Controllers...

Try connecting your controller directly to the computer and not thru a USB hub, could be a bad USB hub.

It is through the computer, makes no difference how I connect the controllers, it always requires me to restart the computer, then start FSX to work. I'm still leaning towards gremlins. After I restart then start up FSX, everything works great. Just thought there might be a simple fix on this prob. I can be playing the game, exit FSX, then before I can resume FSX I need to restart. Oh well at least I can run the sim, better than some other problems. Going to look at getting more memory as well, the sim runs fine with everything up to max, but I get the feeling I could get it to run way smoother if I had more computing power. FSX has a huge appetite for memory it seems.

Should we assume you have downloaded from CH and installed CH control manager?

I only use the CH flight stick, but FSX wouldn't recognize it until I'd installed it's xp driver. Then FSX assigned it's "controller profile" for CH on every game startup, despite what functions I wanted to assign (and save).

Once I installed CH control manager 4.2 between FSX and the stick driver, functions became assignable and saveable.

I did install the manager although to be honest it seemed to cause more issues than it resolved. I guess for now I'll just go through the restart proceedure and be happy it works that way. With all three controllers, it was a bit of work to get them all talking to each other, but adds a lot of realism to the sim. The rudders not so much as calibration to get a proper feel is not very accurate, but the throttle quadrant is way cool for multi engine types... and you get a lot more switches! Be cool if they gave you a better dedicated landing gear toggle, but otherwise is living up to expectations and will go well into my simpit one I round up a few moew aircraft cast offs to start it.

Have you tried e-mailing CH Products tech support to see if they have problems reported like yours to them? Maybe they have a fix.

You know, I didn't. I tried to contact CH for a problem with my CH Quadrant and getting the levers to correspond with the ones in the sim. Ch was not very helpfull and all I got was a techie with attitude who refered me to FSX's site which didn't remotely address my problem. I tried to expain the problem to the CH guy, but he couldn't understand the issue and kept emailing me instructions on how to preogram the switches??? I got help from a very knowledgable person on this site, so if you have CH problems save the bother and ask in here. You will likely find the correct solution. CH's products are wll amde and work when you get them set up. CH's technicalsupport in a word ... "SUCKS" 😉