Spaceball 4000USB Not recognized by Driver on USB

zayer · Post by **zayer** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 5:00 am

For some time I haven't used my spaceball. Initially it was still connected to my main PC but I took it off (always started the PC with the beeps etc from the SB as the drivers loaded). Then the other day I plugged it back in and downloaded the 2.8.2 drivers and every thing seemed fine. USB device discovered and recognized as spaceball 4000 and then when the driver tried to start I get the beeps and then an error "Unable to open spaceball 4000 on USB".
I haven't changed my PC configuration or hardware internally and the Device is recognized as a USB Human interface device under Device manager and that sees it as a Spaceball 4000USB in the properties. I have tried various USB ports but the same error. I have tried my server PC (near to a vanilla build as possible) and get the same error message. I have tried earlier drivers and get the same error message. How can the PC know all this info from the USB connection and yet there is a problem? The SB has not suffered any damage etc, just not been plugged in and used for 6 months. USB plug looks fine, no signs of damage. OS is XP. I just can't imagine that it can be so easily recognised that the issue lies with the SB but rather the software.

Post by **rstadie** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 6:14 am

Hi zayer,

We never sold SpaceBall 4000 USB devices and consequently don't support them - so unfortunately it seems like you got tricked by someone

zayer · Post by **zayer** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 4:45 pm

The device is a labtec unit. I assume 3D connection bought out Labtecs Spaceball operation? Correct me if I am wrong? Are you telling me that there are pirated hardware of Spaceballs out there?

zayer · Post by **zayer** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 4:58 pm

Okay a little research and it seems that Labtec changed their name to 3D connection. PIA though is that labtech and the logo still exits at www.labtec.com to cause confusion. Is this still a subsidiary of 3D connection?
Either way I have a 4000USB series (that what the sticker underneath says) so how could I have been "tricked" by some one? What is it you think I have?

Post by **jwick** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 1:50 am

The Spaceball 4000 USB was never an officially supported device by Labtec or 3Dconnexion. It was tested with some press and significant customers for a while many years ago to see what the response would be but was never productized nor sold. Perhaps this is one of those units. It may work, or it may not. There obviously was a version of the driver at the time it was test marketed. If you can find that release it may still work. We can't be much more help than that with what is basically an engineering/marketing sample that got out of the yard.

Jim
3Dx Software Development

zayer · Post by **zayer** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 4:02 pm

Okay had to work this one out for myself. Still, I have my perfectly functional SB working again without fear of having to spring for new hardware.

For any one else out there that might find themselves with this mythical 4000FLX USB Space ball the drivers that do work are the ones that are from the Driver release as follows:

From the Readme.txt in the install directory.

-3DxWare for Windows version 3.2 Build 5
-March 20, 2003
-Windows XP (RC2), Windows 2000, Windows NT 4.0 SP6, Windows 98, Windows Me

The right mouse click properties of the '3DxSrv.exe' show a version of 9.10.2.5

I do not know which install release this is (current version is 2.8.2 from 3dconnections driver download) and this space ball DOES NOT WORK WITH THEM!

I was lucky that a box at my work had these older drivers and the SB worked instantly is was plugged in. It from this install that I got the info. I am going to try and find out which set of drivers they came from so that I can install rather than manually set up.

Perhaps you guys at 3dconnection can help identify the version of drivers that the afore mentioned come from and perhaps direct me to where I might get a copy?

Post by **jwick** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 4:18 pm

I believe 3.2.5 was from before we had a "3DxSoftware" package. 3.2.5 would have been delivered all on its own. What you have is all there was. If it works for you, that's wonderful. Enjoy it! It's a fine and very unusual device. XP should be good, but you would have problems running on Vista. We had to make a lot of changes to run on Vista.

Jim
3Dx Software Development

zayer · Post by **zayer** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:10 pm

Jim can you elaborate "delivered all on its own". These machines at work are definitely from an install file, and the install directory and registry info look identical to the newer installs we are using with the 2.8.2. The readme.txt in the 2.8.2 (version 5.X.X) go way back beyond the 3.2.5 releases so the installable package has been around for that long. As a matter of fact I found a 1.X.X from another website of the 3dx software installable but it too gave the same error message when installed and I tried to run the driver. It seems a version in-between is the only one to support the 4000 USB. So can you please find out the version I am after from the previous information? Surly you development guys have achieved all version at some time or another. I also have a HP friend contacting GM to find out what package they used that works on the machine here at work he also said that regardless of how I got this particular machine (brand new of e-bay FYI) it had to have come from 3dconnection in one form or another and hence I deserve support (not my fault 3dconnection allowed this device out into the public).

He also mentioned that perhaps you might like it for your Spaceball museum (if you have one) and that perhaps you might buy or exchange it for a new space pilot etc <finger>