Help! Weird Cobalt Flux problem...

I just pulled my CF out from storage after about a year and none of the buttons seem to register any more. The details:

-It is a CF from 2007-2008ish (I believe it is v2? with the square and triangle buttons)
-Cleaned it, still doesn't work
-I tried Stepmania using two different control boxes (but with the same 15-pin cable) on two different computers
-My computer seems to recognize the pad when I connect it to USB, but when I used a program to test the buttons, none of them registered, not even the buttons on the control boxes

I'm considering buying a new control box and 15-pin cable to test it out, but I'm not sure it will work since it is not an official CF control box.

Could it be faulty control boxes, faulty 15-pin cable, or faulty pad? Or any advice on how to troubleshoot it? I don't understand how it could work fine and then have problems a year later on the same computer, even after no use.

Thanks.

Describe how the computer "recognizes" the pad.

When I look at the devices that are connected using the USB ports, it lists the pad as being there. I know it is the pad because when I disconnect the pad from the control box (leaving the control box still plugged in), the device goes away, but when I connect it back, it reappears.

Does it call it a Cobalt Flux in the list?

No, it calls it RedOctane pad

... Are you using a controller box meant for a RedOctane pad?

both of my flux's were dissapointing, first one the wood wasted away leaving a big hole for a screw to slip and slide into~
the 2nd, the up and left arrows stopped working properly, i sent them 13 emails and got no reply, and cobaltflux.com no longer works.

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http://www.bemanistyle.com/index.php/news/cobalt-flux-closes-business-2297

If you can't fix it yourself you may be out of luck.

Nope, that's the weird thing. I got it from the CF site a couple years ago. But perhaps they used the same manufacturer?

maybe they stopped selling coz they couldnt deal with all the complaints, 13 emails D:<
i only wanted to know how much a repair would cost

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I would call that the issue. Your 15-pin is fine because it's transmitting data (The designation sent from the controller box), but it seems like those boxes aren't able to decode the input directly from the pad.

Hmm, interesting. Well, I've ordered a new control box -- obviously not from CF, so I'm not sure it will work, but here's hoping. Thanks for your input!

if it doesn't, you can determine the pinout of it and hack together a cable that will work with your flux. Not hard. Check the hardware forum (link in sig) for sort of how to do it.

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