Microsoft Precision Wheel on Windows XP

I just installed my Microsoft Precision Wheel on Windows XP using XP's drivers. I noticed that I cannot use the gear shifters of the Precision Wheel. I did not install the Sidewinder 4.0 Software in XP because of the article I read here entitled Driving is much easier with a Steering Wheel by Stephane Kauffman dated May 24,2002. To quote "But whatever you do, don't install its SideWinder 4.0 software in XP. Depending on the configuration, it either works or makes the whole system crash. And this is Microsoft... I really did see the comical side of the situation when I unpacked the brand new wheel with a CD proudly marked, "Designed for Windows 98"! It would be good to see a downloadable update in the near future, all the more so because the software programs that come with the paddles are not mutually compatible! It's high time for Microsoft to provide a common XP driver for all its USB SideWinder peripherals. That said, without a driver, the Precision Wheel works in XP on one axis." Any advise on this matter?