Hondata

So in more of a general sense, does socketing always go bad from NON-use?

Nope. Over time solder can migrate away from pins, but it is related to heat and current, and the ECU socket is low current. With no use the only thing that can cause problems with the socketing is corrosion.
How about providing more information? We do know that capacitors go bad in the ECU over time (very common), and with the early s300s the integral battery in the flash memory would eventually fail, especially if the ECU was not powered on the whole time. But without specifics it is all guesswork.

So I have this problem with my S300. The "upload" button is greyed out and so is a bunch of other options. In researching this problem, several strategies were tried.

-Up-to-date Smanager downloaded (2.6.6)
-Manually setting the driver location under "Device Manager" to the "Drivers" folder under the "Smanager" directory.
-Switching laptops

Doesn't seem to help. Although I may have stumbled upon a software incompatibility between the board (2.4.4) and Smanager (2.6.6), that theory was shot down when I read that Smanager would still be able to communicate with older versions of the S300 board's software.

Following the troubleshooting guide, it points me towards an ECU socketing error, but the S300 was used briefly to verify that it works, and then packaged and sealed away for safe keeping for awhile.

NOTES:
-car starts fine with stock ecu (P72)
-car starts fine with S300 since stock P72 map was uploaded to verify that it works, but runs like s*** because 550cc injectors
-Smanager sees S300 as Online
-Device Manager sees S300 as "ECU Hardware (Hondata)"
-All socketed points have connectivity on both sides (IC4, IC3, CN2, J1) I don't have an R54
-Nothing is on J12
-Can't upload fresh new map with changes in Injector sizing because the "upload" button is greyed out

Hondata S300 v3: 35111
-Software registered in Smanager under information: v2.4.4
-Firmware registered in Smanager under information: 10
-Version: 3
-Status: Normal
-RAM test: Passed
-Datalogging memory test: Passed
-Flash Memory: 32 MB
-Bluetooth: Passed
Smanager v2.6.6.0
-Created: February 17th, 2018, 8:31 PM
Calibration: Stock P72 Map
ECU: P72-A01 with Knock sensor board
1995 Honda Civic with stock B18c1

Can you post a screenshot showing this?

Is this what you wanted?

Or this with the injector sizing changed?

Replied via email, most likely ECU related.

I got my S300 to work.

I went over my ECU and checked everything. Solder points, connectivity from the Main board with the S300 board. There is a misconception here about testing Capacitors in the ECU. Capacitors CAN be tested, if you got a great buddy who is into micro-electronics and have an ESR meter laying around. Otherwise you can probably just replace them all for half the price of an ESR meter.

Prior to this, I had my dash torn apart because security. The only things left unconnected was the Radio, SRS Light Switch, and the Passenger Air Bag. After reconnecting my SRS Light Switch, I reconnected a STOCK ECU and jumped the service connector to help with the troubleshooting process and see which other "Engine" sensors were bad. Nothing else was bad, so I unhooked my battery, reconnected my Chipped ECU, reconnected my Battery and voila, at ignition ON, the thunderbolt was yellow.

All in all, I don't really know what I did or what was wrong in the first place. It may or may not have to do with the SRS Light Switch or it may have warmed up from the heated tension I was giving off the past couple of days, who knows.