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How to get the Razer Sabertooth to work properly on your PC

11/30/2013

44 Comments

 
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The Razer Sabertooth game controller is based on the Xbox 360 gamepad, and is supposed to work out of the box as if it were a standard Xbox 360 gamepad. It doesn't always do this though. If Device Manager fails to recognise your Razer Sabertooth, follow the below steps. I'm using Windows 7 64bit. I'm not sure if this works on Windows 8 or other versions.

  • First, make sure you've downloaded and installed the Xbox 360 controller for Windows software
  • Plug the Sabertooth in
  • Press the Windows key, type Device Manager and press enter
  • Find the Razer Sabertooth Elite icon with the yellow exclamation mark (see pic above), and double-click it
    • If the Sabertooth doesn't appear at all, make sure it's plugged into a USB port at the back of your PC, rather than the front of your case, in a USB hub, or via an extension cable.
  • click the Driver tab
  • Choose Update Driver
  • Choose Browse my computer for driver
  • Choose Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer
  • If there is a category called Windows Common Controller for Windows Class, choose that. Otherwise, choose Show All Devices
  • In the Manufacturer column, choose Microsoft
  • In the Model column, choose Xbox Controller for Windows (if there's more than one version, try the latest one first)
  • Hit next, and hit Yes on the Update Driver Warning popup
  • If all went well, a system tray balloon will now tell you that your device was installed, and the Sabertooth will light up. Done!



The next step is optional but recommended.

Getting rid of XboxStat.exe

The official Xbox driver package installs a program called Xboxstat.exe, which launches itself at bootup and runs in the background. But unlike most background programs, this one consumes a lot of resources. On my system, it frequently hogged 13% of the CPU resources (and not just in idle, either). Others have reported it consuming 50% or even 90% of theirs.

Xboxstat.exe isn't required for the controller to work. I don't know exactly what it does - I believe it collects statistical information about your games for Microsoft. Whatever it is, I highly doubt it's important enough to warrant slowing down our PCs. Get rid of it using the method below. 
  • Press the windows key, type msconfig.exe and press enter
  • Click the startup tab
  • Scroll down until you find Microsoft Xbox 360 Accessories (in the Command column it will be something like C:\Program Files\Microsoft Xbox 360 Accessories\Xboxstat.exe), then uncheck its box
  • Click ok
  • If a popup notifies you that you made changes, tell it not to remind you again, unless you want that annoying popup each time you boot up
  • After you next restart, Xboxstat.exe won't clog up your resources any more.
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Dave Bleja

Dave is a graphics professional and longtime PC power-user. He spends more on his gaming rig than a reasonable person should. He founded the indie game studio Volnaiskra, and is the creative force behind Spryke
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44 Comments
Tim
8/27/2014 11:56:09 am

Thank you so much for this it would've been almost the second time i would go back to the store to get a refund!

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David
9/9/2014 07:42:01 pm

Thank You!!! Saved my day!

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Daniel
10/5/2014 05:36:33 am

thanks a lot it helped!

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Kalle
10/5/2014 10:23:52 pm

Thanks! Really helpful!!

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Sergionoumea
10/18/2014 08:56:33 am

Merci beaucoup Mec !

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Adam
11/4/2014 10:32:55 pm

Sorry does not work for me. The name of my unit is XBOX360 GAMEPAD. And i can´t find the drivers for it

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Shawn
11/20/2014 03:01:01 am

THANKS SO MUCH !!!!!

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dawif
12/2/2014 10:50:45 pm

works wired but how do i make it run wireless???

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MattC
1/8/2015 06:28:12 pm

Hey, nice, thank you very much. This worked!

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Crystal
1/22/2015 07:58:02 am

YES! I was freaking out because my new control wasn't working- You sir are a life saver!

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caio
2/17/2015 07:02:30 pm

Hi, i Tried this, but i cant find the commom xbox controller, theres nothing Like that at Microsoft options.

Ty

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Caio link
2/18/2015 12:08:59 am

Caio, did you install the software first? Is the sabertooth plugged in? Also, did you look for "Xbox Controller for Windows" in "all devices"?

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caio
2/18/2015 12:29:27 am

yeah, when i go to "Choose Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer" i just could see USB or printer options, there are none controller there, i already installed WIndows 8.1 Pro 3 times, updated BIOS, testing other USB ports, then when i plug the sabertooth at a USB 3.0 port, they dont get recognized at all, and when i plug at a 2.0 USB port, show me the message (usb device not recognized: code 43)

I've tested the sabertooth with my notebook , it is working perfectly. The huge difference between them is that the notebook uses a normal hard disk and the desktop uses an SSD . I do not know what to do to try to make my sabertooth work, thank any tip . hugs

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Dave link
2/18/2015 03:18:19 am

I wouldn't expect the SSD to make any difference. But the USB3 not working at all worries me.

When you plug in via USB2, do you get the "Razer Sabertooth Elite" with yellow exclamation mark like in the picture?

Also, is the laptop Windows 8.1 as well?

caio
2/18/2015 03:59:03 am

yes, the laptop uses WIndows 8.1 single language. Before trying anything in the control, all ports recognized him and returned the same message: (USB Device Not Recognized: code 43). was then that I began to try to install the Xbox 360 driver, update the BIOS and other simple things that do not remember, since only 2.0 ports recognize the control and return the same message already said, as an unrecognized device. But I have done a test on all the ports and are all functional.

I was thinking of performing a reset in the BIOS, dont understand much of it, but should take a reset to all drivers, and so it would try to reinstall or am I mistaken?

Dave link
2/18/2015 07:18:55 am

A BIOS reset might help, but I'm not sure. I think the best option would be to contact Razer support: http://www.razersupport.com/contact-us/?option=product

I've found Razer support to be pretty good. (It was through contacting them that I could figure out the solution in this article)

flyun8
7/14/2016 12:02:26 pm

hi, do you get your control work well. I have the same problem like your say, my os is windows 10.

when I plug at USB2.0 port, get a "usb device not recognized: code 43"

anders
3/20/2015 01:04:42 pm

thanx man

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Dane Griffin
4/13/2015 04:18:22 am

Worked perfect, thankyou!

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Blackknight
5/19/2015 11:38:48 pm

Thanks so much!

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johnno2004
6/23/2015 04:17:40 pm

thank you

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Sohanur Rahman link
7/9/2015 10:55:14 pm

Thanks, save my day :D

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edgarpmarques@gmail.com
9/19/2015 06:50:52 am

Mine on the other devices only appears uknown device
It never shows razer sabertooth

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flyun8
7/12/2016 12:40:07 pm

hi,can this device work on windows 10, I cant make it work on win10.

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Liahim
7/30/2016 10:33:07 am

razer sabertooth on windows 10 - any way to make it work?
I have tried:
-rebooting the computer
-using a different usb port
-Installing the xbox 360 controller drivers (regularly and in windows 7 compatibility mode)
-Uninstalling and reinstalling the device in the device manager
-Trying the "update drivers..." "choose drivers from my computer" "microsoft common controller" "xbox 360 controller drivers" method. This would work if it were showing up as an "unknown device", but it's showing up as an "unknown usb device" and the xbox 360 drivers are not presented as an option.
- uninstalling all usb devices and rescanning for changes
-updating my computer's usb drivers

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Dave link
7/30/2016 02:58:10 pm

Sorry Liahim, I no longer own the Sabertooth, so I can't test it on Windows 10 myself.

I know that Windows 10 is notoriously flaky with stuff like this. I recently learned that even Microsoft's own Xbox One controller doesn't work properly in some games unless you manually perform a fix.

If you can't find anything else in Device Manager worth fiddling with, then all I can suggest is contacting Razer tech support.

(If they help you solve the problem, please contact me or write the solution here, and I'll add it to the post.)

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Liahim
7/30/2016 09:09:12 pm

Hi, Dave,
thanks for the answer.
Yes, i already sent a ticket to Razer tech support. Hope, they help me.
I'll post here for the result.

Lord Vader
8/2/2016 04:11:37 am

Thanks for the help

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Vitaliy Firsov
12/23/2016 07:21:04 am

This worked for me on Windows 10 using usb 3.0

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Ken R.
2/27/2020 04:33:05 pm

I have been researching what "xboxstat.exe" does, as a freelance technical writer documenting Windows programs. This is only one of multiple sources I've read. I am starting to wonder, is it purely a widely shared and/or spread assumption that "...stat" means "statistics"? Maybe it just means "status"? That would also be consistent with its observed behavior, (e.g., showing battery life). So far, if anyone has said WHAT statistics it gathers or sends, what port it sends on, etc., Google hasn't found it. The only thing supporting this statistical interpretation is its resource consumption, and perhaps one user's observation that a certain Batman game's files were being needlessly accessed until "xboxstat.exe" was removed. But that observation was to some degree indirect, so some inference was still involved.

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Iniphyros
3/16/2021 08:17:24 pm

I've installed today on WIN 10 by a 3.0USB port.
First I deleted the non working controller from Device Manager, plugged again on a 3.0USB and installed by himself. NOW WORKS!!!!!

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    Author

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    I'm Dave Bleja of Volnaiskra. I'm a game designer, graphics artist, and PC power user.

    I write about all of these things. I try to make my posts as useful and well-written as possible.

    If you enjoy my content, do me a solid and check out my game!

    My indie game

    In 2014 I quit my job to found a game studio and devote my time to making Spryke, the game I've always dreamed of playing. Go check it out!

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