I downloaded the driver from Microsoft for my wired 360 controller and enabled "controller input" in-game. I don't hear the "Device Found" sound when I plug my controller in, like when I usually do when I plug in a USB device. The home button lights up somewhat randomly when I push buttons, though. I'm not sure if I missed a step or something. Help?

http://support.xbox.com/en-IN/xbox-live/connecting/connect-wired-controller-to-computer-running-windows-906347

Is this an official Microsoft Xbox 360 controller that we're talking about here? I recall reading at one point that Windows support for 3rd party Xbox 360 controllers is not guaranteed.

If you are running either Windows Vista or Windows 7 as your OS, a wired Xbox 360 controller will "just work" when you plug it in. The wireless version requires a special receiver that plugs into a USB port on your PC that must be purchased separately. As for Windows XP, that OS is the one that requires the driver download and install. I suppose that last point is moot since Doom 3: BFG Edition doesn't support Windows XP anyway.

If you have in fact installed the driver on Windows Vista or 7, I would recommend uninstalling it. You may also want to revert your system back (using System Restore) to a point before you installed the driver just to make sure all traces of the prior driver have been removed.

Once that's cleared up, plug the controller into an open USB port on your laptop. Again, a wired controller should just work. In Windows 7 (and probably Vista) you can verify its functionality by clicking Start - typing "Joy.cpl" (without the quotes) in the box directly above the start button, and pressing Enter. The Game Controllers applet will display. If the Xbox 360 controller is listed, that means it has been recognized by Windows. Selecting it and clicking on Properties will take you to a diagnostic screen to test each of the buttons, anolog sticks, etc.

If you do not see the controller, it's probably down to one of a few possible situations:

1. Another device plugged into the PC via USB is causing a conflict. Completely shut down your PC and remove all USB devices from your system (mice, keyboards, flash memory, printers, etc.). Turn on your PC. When the desktop appears plug in the controller and see if Windows recognizes it using the "joy.cpl" applet described above. If it does, you can experiment with each USB device you removed to find out where the conflict is.

2. The controller itself is faulty. Try plugging it into an actual Xbox 360 console or another Windows PC to verify.

3. The USB port/hub on your laptop is faulty. You can try a different USB port to see if that makes a difference.

Once you've verified that it's functional, you may want to run a Windows Update with the Xbox 360 controller plugged in to get the absolute latest and greatest controller driver for your OS.

If the controller is only non-functional in game, affirm that you have enabled it in the Doom 3: BFG Edition controller options. I had to do this to get it to work. It didn't turn on for me by default.

Hope this helps.