"Zomby Woof" wrote in message
news:l63%e.18586$tl2.14831@pd7tw3no...
Thrustmaster support has told me that a gameport to USB adapter won't
allow my basic "Top Gun" joystick to work within Windows XP and my new,
gameport-less computer.

I'd already purchased the adaper before asking Thrustmaster, and yes...no
luck.

Is there perhaps something Thrustmaster isn't telling me...for the purpose
of having to purchase a new joystick?

What doesn't work? You ought to, at a minimum, be able to get two- or
three-axis input, and a couple of buttons.

Beyond that, I can well believe no additional features would work on the
joystick. But I can't imagine why NOTHING would work at all.

That said, never tried it myself. But if the joystick works fine with a
regular gameport, and not a USB gameport, then I'd say the USB gameport
wasn't designed right.

Others have suggested that you just get a cheap audio card with a gameport
and install that (disabling all the audio functions, leaving only the
gameport). I think that's a good idea. As would be simply buying a new USB
joystick; a basic one (that is, providing the same functionality you might
expect using the USB adapter) should not cost much more than the adapter.

Sorry to hear that the USB adapter isn't working out. It must work fine for
some people though, otherwise I can't imagine they would stay in business
manufacturing the adapters.

Have you considered contacting the customer support for the manufacturer of
the adapter? It seems to me that THEY are the party who should be helping
you get things to work; I'm not surprised Thrustmaster doesn't have any
suggestions...you're using their product in an unsupported way.

Pete