How to revert Watchman Dongle back to Steam Controller Wireless Receiver/dongle

[Jessica Thorst]

In this discussion/guide I'll show you how to get your Steam Controller Dongle Firmware back again after having it flashed to Watchman Dongle.

If you've used this guide, https://github.com/ykeara/SteamVR-Dongle-Flash and batch script to flash the dongle before to make it work for HTC Vive controllers, here's how to get it back to work with steam controllers.
(Just like the Watchman Dongle flash, if you have more than one Dongle you would want to flash, you can have them plugged in as well.)

Step 1. Have SteamVR downloaded and installed, it's located in your Library under Tools.

Step 2. Open the folder it is installed in and open the tools folder and then open the lighthouse folder.
(for example, it could look something like this: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\SteamVR\tools\lighthouse )

Step 3. Close down Steam and unplug your VR headset USB and power (If you have one plugged in), and disconnect anything connected to your Steam Controller Wireless Receiver if you haven't done so already!

Step 4. Hold Shift and Right Click inside the folder on the empty space and click on "Open PowerShell window here". Windows Powershell should then show up as a blue window with the text "PS C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\SteamVR\tools\lighthouse>" so that it shows it has been opened inside the lighthouse folder.

Step 5. Copy this command below

bin\win32\lighthouse_watchman_update.exe -e firmware\vr_controller\archive\htc_vrc_dongle_1461100729_2016_04_19.bin

and inside Windows Powershell, Right Click to Paste it in.
It should now look like this:
PS C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\SteamVR\tools\lighthouse> bin\win32\lighthouse_watchman_update.exe -e firmware\vr_controller\archive\htc_vrc_dongle_1461100729_2016_04_19.bin

Step 6. Press Enter and you will see Forcing rollback. on the dongle number.

When that's done, let windows configure the settings for "Boot ldr". (If you're flashing more than one, check your windows settings, Bluetooth & other devices, to see that they're all called Boot ldr.)

Step 7. Open steam and you'll now see that windows are configuring Steam Controller.

All done, you can now pair a steam controller by opening Steam Big Picture mode, go into Settings and Press Add Controller and follow the on screen instructions.

(This took me a while to find information about on forums, but I found the solution on the following discussion: https://steamcommunity.com/app/353370/discussions/0/1762481957308292400/ and I'd like to thank EXEDIAN for their detailed guide in the comments)

[Dr. Kaii]

I tried this last night and...just be careful that the Index Controllers are switched off for the process. When the boot loader began, my computer received a ton of random inputs all over the place, programs and windows were opening left right and center, screen going black and refreshing...I though this guide was actually malicious for a second, but upon closer inspection it can't be. It did seem to work, but any time I would switch on the controllers after, it would start that rollercoaster of inputs again. I reflashed them after and everything is fine :)

[Jessica Thorst]

Originally posted by Dr. Kaii:

I tried this last night and...just be careful that the Index Controllers are switched off for the process. When the boot loader began, my computer received a ton of random inputs all over the place, programs and windows were opening left right and center, screen going black and refreshing...I though this guide was actually malicious for a second, but upon closer inspection it can't be. It did seem to work, but any time I would switch on the controllers after, it would start that rollercoaster of inputs again. I reflashed them after and everything is fine :)

Step 3 is really important, I should probably have written that VR controllers should be off in-case you've them connected to your Steam Controller Wireless Receiver! (which I've now done, sorry for any confusion/trouble that has costed)

Glad you got it to work afterwards though

[Mr.FuzzyMuscles]

Cool, I wanted to flash my two dongles to the Vive wands to convert them to trackers, but will still want to use the controllers in the future at some point. Since they put the smackdown on controller production, the dongles are probably (or will be) pricey. Another older guide warned that you couldn't revert the dongles back, so I'm glad to see you posting that it's possible. Thanks!

[Jessica Thorst]

Originally posted by xandor:

Cool, I wanted to flash my two dongles to the Vive wands to convert them to trackers, but will still want to use the controllers in the future at some point. Since they put the smackdown on controller production, the dongles are probably (or will be) pricey. Another older guide warned that you couldn't revert the dongles back, so I'm glad to see you posting that it's possible. Thanks!

That's exactly what I did before hand and what lead me back to making the dongle to work with the steam controller was that my pc and I didn't like them in their Bluetooth mode, I always had to re-add the controller to make it work as a controller instead of "just a mouse" as windows thought they were.

[Keyhole]

Using bin \ win32 \ lighthouse_watchman_update.exe -D and -e method is simple and feasible. Thank you for your work. Maybe we can edit your bat to flash it ez!💪👍👍

[Yeove]

What makes steam controller dongles special compared to other wireless dongles?

Why can't I just flash an old network adapter instead?

[Jessica Thorst]

Originally posted by Yeove:

What makes steam controller dongles special compared to other wireless dongles?

Why can I just flash an old network adapter instead?

This is nothing I've any knowledge of, I would guess that the internal functions of the Steam and Vive dongles are very similar and can't be made into a network adapter. I don't know if their internals are based on wifi or bluetooth, but I would most likely imagine that it is bluetooth over wifi signals.
If all of that is the case, and lets say "why not just buy a bluetooth adapter instead" there's probably going to be issues having all your devices connected to the same bluetooth dongle, which is why that can't be done either.

[Fdruid]

Originally posted by lilxDANISH:

Originally posted by Yeove:

What makes steam controller dongles special compared to other wireless dongles?

Why can I just flash an old network adapter instead?

This is nothing I've any knowledge of, I would guess that the internal functions of the Steam and Vive dongles are very similar and can't be made into a network adapter. I don't know if their internals are based on wifi or bluetooth, but I would most likely imagine that it is bluetooth over wifi signals.
If all of that is the case, and lets say "why not just buy a bluetooth adapter instead" there's probably going to be issues having all your devices connected to the same bluetooth dongle, which is why that can't be done either.

But could you flash a regular wifi dongle into something that can talk to Vive trackers like that???

[FletcherKildren]

Question - I did this because I was using my old Vive wands as trackers for a mocap program; but then needed my controllers back to help a game dev buddy test his game. Now it seems I can't go back to watchman dongle and pair these as trackers? It seems to work, but they aren't showing up in Steam VR at all, as controllers or trackers.

[Jessica Thorst]

Originally posted by FletcherKildren:

Question - I did this because I was using my old Vive wands as trackers for a mocap program; but then needed my controllers back to help a game dev buddy test his game. Now it seems I can't go back to watchman dongle and pair these as trackers? It seems to work, but they aren't showing up in Steam VR at all, as controllers or trackers.

Try and go back to steam controller dongle, follow the guide I made carefully to not ruin other VR components, instead of flashing it to a watchman dongle first, as it probably needs to see the dongle as a Steam Controller Dongle before flashing it. After that, check to see if that worked out by connecting a steam controller and if it did, then you can go ahead and turn off your controller and then decide to flash the dongle to watchman.

[FletcherKildren]

So I tried the 'reset' and then reflash and no luck - are there any other bluetooth dongles you've heard of that will work, since my steam ones seem shot?

[Yeove]

Originally posted by FletcherKildren:

So I tried the 'reset' and then reflash and no luck - are there any other bluetooth dongles you've heard of that will work, since my steam ones seem shot?

I ended up buying official dongles through this seller for $30 a dongle.
https://tundra-labs.com/shop/vive-dongle

If the first seller runs out of product, here is another reseller selling official dongles for $40 a dongle.
https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Generic/HTC-Vive-Tracker-Dongle/IF453-016?o=1

[werner]

Hi Flashing worked for me, unflashing not: \steamapps\common\SteamVR\tools\lighthouse\bin\win32> .\lighthouse_watchman_update.exe -e ..\..\firmware\vr_controller\archive\htc_vrc_dongle_1461100729_2016_04_19.bin
Version: lighthouse_watchman_update.exe (buildbot_vortex-windows_steamvr_rel_win32@vortex-windows) 06286824
Attempting to update Watchman Dongles to version 1461100729...
Looking for 0 bootloaders
Found all expected bootloaders

So it is not unflashing the bootloader, instead it is trying to reflash.
I am no the latest beta btw.
Any ideas?

Added information, after unplugging and replugging the device the rollback worked.
Windows needs to register the dongle first before anything is doable!

[Fenris_Wolf]

Originally posted by werner:

So it is not unflashing the bootloader, instead it is trying to reflash.
I am no the latest beta btw.
Any ideas?

Added information, after unplugging and replugging the device the rollback worked.
Windows needs to register the dongle first before anything is doable!

Exactly!

It always works, but not right away. You must switch the Dongle to another USB-Controller of your Motherboard. So if you use the front-end USB ports to flash your Watchman Dongles back, you must afterwards remove the dongle and plug it into the back of your PC's case. That way another USB Controller recognizes them. Then you can use them anywhere.

[Зелипука]

Thank you SOOOOO much! That guide so helpful !!!