Vanilla Frets on Fire has generic joystick and keyboard support, not per-controller drivers. “Not detected” usually means the controller is not visible to Windows as a game device, or it was plugged in after the game started — not that Frets on Fire rejected your specific guitar.
Check in this order
- Plug the controller in before launching the game, then open Settings, then Controls, and try to bind a fret.
- Check Windows first: open the game-controller settings in Windows and confirm the device appears and its buttons respond.
- For a wireless Xbox 360 guitar, you need the official Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver for Windows — Bluetooth alone will not connect it. See the receiver guide (sponsored links).
- For a wired guitar, try a different USB port (prefer a direct port, not a hub) and a different cable if the guitar has a detachable one.
If Windows sees it but the game does not
Rebind every control from scratch in the game’s Controls menu — a partial old mapping can block new bindings. If the guitar works in Windows but never in vanilla Frets on Fire, try Clone Hero or YARG, which have much broader controller support, and read keyboard vs guitar controller before buying anything new.
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