Updated at: 01-06-2023 - By: Leo Hall
If DS4Windows is not finding your controller on Windows 10, try these simple solutions. Get the DualShock4 working with your computer immediately.

There are some games that are more enjoyable with a controller.

We can all agree that the inability of DS4 Windows to recognize a controller in Windows 10 is a major bummer, regardless of whether or not this is by design.

We have the simple solutions you’ve been hoping to find.

It is assumed that you have DS4 Windows installed and that your DualShock 4 controller is connected via USB before reading on. If not, you can get DS4 Windows from this link. When the download is complete, extract the archive and launch DS4Windows.

What is ds4windows

It’s a software simulator that works with PC, PS3, and Xbox video games. The exe file can be obtained for nothing from the ds4Windows page of the official website. It allows users to quickly adjust settings and remap controllers, among other benefits.

DS4Windows Not Detecting Your Controller On Windows 10? [Easy Fix]

Is ds4windows safe?

The ds4windows official download and installation process is risk-free. Is ds4windows safe, though, if downloaded from questionable sources? Adware, malware, and even viruses are all possible infections. Verifying whether or not an app is legitimate is possible.

How to check: is DS4Windows safe

Using the task manager

Raise the Task Manager window.

To access the task manager, either press Ctrl Alt Esc or right-click the taskbar.

Select “Publisher” from the context menu that appears when you right-click a column heading.

Try looking for the ds4windows process to run.

Verify the publisher’s claims to see if they hold water.

Using anti-virus software

Antivirus software like Avast and McAfee can be downloaded and installed from their respective official websites.

Complete system scans can take up to half an hour to run.

See if the ds4Windows file has been flagged as potentially dangerous.

Using SFC /scannow

Launch the command line interface as an administrator.

Tap in this string of characters:

to scannow.sfc

Press the key, and wait for the scan to find potential dangers.

Is ds4windows safe and virus free?

If you have downloaded the DS4Windows file from an unreliable source or have installed it from a removable media device, you may be putting your computer at risk. Any program in this category can be modified by hackers for their own use.

Games and other programs will still function, albeit less efficiently, without the dswindows.exe file. However, if you’re trying to avoid bloating your system or using up precious RAM, you should leave it out.

How to download and install DS4Windows

Either of the two links below will take you to the file download page:

https://ryochan7.github.io/ds4windows-site/

A Download button may be located in the page’s center or its upper left corner. Simply tap the link.

When you click on TechSpot’s download link, the process will begin automatically.

There are a lot of guides for getting the DS4Window executable file from the Github page if you go to the official and most reliable page for ds4windows.

How to uninstall this file

Launch the Settings menu.

Select the software you wish to remove and click Uninstall.

The ds4windows executable file is also known as the ViGEm Bus Driver program. Just delete it by right-clicking on it.

Enter %appdata% into the address bar of File Explorer.

Remove the DS4Windows directory from your computer and the trash can as well.

How To Fix the DS4Windows Not Detecting Controller Error

Ds4windows Not Detecting Your Controller On Windows 10

Update DS4 Windows

You may have seen two executable app files, DS4Windows and DS4Updater, after extracting the DS4 Windows download file. The first one launches the program, while the second one is a helpful updater.

We need to install the latest update to prevent issues caused by a previous flawed update that may be preventing DS4 Windows from detecting the controller.

  1. Use Windows Explorer to get to the DS4 folder.
  2. Launch the archived document.
  3. To use DS4Updater, select it.
  4. Let the program check for updates and download them automatically if necessary.
  5. When the message “DS4 Windows is up to date” appears, you will know the process is finished.
  6. Get rid of the DS4Updater window and start DS4 Windows over.
  7. Make sure the device shows up under “Controllers” and that it has been detected.

Make Sure DualShock 4 Controller Is Enabled In Device Manager

There is no clear explanation for why some Windows updates break controller hardware. When this occurs, DS4 Windows incorrectly assumes the controller is not present because it is not actively polling for it.

To fix this, we need to force Windows 10 to enable the device, which will then be recognized by DS4 Windows.

  1. Make sure your DualShock 4 controller is connected and turned on before launching DS4 Windows.
  2. Then, select “Device Manager” from the submenu that appears when you right-click the Windows Start button.
  3. Click the right-pointing grey arrow in the Device Manager window to reveal the “Human Interface Devices” submenu.
  4. To activate the “HID-compliant game controller,” right-click it in the list of devices and choose “Enable Device.”
  1. Put an end to Device Manager.
  2. Come back to DS4 Under “Controllers,” Windows and the DualShock 4 controller should be visible.

Uninstall DualShock 4 Controller Device Using Windows Control Panel

When all else fails, uninstalling the offending app or piece of hardware usually fixes problems in Windows 10.

  1. To begin, turn off the DualShock 4 and DS4 Windows.
  2. Then, choose “Search” from the drop-down menu that appears after right-clicking the Windows Start menu icon.
  3. To access the Control Panel, simply type “Control Panel” into the search bar. The window for the Control Panel will appear.
  4. Choose the “Hardware and Sound” menu item.
  5. Select “Devices and Printers” from the menu.
  1. Right-click “Wireless Controller” in the “Devices” section (which you may need to expand by clicking on the small grey downwards arrow on the left) and then click “Properties” from the resulting menu.
  2. The “Hardware” tab can be found in the “Properties” window of the wireless controller.
  3. Select “HID-compliant game controller” from the drop-down menu under “Device Functions,” and then click “Properties.”
  4. HID-compliant game controllers have a “Change Settings” button near the bottom of the Properties window.
  5. There will be a new window pop up. You need to go to the “Driver” menu.
  6. Select “Device Uninstall” to proceed.
  7. Warning: You are about to uninstall this device from your system. Click “Uninstall” when prompted.
  8. To dismiss the Wireless Controller Properties window, select the “OK” button.
  9. Start Windows on DS4.
  10. Connect the DualShock 4 to the computer once again.
  11. Once the controller is recognized by DS4 Windows, it will appear in the “Controllers” tab, as shown in the preceding image.

Edit DualShock 4 Controller Registry Entry

All problems should be resolved and DS4 Windows should be able to detect the controller after implementing the above solutions. If for some inconceivable reason they haven’t, we fall back on the most technical solution on our list and modify the registry entry for the DualShock 4 controller.

  1. First, make sure the controller is connected and DS4 Windows is closed.
  2. The next step is to right-click the Windows Start button and select “Search.”
  3. When prompted, select the first entry titled “Control Panel” from your search results.
  4. Follow this by clicking on “Devices and Printers” after you’ve selected “Hardware and Sound.”
  5. Right-click “Wireless Controller” under “Devices,” and then pick “Properties” from the resulting menu.
  6. Select the “Hardware” menu item.
  7. In the Device Functions menu, select “HID-compliant game controller.”
  8. Select the “Details” tab in the new window that appears.
  9. To access this property, choose “Hardware ids” from the “Property” menu.
  10. Choose the first three values from the “Value” drop-down menu.
  11. To copy something, right-click and select “Copy.”
  12. You can either carry on or copy the data and paste it into Notepad for safekeeping.
  13. Choose “Run” from the Start menu’s right-click menu.
  14. Then, press the “Run” button and enter “Regedit.
  15. Select “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE” from the left side of the Registry Editor window and expand it. After that, you should expand “System,” “CurrentControlSet,” “Services,” “HidGuardian,” and “Parameters.”
  16. To begin, open the “Affected Devices” file by double-clicking its name in the left-hand column.
  17. Then, after pasting the values, select “OK” to commit them.
  18. Simply restart the computer.
  19. Connect the controller and launch DS4 Windows.

Enable Hide DS4 Controller Option

There have been instances where controller detection has been slowed because the system has identified the same physical device as both a D-pad controller (Xbox controller) and a DualShock 4 controller.

How To Fix 'DS4 Windows Not Detecting Controller' Error | 5 Ways To Fix It

When it comes to gaming, the issue becomes even more pronounced because the game thinks there are two controllers present when there is only one. The DS4 Windows controller can be hidden at the user’s discretion, which is a welcome addition.

  1. Launch Windows DS4.
  2. To access the app’s configuration options, select the “Settings” tab from the horizontal menu at the top of the screen.
  3. Mark the “Hide DS4 controller” box and continue. It’s the very first choice on the table.
  4. To access the Controllers menu, select it.
  5. Connect the DualShock 4 controller once again to the computer.
  6. The gadget will be visible within the program.

FAQs on is ds4windows safe

Is DS4Windows safe? How to check it?

There are three methods available for determining if you have the correct and virus-free file:
Using the publisher column in Task Manager.
Two, by utilizing the SFC scan option in the CMD.
Third, invest in reliable virus protection.

FakerInputWrapper libraries update in ds4windows. What does it do? Should I update?

Yes. Having access to the latest version of FakerInputWrapper’s library has many advantages. It’s useful for:

If possible, please add support for key combinations involving F13 and higher.
During array bound checking, incorrect values can be corrected. (It checks to see if the array’s reference values fall inside the allowed limits.)

What is better than DS4Windows?

firstly, InputMapper
2. Vjoy Digital Gamepad
Third, Xpadder.
Four, JoyXoff.

ds4windows crashing? Is ds4Windows safe?

If you’re worried about ds4windows, you can run a scan with SFC (command prompt) or the task manager to see if there are any issues.
If ds4windows is causing crashes, you can delete it and any associated files from any location, including the trash. Get the most recent version of ds4windows here.

If you encounter problems making adjustments in the regular mode, you can switch to the safe mode.

Conclusion

Improving your gaming controls and movements should take a back seat to making sure your system runs smoothly. In this article, we address the question “Is ds4Windows safe?” and others like it. The ds4windows app not only improves your gaming experience, but it also takes up valuable storage and RAM.

If you have any questions or concerns, please use the comment section at the bottom of the page.