what I set them to do. When I re-enable Cloud in Steam, my controls work but, again, ESC to leave a mission shuts down COD.

Any advice on what i may have done wrong will be appreciated.

Ohhh..also...this situation appears to be the same whether I have indicated on Steam that I will be offline, or connected to internet.
[By the Way, I am strictly an OFFline CODder, if that matters. Never multiplay.]