Thrustmaster HOTAS Cougar on Windows 10

I’ve got one of these devices, a Thrustmaster HOTAS Cougar block 52 F16 throttle and joystick.  One of the best controllers out there.  They stopped selling it back in the days of Windows XP.  Thank God they made drivers for Windows Vista, or I wouldn’t be writing this article. 

Thrustmaster HOTAS Cougar
Thrustmaster HOTAS Cougar Block 52 F16 Throttle, Joystick and box

Well, I want to use this on my new Windows 10 machine, so that I can fly the F16 in Falcon 4 Allied Force, Falcon 4 BMS, and now the soon to be released F16 module for DCS World.  Unfortunately I ran into a bunch of errors when I simply downloaded the 64bit drivers for Windows Vista and tried to install them normally.  I sent Thrustmaster support an email asking them how to use this device with Windows 10, and they wrote me back stating that it can’t be done.  Well, it turns out they are wrong.  I found a way to install the drivers and the Foxy programming software, and I want to share this with you.  To install the drivers for Windows Vista on a Windows 10 machine, first make sure the controller is not attached to your PC.  Second, right-click on the device driver installation executable and click on properties.  Click on the Compatibility tab and then pick Windows Vista from the drop-down (not Windows Vista Service pack 1 or 2).  Check the box next to Run as administrator.  Save your changes and run the executable.  That’s it!  Follow the instructions and it should work for you.  It worked for me!  Hope this helps you continue to enjoy this amazing throttle and joystick!