Enable/disable Windows 7 device via command line

I have a device that I often enable and disable using the Device Manager. I'd like to write a script to do this programmatically (that is, using the command line). I saw a program called devcon that works for Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, but I need one that works for Windows 7. Is there one freely available?

corsiKa

Posted 2012-05-26T01:58:06.047

Reputation: 941

Answers

Download the WDK Windows Driver Kit 7.1.0 from Microsoft.
Use the Universal Extractor to extract the contents of the ISO to a temporary location... or use whatever method you like to mount and get inside the ISO.
You can use the same tool to extract the install file "WDK\setuptools_x64fre.msi" to a temporary directory.
In that temporary directory you will find "WinDDK\7600.16385.win7_wdk.100208-1538\tools\devcon\amd64\devcon.exe". It has been tested to work with Win7x64, and it is part of the most recent Windows Driver development kit.

So, there is Devcon.exe for Windows 7 for you. It works with Windows 7, and it is free.

Instructions taken from the Microsoft Answers forum.

Bon Gart

Posted 2012-05-26T01:58:06.047

Reputation: 12 574

https://wp.me/p7I9kP-w shows how to download only the piece of the ISO you need, shows Win 7, 8, & 10, x64 & x86. – robrich – 2018-06-03T20:26:31.017

This gentleman here was kind enough to upload the file by itself, so that you don't have to download a 700mb ISO just to extract it. Worked fine for me.

– Hod - Monica's Army – 2013-05-24T02:11:31.117

1Make sure to also extract setuptools_x64fre_cab001.cab, because actually that cab file contains devcon, not the msi. – Tarnay Kálmán – 2014-01-10T15:38:56.557

DevManView is another way to do this - and it's a lot easier to acquire than devcon.exe, but still free.

I use the following command in a batch file to use disable/enable a device on my wife's laptop when we need it:

devmanview.exe /disable_enable "SDA Standard Compliant SD Host Controller"

You can also create a regular shortcut, edit its properties and add the parameters in the Target field.

David McClelland

Posted 2012-05-26T01:58:06.047

Reputation: 617

This worked in Vista too. – T.Todua – 2014-09-17T21:19:33.163

1It makes me both sad and happy that a tool that does this exists. – dwj – 2014-10-03T04:12:25.650

1Site does not mention supported systems but it works fine on Windows 8.1 64-bit (used the "DevManView for x64 systems" version). – Álvaro González – 2015-01-24T15:24:50.770

worked for me in 2015 april - win7-64 – Uğur Gümüşhan – 2015-04-03T19:49:16.090

It would be best if there was an option to toggle the device state. – Adil Malik – 2016-09-24T22:49:47.087

In case anyone wants to tie this to a key combo, I strongly recommend [AutoHotKey][2] for this. I'm using the following script to enable/disable my laptop's touchscreen by pressing Ctrl-Alt-T:

```!^T::``` ```MsgBox, Enabling Touch in 3 seconds...``` ```Run, DevManView.exe /disable_enable "HID-compliant touch screen", C:\Program Files\DevManView``` ```return``` – Gerbus – 2018-10-13T20:21:03.060

For Windows 8, there is WDK 8.1 available at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/hardware/gg454513

The small setup binary allows to download (without installing WDK) (~500MB) and without iso-container.

Searched cabs for devcon.exe but names are scrambled. Used Universal Extractor to extract "..\Installers\Windows Driver Kit-x86_en-us.msi" - ends with an error. However, got the file I need: "...\Windows Kits\8.1\Tools\x64\devcon.exe"

Tool needs to run with Admin privs to have effect.

Robert

Posted 2012-05-26T01:58:06.047

Reputation: 21