Strange problem, don't know where else to turn

[DaRkL3AD3R]

I've been having this problem with Dolphin for some time now. When I start my PC from a cold boot, I can load Dolphin without any fault or issue and everything just works. At some point during a longer uptime, if I go to open Dolphin it will take forever to open up. When it does, launching a game takes the same amount of time to get fully loaded as the main exe did and my controller doesn't work (DS4.) Similarly if I go into the controller configuration menu, the first menu loads instantly but when I go to configure the primary controller it does the long pause thing again.

Now I know it looks like the controller is at fault, but even if I have Dolphin set to use keyboard controls and I never even connect my controller to the PC, this STILL happens after long PC uptime.

When I use process explorer to examine what threads Dolphin is getting stuck on, it seems DINPUT8.DLL is the top contender for slowing things down. It's not like CPU usage or memory are going crazy, my PC is almost entirely idle and the rest of the system is completely fine. It's just that controller stuff that causes it to lag out.

Any ideas? Can I get tips for debugging this?

[mimimi]

Are you using the latest Dolphin development version? Is your DirectX updated to the latest version?

If DINPUT8.DLL is acting up, maybe some installed dinput driver has a memory leak or something? What driver are you using for the DS4?

[DaRkL3AD3R]

Yes everything is up to date. I am using DS4Windows for my controller. I don't really think it's because of that however as even if I never connect the controller to the PC and never load the program, at some point (sometimes later sometimes earlier) this bug happens again and Dolphin gets hung up until I do a full shutdown and cold boot again.

[DaRkL3AD3R]

I'm at a loss. I've tried and ruled out the following:

-Formatted Windows 10
-Set all clockspeeds to stock
-Didn't even install DS4Windows on a fresh Windows 10 install
-Tried Windows 10 1607 and 1809
-Wiped Dolphin configs and used fresh install

I literally have no idea what could be causing this. Can someone help point me in the direction of the best way to debug exactly what is happening during these broken loading situations so I can try to find the source of this problem?

[MayImilae]

Try the SCPToolkit instead of DS4Windows. Does it happen with that?

[DaRkL3AD3R]

It happened on a fresh format and reinstall of Windows 10 without even so much as clicking anything to do with DS4Windows. So I can safely rule out it being SCPToolkit driver or DS4Windows related.

Update: I think I might have solved it. Because of the thread getting stuck with DINPUT8.dll I kept thinking it was the controller somehow that was responsible but that couldn't have been right because even on a fresh OS install without even setting up the controller it still happened. Then I thought about my keyboard software, Corsair Utility Engine. I uninstalled it and rebooted and ever since the glitch hasn't come back yet but I've been fooled before into thinking I fixed it so I'm not going to say 100% yet if it's solved. I'll give it 24 hours and if it doesn't happen again, then I'll say it's definitely tied to that software having an incompatibility with Dolphin. We'll see.

[DaRkL3AD3R]

Alright it's been over 24 hours now without Corsair's software installed and the glitch has not occurred even once. To contrast to before when I had it installed and running, it would happen every single boot after only minutes of uptime. I'm just glad it wasn't something in hardware that was at fault here. So let it be known, some serious software conflict there with DINPUT8 reading programs like Dolphin, and Corsair Utility Engine.

[RemagOrter]

Do you use Bluetooth Passthrough? and if so, have you forced Dolphin to use a specific BT Adapter by typing in the VID/PID into the Dolphin.ini?
I had a similar problem with my Logitech Keyboard/Mouse Combi and had tu use my old ones. Dolphin just started with a white window and my harddisk drove crazy, untill i closed the Dolphin Task in Task Manager.
Forcing Dolphin to use a specific Adapter solved that for me and now i can use my Logitech Keyboard and Mouse again.

[DaRkL3AD3R]

Nope don't use that. My issue was 100% tied to Corsair Utility Engine. I reinstalled it, a different version, and the problem came back within hours. Uninstalled it again and been bug free ever since.

[Shadorino]

Have you tried the new software iCUE? Corsair Utility Engine will soon be deprecated.