Not sure if this is a common problem, but it has taken me days to finally figure it out and I thought I would post the solution.
I have been experiencing an issue where the sim will always crash (without error) on loading, if my Saitek stand alone USB throttle quadrant is plugged in to the PC via a USB 3 port. The sim will also crash to desktop if I plug it in while the sim is running. Turns out that the throttle must be plugged into a USB 2 port on the PC, and is not compatible with USB 3.
Yes itās USB 2, it says so in the instructions that come with it, and on the specs page.
Many USB 2 products will work with USB 3 but many wonāt work properly. I have to use two USB 2 hubs for all my gear otherwise I get intermittent issues. No crashes for my stuff but certainly many annoying problems.
I really donāt appreciate the USB standards people making compatibility so poor.
Then the controller should just not work. It should not crash the gameā¦
Oh I agree but is it a Windows sensitivity problem or poor coding by Microsoft Asobo? I have not had any crashes by plugging into USB 3 on multiple occasions just now so I suspect itās Windows related and perhaps the OP should consider driver modification by downloading the latest USB drivers for the Motherboard.
Mine are AS Media and I downloaded new dedicated ones from them a while ago with no subsequent problems. Iām not sure the MOBO manufacturers use the dedicated drivers but use Windows generic ones so maybe worth an experimental shot?
This is a bad news for me. I want to buy a Pro Flight yoke system but my Mac have only USB 3 portā¦ So the solution is to buy a USB 2 hub?
USB 3 is backwards compatable with USB 2. My USB Saitek TQ is via USB3 Hub.
Have you tried a different USB hub or plugged the hub into a different socket on your PC?
I have had a few problems with cheap powered USB hubs but this is down to the hub not USB compatability.
Hope you get it sorted 
Maybe MSFS should improve its error trapping when dealing with USB devices ??
Apart from MODS, its the one thing that different users can do differenetly, by having different USB devices.
For Instance, a Thrustmaster āTop Gunā FF Joystick will CTD the Sim. (with no indication why)
Thatās really should not be possible, and the MSFS code should prevent that from ever happening, no matter what USB device is plugged in.
One cannot expect MSFS to be compatible with EVERY USB out there, but :-
Connecting a USB device should NOT cause a CTD.
Out of interest, is it the HID component or the force feed back that causes crashes?
It seems un-forgivable that USB handling would cause CTD with no error. Mind you, itās only been around since 1996
And so many cheap, poorly complient hubs and devices readily available - all the more reason to trap errors. Basics ignored?
In the case of the Thrustmaster
If plugged in before MSFS starts, MSFS will CTD as it is loading
If Plugged in when MSFS has fully loaded.
Detects the Joystick, and can read and display its name.
Detects there is no default config, and informs the user that they will need to edit one.
The, it seems when it is 1st making a default config file, before user can edit it, it will CTD,
Almost as if it is having trouble creating or writing a config file, which, BTW, it never makes for the Thrustmaster.
Adding error detection code here would not slow down the sim e, as it is part of a setup, that need not run when actually flying.
This area of the code, because it can be affected by an external device, should be heavily ERROR Trappedā¦
( and since it is not, to me ( as yet ANOTHER Professional programmer, here in the forum !! ), its just another example of sloppy, amateur, inexperienced design & codingā¦ Sorry, but it is what it is. )
The frustrating part is that it should be easy to fix,
so at least add the error trapping āAND REPORTINGā, so that the cause of the CTD can be determined and reported by the user back to Asobo ā¦ one cannot expect Asobo to have EVERY USB Device in the world, to test with themselves - but worldwide, users come pretty close,
==
Any YES, I did send in a detailed bug Report to the Zen Desk, which was obviously not read, understood or processed, because all I got back was some āCanned Responseā about how to set up a Joystick on MSFS (sigh) ā¦
So, one thing I learnt from this : ā¦ do not waste time sending in ZenDesk reports, unless it is for something stupidly trivial, like not liking a āPress any key to Continueā
I canāt claim to be a professional programmer but I have been an amateur for many many years (C++, python, PHP, HTML/CSS/Js etc) and know the absolute value of error trapping and logging. To my mind, not writing error catching is just plain contemptuous.
I wonder if this could be a lock file issue but we can only guess unless an error is presented to the user or a log file is written.
Unfortunately, this seems to be a theme, eye candy over substance. I just hope these are oversights that will be learned from but I think we are seeing the culture of the company - sod the basics and ram in some more eye-candy.
I hear your frustration especially when so avoidable. I donāt know the ātopgunā stick but bet it must have cost a fair whack.
I understand that Zendesk must have a huge workload but surely they can triage the āI just wantsā from well written bug reports.
I really hope this gets sorted and you can enjoy your sim and hardware
Someone woke up on the wrong side of the flight deck this morning. A bit more nice, professional, and constructive would be good. All due respectā¦
I am enjoying MSFS, because I am embracing the good, and not sweating the ānot so goodā,
Until ASOBO gets the Big Planes somewhere near working correctly, I am happy with a modest C172 (Steam)ā¦ and now have that working well, and appreciate the almost weekly GNS530 Mod Improvementsā¦( amazing work @ScorpionFilm422 ) That, and a fixed AP, and an added DME, for what it is, it is realistic enough to practice any IFR procedure I may choose, and slow enough that it does not get away from me, when I get rusty, or the Mouse is being a PITA.
My last landing as a Guest āon streamā was an amazing touch down at -7fpm, no sound at all as it touched !!. but I doubt if I will ever again, do better that that in MSFS 
FYI: That is NOT me in the bottom left corner, thatās the Streamās Host, MrPolite01
and Graphic Text is wrong, its fpm, not fps !!!
Yeah, unfortunately the instructions are long goneā¦ I have had the thing for more than 10 yearsā¦ but I appreciate your advice to RTFM, wouldnāt be a flight sim forum without it. 
Maybe so in theory, but not with this deviceā¦ It only works when it is plugged into a USB 2 port. which solved the problem for me.
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