What to Do When the DS3 Tool is Not Working?

It’s fun playing computer games using a PS3 controller, which is possible by the means of a DS3 tool. But it gets annoying when this tool abruptly stops or doesn’t respond, leading to a hindrance in the gameplay. Techspirited suggests some troubleshooting methods to get rid of such a problem, and get your controller running smooth as silk.

Caution!
Avoid downloading drivers and software from malicious sources, as your computer would be prone to viruses and malware, eventually leading to a system crash. Always download quality software from reputed and reliable sources.

If you play games on your computer using a PS3 controller (Sixaxis), you must be aware of a DS3 tool which is required to accomplish such a connection. The controller can either be connected to the computer via Bluetooth or a USB cord using a device driver. A lot of websites provide such a driver; the popular one being MotioninJoy or simply MiJ. The MiJ driver allows simultaneous connections up to 4 controllers via USB and 1 Bluetooth adapter; the controller can be connected through any of the two mediums.

If you are new to using the controller on your computer, there is a possibility that you might have not configured it properly or missed an important step required to make the controller work. So before troubleshooting, we recommend that you take a look at the instructions to set up the Sixaxis controller on your computer. If required, do a fresh install of all the component software and drivers required; if you still find that the DS3 tool is not working as it should, take a look at how to fix some commonly seen errors. Always remember that reinstalling is the most fundamental step in troubleshooting any kind of program, so do that first.

Configuring the Sixaxis Controller

Start with downloading device drivers for the controller. You can find the latest driver suited to your operating system here. (Note: Download the latest driver available to avoid glitches of any sort)

Once the download is done, launch the MiJ DS3 tool setup file from the package you just downloaded, and install it in the desired location.

Connect your dual-shock 3 controller via USB. You’ll see a pop-up in the notification area on the bottom-right of your screen for new hardware detection. Windows will install some plug-and-play drivers for the device. Meanwhile, launch the installed MiJ DS3 tool, and go to the driver manager tab on the top. Also, plug in your Bluetooth adapter so that MiJ detects it and installs suitable drivers.

Once in the driver manager menu, check the two boxes under the hardware location tab. Then, click on the Load driver tab to install the drivers required for the controller. If during installation of the drivers you get a prompt from Windows, click install and proceed.

After successful driver installation, the same screen will appear, but only with two ticks under the MotioninJoy tab. Click the home button in the top left corner to return to the program’s main page.

Now click on the Vibration Testing tab at the bottom to ensure the controller’s vibration. That’s all you’ll need from this tool.

Now, install a good Ds3 tool to use Bluetooth and map controls. You can find a good DS3 tool here. The MiJ tool isn’t really impressive, though it can be used for the same purpose.

If you are using the tool provided in the link, you’ll have to create a profile under the Selected Profile tab. Once you create one, click on apply, and you are all set to play your favorite game.

…. now for the troubleshooting.

Guidelines on How to Fix the DS3 Tool

Try updating the version of the DS3 tool you’re using. This abrupt malfunction could actually be a bug which the developer has gotten rid of in the latest update.

Look for an update to the existing device drivers; they might be outdated or might have simply gone corrupt due to a virus or a system glitch. Download the latest drivers and try running the tool.

A very common mistake a lot of people do is just double-clicking the program icon. If you are logged in from a guest or a secondary Windows account, you might end up running the program without administrator privileges. Always right-click on the program and click ‘run as administrator’. If this works, right-click on the icon again, go to properties, and set the ‘run as administrator’ function as default. So, next time just a double-click would be enough.

A very common problem is ‘DS3 tool has stopped working’. Either this or just abrupt shutting down of the program. In such cases, if the program worked fine earlier, try remembering if you updated it. If you did, go to the website and download the version which you previously had and which worked. Remove the current ‘updated version’ completely and install the older one.

A last option, if you can’t get things working anyway, is to switch to another better Ds3 tool or the one which is reputed and works in most cases. It is just a medium to connect a controller to the computer; there are dozens of such tools on the Internet. Look for a reliable one and start playing.

Wish you have a great time playing with your dual-shock controller. Good Luck! And don’t forget to leave a comment if you wish to suggest anything or if you feel the need to add something to these tips.

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