Strange USB Issue w/ Alienware Alpha & Xbox 360 Wireless Controller

Hello all. I need help. I've exhausted everything I know to do.


I bought an Alienware Alpha three weeks ago. It came with an Xbox 360 Wireless Controller for Windows. After 1.7GB of 250 updates completed on the new machine, I attempted to install the new controller. I followed the correct steps to install the receiver, however, nothing I do makes the controller pair. The controller's green ring stays flashing green instead of having only one quadrant staying highlighted.

Here's the strange part. Regardless of whether I plug it into a 3.0 or 2.0 device, the Windows Troubleshooter says I have to plug it into a 2.0 port. It said that it's an older device so it will need to be used in a 2.0 port. I called Dell/Alienware and verified that the two on the front are USB 2.0 and that the two on the rear are 3.0. They also gave me the line about 3.0 being backwards compatible.

The controller is plugged into a 2.0 port but Windows (10 Home) thinks that it is plugged into a 3.0 port. It is telling me that it needs to go into a 2.0 port. I've uninstalled, rebooted, and re-installed the drivers so many times already.

To add more crazy to the issue, I plugged the controller into a new Dell netbook (not sure if it is USB 3.0 or not actually) and it worked perfectly fine. The controller paired perfectly fine. Which leads me to think that it is a communication speed issue on the Alienware Alpha desktop.


I am stumped. Please help! This is not a "send it back under warranty" situation. The computer works perfectly fine in every other way. I'd just like to get this figured out so that my son can play Minecraft with the controller and not the keyboard/mouse.

Thanks in advance for any help!


Jeremy

It's definitely the 360 controller. I haven't tried connecting straight to the computer. I suppose that would be an acceptable secondary solution. I'll give it a try. Thanks!