For those who love the Nostromo n52 as I do

[Heinrich]

Belkin Response Jun 25 2007 18:18
Thank you for contacting Belkin Customer Service.

I apologize for inconvenience you have experienced with our Gaming Pad. I will have to let you know that we have stopped making and supporting this product last year there for we wont be coming out with Vista drivers.

If you have any other questions or concerns please feel free to reply to this email. Thank you.

Belkin International

Nicholasw@belkin.com

Please include all corresponding replies.
Enclosed Files:

 

[Heinrich]

PS, I picked up a Ideazon Fang. Not as easy on the hand, but far better software, am adjusting.

 

[kainlongshot]

Don't throw that N52 out just yet. I'm running vista and xp in dual boot mode. XP has been demoted to a back up OS while I'm steadily crossing into the vista x64 dark side.

I have a set of beta Nostromo drivers. (had to take and unpack the installer from xp). The big issue with Vista Nostromo drivers is the UAC causing issues. It will not allow one to install drivers not signed by Microsoft. For some reason when Belkin leaked the Vista beta drivers they were obviously not signed which makes things difficult to install. The trick is to boot Vista in a "disable driver signing" mode. This can be accomplished by hitting F8 upon boot up. After this was completed, its just a simple matter of installing the drivers, upgrading the device to the correct drivers installed, etc. Simple stuff. The downside is that you have to keep pressing F8 every single time you boot up the computer or the device will not respond. There is a work around. Vista Boot (google it, its free) allows you to change some settings on boot up. Namely the disable driver signing feature is one of them. You set that up and Vista automatically boots up with the option, no need for the lame F8 button on bootup.

I run Vista x64 with these experimental drivers and Vista boot up. So far I'm having a blast. The loadout features work, recognition of game and .exe works, my old layouts work, WoW and BF work great with it so far. I've even managed to import a one handed keyboard set up. (Currently using Mavis Beacon to teach myself how to type with one hand. Really suck at it.).

 

[bunnyfubbles]

Wow, I wonder if this means they're giving up development of gaming pads in general, I'd think they'd transition the n52 over into Vista before releasing a replacement...

Sucks if it is true, gaming pads, while not perfect, offer an interesting alternative to the keyboard which I believe to be the primary weak link in the KB+mouse control scheme. Game pads seem to be an evolutionary step into obtaining a device that offers greater control (analog keys) for gaming instead of simply turning the keyboard into something it was never designed to be - a true gaming device.

 

[kainlongshot]

Hate to break it to you but since Vista has been in beta Belkin has started to wane support for the N52.

Taken from an old howto guide.

1. Get VistaBootPro 3.2 http://www.vistabootpro.org and disable x64's driver integrity check (no more F8 needed)
2. Restart
3. Install the latest beta driver (these may be hard to find but Google should reveal some. titled: Nostromo_x64.msi)
5. Restart. Now you have the Nostromo software, but device manager only showing USD-HID devices, not NostromoN52, no way to get N52 working correctly
6. Get Belkin's x64 beta driver and save to C:\ (*.msi is the important thing !)
7. Start cmd as admin and unpack the *.msi file

Example:"msiexec.exe /a C:\Nostromo_x64.msi TARGETDIR=C:\n52"

A new directory should be created with you x64 drivers.


8. Shut down, unplug ALL USB devices from your PC, just leave N52 plugged, also any USB keyboard should be unplugged and better take a PS/2 mice and a PS/2 keyboard when you have one (keyboard isn't necessary so much)
9. Start the PC, take your mice and go to the control panel --> device manager. Because all other USB devices all unplugged, the two lines under Human Interface Device USB-HID are for the N52. Make a right click on the 1st and manualy update the driver using the *.inf file from the directory C:\n52 (the one you dumped the msi files in) and the same for the 2nd USB-HID line
10. Vista 64 has installed the drivers, your Nostromo software is already set up, you are done !

Full functionality for the unit as well as for the loadout manager.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Thanks for the info kainlongshot! I've been delaying from installing my copy of Vista for this very reason.

 

[Zepper]

I've been warning against Belkin for years. Theirs is not a business plan conducive to supporting real products over any span of time. Sorry you're having to learn the hard way.

.bh.

 

[aka1nas]

If the game supports gamepads/joysticks like Oblivion, then the N50/52 will still work fine. I was able to get other games working by using Joy2Key

The only lame thing is that you can't use the Nostromo profile manager anymore, but you can create profiles in Joy2Key for different games and switch pretty easily.

 

[Heinrich]

I did try to install the n52 beta drivers. I got a blue screen, I did a system restore, and pulled out the Fang. I bought it late last year but found it hard to use. I am actually converting now, biting the bullet so to say. The software truly is far better, it even prints a diagram of the device itself with macro names on the keys.

 

[aka1nas]

Originally posted by: Heinrich

I did try to install the n52 beta drivers. I got a blue screen, I did a system restore, and pulled out the Fang. I bought it late last year but found it hard to use. I am actually converting now, biting the bullet so to say. The software truly is far better, it even prints a diagram of the device itself with macro names on the keys.

You don't need to install the drivers, just use the MS HID driver.

 

[recon6]

I feel your pain, I will be upgrading to Vista x64 shortly and the lack of a driver for my N52 is disheartening. A co-worker is already running Vista x64 and got his N52 to work using the workaround kainlongshot posted.

I also have an Ideazon Fang, but can't get use to the feel of it. The drivers are 100% better than Belkin's but the Fang feels too much like a toy. It's almost feels like something Playskool would make, I can see it now Playskool's My First FragPad .

Sorry I couldn't help, but hopefully someone will come out with a game pad with the ergonomic feel of the N52 with some extended functionally.

 

[Heinrich]

I agree....the Fang does not fit in my hand like the n52. But I am really trying to get used to it.

 

[ronach]

I think I will camp on Belkin's door step until they re-instate the N52, it is without a doubt the best controller I have ever used for my FPS and general computer gaming sessions.
COMON..Belkin..don't pork the Nostromo N52..K.

 

[Capt Caveman]

I suggest that everyone post feedback to Belkin - Belkin Support Page

 

[aka1nas]

The whole thing is pretty lame of them, they could essentially slap a new model number on the N52 and make it the only model with Vista support and I would probably be willing to pay $50 for it due to the frequency I use the darn thing.

 

[ronach]

I made my post on Belkin's support page, how about you ?

 

[ronach]

I have ordered a spare N52..a guy has to do what he has to do.

 

[QueBert]

most companies don't update drivers for devices they no longer make. Some do, but it's not common. It sucks, but Belkin is far from the only company doing this.

 

[docdutch]

guys,

I've heard from a friend of mine that works for Belkin Europe (UK HQ) that there is a Vista 64bit driver being tested now and also is being certified by MS.

It should hopefully be done by the end of this month (july) or at the latest August.

Keep an eye here and as soon as I learn more then I'll pass it on.

 

[zephyrprime]

The thing is, the n52 keys should have been regular keyboard keys instead of the proprietary device that it is. That would at least allow it to work under and version of windows even though you wouldn't have programmability.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

Originally posted by: zephyrprime
The thing is, the n52 keys should have been regular keyboard keys instead of the proprietary device that it is. That would at least allow it to work under and version of windows even though you wouldn't have programmability.

I thought they were...not that you'd want to use a nerfed keyboard, the programmability is essential to making the Nostromo what it is as there simply aren't enough keys without extra profiles.

 

[aka1nas]

IIRC, if you force the XP 64 driver to install, the N50 then gets detected as an HID keyboard, though you won't be able to use the d-pad in that way. If you just plug it in w/o drivers it detects as a generic HID device and you can use the Joy2Key method I posted earlier to remap the DirectInput controls to keystrokes.

 

[docdutch]

unfortunatly I dont have 64bit Vista to try....dont have a 64bit rig thats why but as soon as I get hold of the vista drivers and they have been tested then I'll drop a linkie here.

I promise

 

[kainlongshot]

I'm confused . . . why does everyone still debate on whether this thing works as a keyboard or not or complain that belkin didn't' release drivers when the method I posted in the first page already works for Vista 64?

1. Yes you plug the nostromo it works like a half gimped, and very cool, looking keyboard
2. It is a corded gampad . . . (you can press multiple key presses before it konks out)
3. You can use a 3rd party software buy why? when the Belkin software already works.

Unless you are afraid of the cmd prompt its pretty darn painless to install. Look I'm not trying to get into a debate we are all on the same side but . . . aka1nas, I got a lot of respect for you and you sound like a guy who's got a lot of common sense. But why do you keep touting Joy2key when the belkin software works with Vista x64 using the method I listed? Its not the cleanest install but the darn thing works, macros and all. Either method forces you to do a force install anyway.

I, much like everyone wants Belkin to release some official stuff but I just don't think its going to happen. Microsoft did the same thing with its sidewinder joysticks/gamepads (the original black, not silver). Best devices every, but they just stopped making them. Belkin's business practices aren't the greatest but what are you going to do. Something new and shiny always comes along to take place of the old (even if its not broken). I think the main problem with these pads going out of style is because when first introduced just did not have a lot of support. It really only applied to a very small niche of people, and as a result the product support when on the wayside.

 

[aka1nas]

The version of BCDEdit that is available in RTM Vista 64 does not allow you to disable the integrity check permanently as was possible in the Beta and RCs. If that Vista Boot Pro you linked to is able to do this, it is by replacing the BCDEdit files with one of the older versions. This is probably not a good idea as the next time MS releases a patch that changes system files(think SP1), it will probably not work as the versions/checksums on your system files won't match.

I usually disable the integrity check per session, and I the issue I run into with my N50 is that one of the HID devices for it can be forced to install the X64 beta drivers once I have extracted the .msi package and the other will just refuse to start if I try to force it to use the driver. Running with just the one device having the driver installed will allow the system to detect it as a N50 speedpad but the Loadout Manager will still not be able to see the device. I have been messing with this since October or so and haven't found a solution to the second device not being able to install the driver.

Unfortunately, most people that are trying to get this working have an N52, so I don't know if it's just me or if the N50 in particular won't work with this method.