[Mark McLeod]

Is the laptop plugged in at the Driver Station, or on battery?
USB has a separate power saving setting that can cut power to the usb ports while on battery.
You can (and should) disable that feature through the Device Manager -> USB controllers properties.

Also avoid flashy game controllers with flashy LEDS, as they drain more power and force a usb power cutback all the sooner.

Connect each controller directly to a laptop usb port and not through a usb hub. A hub concentrates the power requirements and will more readily drive can force a usb power cutback.

For the joysticks switching positions, do you double-click on them the lock them in position? You can tell if they are locked because they get an underline.