CH Control Manager on Windows 11 or 10: How do I install and use it?

CH Products Control Manager is optional legacy Windows software. On Windows 10 it may still work; on Windows 11 its virtual driver may be blocked by security protections. For ordinary flight-simulator assignments, use the CH controller as a native USB HID device. Install Control Manager only for Mapped Mode, combined devices or existing profiles.

This is general guidance for flight simulators running on a Windows PC. Control Manager, sometimes shortened to CH Manager, cannot be installed on the Xbox or PlayStation editions of a simulator.

Do I need CH Products Control Manager on Windows 11 or 10?

Most simmers do not need Control Manager because CH Products controls normally work through Windows’ built-in USB HID driver.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024 on PC, X-Plane, Prepar3D, FSX and many other simulators can assign separate CH devices directly. If that is all you require, use our native Windows 11 set-up and controller-testing procedure rather than installing CH software solely for calibration.

Will CH Products software work on Windows 11?

Control Manager can work on some Windows 11 systems, but successful installation is not guaranteed because its virtual-device driver predates modern Windows security protections.

The application may open while Mapped Mode remains unavailable because Windows has blocked the underlying driver. Windows 10 can also reject a legacy driver depending on its security configuration. Compatibility mode may help an old installer launch, but it cannot bypass kernel-driver signing or Memory integrity rules.

Do CH Pro Pedals work on Windows 11 without CH Manager?

CH Pro Pedals normally work on a Windows 11 PC without Control Manager and should appear as a standard game controller in joy.cpl.

Test the rudder and both toe-brake axes there, then bind them inside the simulator. If a brake reads as applied when released, invert that axis in the simulator rather than installing Control Manager merely to reverse it.

Where can I get CH Products Control Manager, and is there a website I can use?

CH Control Manager is installed desktop software; there is no browser-based version that can create its virtual controller or activate a saved map.

Use only an original manufacturer-supplied installation package or trusted installation media that you already own. Avoid repackaged executables and generic driver-download archives. If you cannot verify the installer’s source, native Windows HID support is the safer choice.

A browser page may be able to display inputs already exposed by Windows, but it cannot install the CH virtual driver, switch between Direct and Mapped Mode or replace Control Manager’s programming functions.

How do I install CH Control Manager on Windows 10 or 11?

A clean installation gives Control Manager its best chance of working and prevents an older virtual driver from conflicting with the replacement.

1. Back up existing maps. Copy any saved profiles, maps and scripts to a folder outside the Control Manager installation directory.
2. Disconnect every CH controller. Unplug the yoke, pedals, throttle and joystick before removing or installing the software.
3. Remove the old installation. Uninstall Control Manager through Installed apps or Programs and Features. Do not install a new copy directly over an older version.
4. Restart and test the hardware natively. After rebooting, connect each device separately and run joy.cpl. Confirm that its axes and buttons respond, then disconnect the controllers again. This separates a USB or hardware fault from a Control Manager problem.
5. Run the genuine installer as administrator. Extract the package first if it is compressed, then use the installer’s Run as administrator option. Approve only prompts that belong to the expected CH package.
6. Restart Windows again. Reboot even if the installer does not request it, allowing the physical-controller and virtual-device drivers to initialise.
7. Reconnect one device at a time. Begin with direct USB ports on the computer and wait for Windows to recognise each controller before adding the next. Introduce a hub only after the controls work reliably.
8. Check Direct Mode first. Open Control Manager and verify that it identifies every physical CH device before loading or creating a map.

If Windows reports that the CH driver is incompatible, stop reinstalling it. Repeating the same installation or applying compatibility mode will not make a blocked kernel driver acceptable to Windows.

How do I create and activate a CH Control Manager map?

Create and activate the map before opening the simulator so that the game detects the intended virtual controls during start-up.

1. Verify the physical devices. Begin in Direct Mode and confirm that all expected axes, hats and buttons respond.
2. Create or open the map. Use a blank map unless an existing profile was made for the same collection of CH hardware and control layout.
3. Assign the outputs. Route each required control to a DirectX axis or button, or to a keyboard command where the simulator profile expects one.
4. Check axis ranges. Calibrate the mapped output only when necessary. Avoid applying separate compensating ranges in Control Manager, Windows and the simulator, as each layer can distort the next.
5. Download or activate the map. Use the Control Manager command that changes from Direct Mode to Mapped Mode. The wording and button position can differ between releases.
6. Test the virtual output. Open joy.cpl and check that the mapped device responds as intended before starting the simulator.
7. Launch the simulator and bind the mapped device. Remove automatic assignments from physical CH devices if the simulator can still see them. One physical movement must not drive both a native and a virtual axis.
8. Save an external backup. Keep a copy of the working map outside the programme folder so an uninstall or repair cannot remove it.

Activate the map before every session if it does not persist after a restart. Some simulators enumerate controllers only while launching, so switching modes with the simulator already open may require the game to be restarted.

Why is CH Control Manager not working?

Find where the input path fails: the physical controller, Windows, Control Manager’s virtual driver or the simulator assignment.

• Nothing appears in joy.cpl: change to a direct USB port, remove an unpowered hub and inspect the cable. Control Manager cannot fix hardware that Windows does not detect.
• Windows sees the device but CH Manager does not: remove Control Manager, restart, reinstall with all CH controls disconnected and reconnect them individually.
• The physical controls appear but no virtual device does: confirm that the map was activated and Mapped Mode selected. If Windows names the virtual driver as incompatible, use native input instead.
• The map works in Windows but not in the simulator: activate it before starting the simulator and select the virtual device in the simulator’s controller settings.
• An axis is erratic in Direct and Mapped Mode: the problem is likely calibration, USB connectivity or the physical control. For a yoke, follow our CH yoke calibration and axis troubleshooting steps.
• An axis fails only in Mapped Mode: inspect the map for the wrong source axis, a restricted range or a conflicting assignment.
• Keyboard commands do not reach the simulator: avoid running the simulator and Control Manager at different privilege levels. Prefer running neither as administrator after installation unless another requirement makes elevation necessary.
• The configuration broke after changing USB ports: return each controller to its former port, reactivate the map and restart the simulator. Windows may register the new connection as another controller instance.

Should I turn off Windows Memory integrity?

No. We do not recommend weakening Windows security solely to keep a legacy controller driver running.

If Windows Security identifies the Control Manager driver as incompatible, uninstall the software, restart the PC and let the CH hardware use the standard HID driver. The physical controller can remain usable even though Mapped Mode is unavailable.

Why do the controls move twice or fight each other?

Duplicate movement occurs when the simulator reads both a physical CH controller and Control Manager’s virtual output, or when the same axis is assigned to two devices.

This is one of the most common CH control problems we see across older and newer flight simulators. In Mapped Mode, keep the required virtual assignments and clear competing physical-device bindings. For native operation, deactivate the map and assign only the separate physical controllers. Our guide to using CH controllers with modern simulators covers device profiles and duplicate-input behaviour in more detail.

Which CH Control Manager mode should I use in a flight simulator?

Use native Windows input for ordinary flying, Direct Mode for checking individual hardware, and Mapped Mode only when a profile requires virtual outputs or programmed commands.

• Native Windows HID: best for most Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane, Prepar3D, FSX and FS2004 installations. Bind the yoke, pedals and throttle as separate devices.
• Direct Mode: useful when diagnosing the physical controls or editing a map because no programmed output is masking the raw input.
• Mapped Mode: appropriate for an established CH profile, combined virtual controls, macros or keyboard commands that cannot be reproduced conveniently inside the simulator.

Whichever route you choose, keep each controller in the same USB port and use one signal path for each axis. That prevents changed controller identities, lost assignments and the opposing or doubled inputs caused by mixing physical and virtual bindings.