How do I get the FF to work?

I haven't played C4 in ages, but I've now reinstalled it and would like to play again.

I plugged in my Wingman Strike Force 3d and it was immediately recognised. Then I calibrated and tested it, and installed the game. Initially, I couldn't get any controls on the joystick to work, but I could feel a very faint vibration in the handle and when I retracted the gear with the G key I could feel a reassuring thump in the handle too. The stick is now working, buttons and all, after a reboot, but now the FF is gone! I've configured it with Wingman Profiler software. Should I use this or not, or does it not matter? :stupid2: Any advice, anyone?

Still not working... I should also mention that I installed the patch right after installing the game.