I’m posting this is because every time I wipe my PC, I have a nightmare figuring out how to re-install my beloved Logitech F710.
(The official support site for the F710 Gamepad is here, but be aware, I find it to be of limited use!)
Step 1 – Ensure that fresh batteries are in your Logitech Gamepad F710.
Step 2 – Place the F710’s receiver in a spare USB port on the computer, preferably one that is NOT in close proximity to any other RF interference (other wireless USB devices receivers, WiFi antennas etc). Mine works much better when used in conjunction with the USB-extender cable that came with the gamepad (just to ensure that the receiver is far enough away from any RF interference that the MacBook is putting out).
Step 3 – Install the Logitech Gaming Software/Profiler from the Logitech F710 support site linked above (as far as I can tell, this software doesn’t help install your F710 in any way, shape or form with regards to drivers etc……. although, it can be useful in testing your gamepad following installation to ensure the buttons/sticks/functions are all operating correctly).
Step 4 – For Windows 8: Go to your Desktop and right click the hidden “USB/Safely Remove Hardware” icon in the task bar and select “Open Devices & Printers”, find the F710 (which Windows will tell you the driver is missing for), and open up “Properties”. For Windows 7: Go to Control Panel – Hardware & Devices – Device Manager: then highlight the F710 within the Device Manager and select “Properties”. (In Windows 8: Do not try to open the Device Manager using the Right-of-screen “Settings” or “Devices” menu, although this seems logical, it WILL lead you on a wide goose chase to nowhere particularly useful for installing devices)
Step 5 – Once you have the F710’s device properties tab open, go to the Hardware tab, and again select Properties. Go to General, and click the “Change Settings” button and approve the UAC (User Account Control) request. Once the F710 panel opens up again, select the Driver tab, and click the Update Driver button.
Step 6 – Once the new panel opens up, select “Browse my computer for driver software”, and then “Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer”.
Step 7 – Navigate Windows to the Windows/xBox 360 Wired Controller driver and install that despite any warnings Win7/8 may throw up.
Step 8 – Allow windows to complete the installation of the F710 using the xBox Wired Controller driver, and then test the device using the Logitech Profiler software.
Yes, yes, I know…..its a painful process, and in 2013 it should be simpler than that, but this is the quickest and most efficient method I have found to install the F710, and trust me, I have spent several hours every six months following a system-wipe trying to install this device.
Next up………………How to install the F710 in Ubuntu 13.04/13.10!
-Update 29 Jan 2015
In Windows 8.1
Recently, I’ve been experimenting with the Logitech F710 Wireless Gamepad with Windows 8.1 running in a Parallels Desktop 10.1.2 on the Mac and I have not needed to manually install any special drivers in the manner detailed above. For the first time since I bought the F710 (in early 2013), the device has just installed itself automatically when set to the “X” setting on the front of the device (inbetween the two trigger buttons).
In Mac OSX 10.10 Yosemite
Since I’ve installed the Steam desktop client on the Mac partition, I have also been playing a few of the games using the F710 directly in the Mac OS without issue. Using this “one weird tip discovered by a mom” (as the lame internet banner ads remark), I’ve found that the F710 works flawlessly without any need for driver installation or configuration:
- Make sure the F710 is set to “D” on the front switch between the triggers (opposite to Windows which uses “X”)
- With the controller’s nano TX/RX dongle unplugged, press & hold the Logitech button (centre top) while you insert the receiver into a free USB on the Mac
- To check the installation, navigate to ABOUT THIS MAC -> SYSTEM REPORT, where you should see the F710 listed as “Logitech Cordless Rumblepad 2” (or similar) under USB hardware.
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The BBBlog. 
Hey, I am up to step 7 and point it to the xbox 360 accessories folder and it finishes and says that it didnt find a driver?
Try pointing windows to the actual driver file rather than the folder it’s in. I’m not sure if you can do that because I don’t have a Windows 7 machine to test it on anymore, and Win 8.1 / Win 10 no longer need me to follow the directions mentioned above (Windows now just installs it automatically for me).
…It works. Wow. It’s soooo dumb….I …I can’t believe it. I spent 6 hours wracking my brain on why this wasn’t working and then…just…wow.
All i had to do was Install the driver on Logitech.support Site….& it worked straight away …No problems .??????
Great result – I suspect that Windows 8.1 has cleaned up its act when it comes to automatically installing and configuring drivers for xbox controller-compliant devices. Just make sure that the F710 Gamepad is set to “X-Mode” for Windows use.
thank you very much you saved my day
-Welcome.
Switch at front, towards x, follow rest below.
1). Install Logitech software 5.10
2). Install Xbox360_64Eng
3). In the Logitech Profiler, it will show just as installation (no detection) as it shows plug in USB cable. Which do it, and click next follow right to finished, close all windows.
4). Since both the Logitech software above is installed, and the second item which was the X-box here’s the lasts and final step.
5). The receiver is still plugged in yes? > this is when the Logitech software was first installed? “Right” ?? So, pull the receiver out of the USB cable. Have the controller very close use finger, push center button top at the same time, as you insert the receiver.
6. Connected.
Thanks for your comments!
I haven’t had many problems with my F710 since I upgraded from Win7 to Win8.1: hopefully between my notes on this page, and your comments here others should be able to get their F710s up and running.
Incidentally, I lost my nano receiver for the F710 a couple of months ago, so I was forced to use an xBox One controller on the Mac/PC.
The xBox Controller worked well with no special set up, and I love the feel and mechanics of the xBox 1 controller.
But unfortunately, I could only use it tethered to the computer via the USB cable.
If anyone knows a way to use the xBox1 controller wirelessly with a PC please comment on this page and I’d be very thankful.
I believe that you could do it with a xBox360 wireless controller but you needed to buy a special PC-xBox360 receiver dongle.
Haven’t heard of one for a xBox1 wireless controller for PC yet.
-Matt
EDIT (22 May 2016):
Microsoft have released a Windows 10 compatible xBox 1 wireless adapter now
(No need to rely on the inferior xBox 360 controller or the logitech Gamepad F710).
In my opinion, the xBox One controller is easily the best of the three I have mentioned.
It installed without issue on my MacBook Pro Windows 10 installation, but have get to get it to play nice
OSX or Linux.
For what it’s worth, I did manage to get the xBox 360 wireless controller to work within OSX.
But I can’t quite remember the process I used to do so……I think it involved the Tattiebogle drivers
available from here: http://tattiebogle.net/index.php/ProjectRoot/Xbox360Controller/OsxDriver
Finally got it working. I was so frustrated with the profiler, didn’t know about the step to install the xbox driver. Thanks so much!
I’m glad you found this information useful.
Thanks for taking the time to provide feedback.
Any many thanks to the others for their contributions also (particularly Sam’s comments above).
I’ll gladly receive & re-post any community tips which may help others with their computing problems.
-Matt
PLease, it didnt work for me. Everything is ok until Step 7. It does not appear to be installed the xbox 360 controller driver in my PC. So i have installed it. But then again it is not showed up in the list. What can i do
Hi there Christian.
You haven’t mentioned which OS you are using. If Win 8 / 8.1 / 10 the installation should be automatic now (as at 2016) via Windows detecting the device, and installing the appropriate drivers itself. If that fails, follow my uninstallation directions below (if the device shows up in the “Devices” or “Hardware” pages of Windows “System” tool/pages whatever). If the F710 isn’t shown in the “Devices” – Connected Devices menu, then delete/remove any other mention of “Windows Compatible Gaming Device” or “Wireless xBox Controller” or anything that sounds gamepad related like those just mentioned. Once you have removed any “Gamepad” related drivers from the system, reboot Windows, and follow Sam’s directions to re-install the drivers / Gamepad.
Sam’s directions above (dated: 20 March 2015) are clear and concise and should see you right.
Let me know if your successful or otherwise.
Thanks,
Matt.
I’m facing the same issue once I upgraded to windows 10. Now my F710 is not at all detected by the OS. The controller works fine with other Laptop running Win 8.1. Tried all the methods from the internet but none works. Do you have a solution for Windows 10 Pro.
The first thing that springs to mind is to try the nano Tx/Rx dongle in a few different USB ports and see how you go. Failing that press the Windows button to open the menu, type “Device” to get to locate the Win 10 “Devices – Desktop App” (The one with a gear icon). Click to open the Devices App; once open, locate the Logitech Gamepad F710 entry within the “Connected Devices” menu heading and Left Click. The option to “Remove Device” should now be present. Go ahead & remove the device; once gone remove the Tx/Rx nano dongle and reboot windows. After Windows 10 is returns to life, insert your F710 Gamepad dongle and allow Windows to automatically re-install the F710 dongle and gamepad drivers. Once complete, you should be good to go with a working F710 Gamepad…..or at least I was when I tested all this just now……..GOOD LUCK!
I did the press and hold logitech button while inserting the receiver trick for my windows 8 and it works like a charm!
Hi Sulaiman,
That’s great to hear!
Yeah, my experience in anything above Windows 8 is that the F710 Gamepad seems to “just work”…
….these blog-entry instructions were created to help me when I was using Windows 7; which, although it was a pretty good OS, really struggled with non-Microsoft gamepads for some reason.
It’s nearly 2019, I almost can’t believe that this is still a thing, but I ran into this with Windows 7, but here’s the funny bit: you can tell the driver updater to auto-locate the driver online….AND IT WORKS! I had this sucker up and running in minutes after discovering the problem
Darn, I ran into this problem a lot of times. My observation is that you need to NOT have the gamepad usb dongle connected during windows installation. If you do, then the OS will refuse to find a driver for it. Normally if you install without the gamepad connected and connect it after the installation and all other drivers and apps, then it works without any issues.