Vista - Microsoft Sidewinder force feedback wheel and EA's NFS Carbon

Having a problem with configuring my Microsoft Sidewinder force feedback
wheel in NFS Carbon....Brand new (1month old install Vista Business)...It
recognizes the wheel but I cannot get it to work properly ( at all ) and
when I try to configure it the in game menu gets stuck...sorry best way to
describe it !!!

Clean install on custom self built rig running Vista Business
AMD 64bit processor running 32 bit - have not received my 64 bit version yet
and will probably wait to install that ( driver improvements I believe )
Foxconn (Winfast) 6100k8ma-rs motherboard
2 gigs - Crucial's Ballistix Tracer ddr500 ram
PNY Nvidia 7900gs pci express 256mg video card
Creative's Soundblaster X-FI Extreme gamer sound card
Twin Seagate Barracuda 160 gig Sata drives in a raid0 format

PS..My other racing sims play and configure fine it is just this particular
one..Even other EA Need for speed games work fine...Any ideas ??
This is the only glitch I have had with Vista all other aspects of the op
system seem to be fine..........Thanks as always
Drew