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Xbox PC controller

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Nigel Goodwin

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Anyone got an Xbox wireless controller for the PC?

I've recently bought a Microsoft one, a USB adaptor for the PC, with a standard wireless Xbox controller.

What I want to know is how you turn it off?.

The Xbox method doesn't work, and I'm resorting to removing the battery pack :D
 
Why are you removing the battery from the controller? Remove the USB adapter from the PC, after losing touch with the system for a bit the controller should turn itself off. Unless the company that makes your adapter has an app to allow you to power on/off the controller.
 
I've got one as well and I just unclip the battery pack for a second to turn it off too.

The only other way I know of is to wait :)
 
It's not just me then? :D

LOL nope.


Hey Nigel **broken link removed** It's a little app that somebody wrote which monitors for a push of the X button and turns your controller off. I have opened and run it alright but my controller is on my other computer so I can't test it. It just sits in the taskbar waiting for a button push.

Note this from the developer:
If your anti-virus software complains, it's a false-positive! My app is made with AutoIt, which is a scripting language, and it used by some malicious software. But this app DOESN'T contains any malicious code. If I have free time, I will create the app in a real programming language...
 
LOL nope.


Hey Nigel **broken link removed** It's a little app that somebody wrote which monitors for a push of the X button and turns your controller off. I have opened and run it alright but my controller is on my other computer so I can't test it. It just sits in the taskbar waiting for a button push.

Note this from the developer:

Thanks, I'll give it a try.
 
I still don't understand why you simple don't unplug the adapter? Surely the controller must have an auto off feature if it's not in communication with a host.
 
Actually if you turn your computer off while before the controller has timed out and turned off, then the controller will stay on looking for a signal until it goes flat.

Silly I know.
 
That's not silly, it's stupid. Glad I don't own an Xbox, or even a controller. I'll stick with my Christmas gift acquired PS3 =)
 
Last edited:
That's not silly, it's stupid. Glad I don't own an Xbox, or even a controller. I'll stick with my Christmas gift acquired PS3 =)

No, no.... Xbox's work fine, it's the PC implementation of the controller which leaves a little to be desired.
 
I still don't understand why you simple don't unplug the adapter? Surely the controller must have an auto off feature if it's not in communication with a host.

How is unplugging the adaptor any easier than unplugging the battery pack? - particularly bearing in mind the controller is already in your hand :D

I don't know if unplugging the adaptor would shut the handset down?, I wouldn't have thought so - I presume it requires a specific command sending to it?.

The controller shuts off automatically if it's not used for a certain time (15 minutes or so?), but that's just wasting 15 minutes of battery life for nothing.
 
The battery life of those controllers is generally 12-24 hours of continuous usage, are you really worried about those 15 minutes? If you are then don't even bother turning off the controller, just get into the habbit of tossing it into a docking station/cord when you're done with it for the day. I've only once run low on batteries on my Ps3 controllers and that's only because the system can't charge the controller when it's off which I will be fixing when I order a powered USB hub.
 
The battery life of those controllers is generally 12-24 hours of continuous usage, are you really worried about those 15 minutes? If you are then don't even bother turning off the controller, just get into the habbit of tossing it into a docking station/cord when you're done with it for the day. I've only once run low on batteries on my Ps3 controllers and that's only because the system can't charge the controller when it's off which I will be fixing when I order a powered USB hub.

I don't use rechargeable batteries.

But the question was simply to ensure that it wasn't 'just me', and that there wasn't something I was missing :D
 
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