So I don't have a keyboard right now for my gaming PC, but I do have a wired Xbox controller, a mouse and a USB stick, so I can edit some files on another computer. Is there anything in the SkyrimPrefs.ini (which I guess is where the game saves all your settings) that I can change to enable the controller?

[Main]
bGamepadEnable=1

Protip: On-Screen keyboard to edit ini

And once you do that and get into game with the controller functioning it should always be set to default....my wireless works like that even if activated after the game boots....same with Deus Ex(only difference is Deux Ex changes input device based on the last thing you hit. So one minute your using the controller then if you touch the say spacebar the character will jump and controls will revert to mouse keyboard and vice versa.....now that was some impressive peripheral support.

You can remove the battery pack momentarily to get back to your keyboard =/ Arkham Asylum and Arkham City both do the same as you've described Deus Ex, toggling to the last input. If only Skyrim would do the same... XBox controller users are gonna need KeyPresses too when SKSE sports KeyPress code.

Yeah I do that when I am done playing as to not waste the battery it stays on for quite a while idle....never tried it while playing thanks for the tip. Throwing in the occasional console will be faster now

I never had to edit a file to get my controller to work. I just plugged in the wireless adapter and it worked. Also you don't have to turn the controller off to use the console commands, I just push the ~ button and it comes up.

He has no keyboard to use in game to set the options to the controller. They don't always plug and play and there are three different 360 controllers that work for PC.