How to install WinUSB.sys without a custom INF?

re: How to install WinUSB.sys without a custom INF?

dsmtoday — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 08:51:57 GMT

In the document about OS descriptors called "OS_Desc_Ext_Prop.Doc", there is an example for a simple USB joystick that allows you to override the Icon and the Label using Extended Property IDs. These are faithfully copied to the Device Parameters section of the registry, as is the DeviceInterfaceGUID I am using. Since I can access my device using the DeviceInterfaceGUID, I am sure I'm doing the right thing for the Extended Property IDs. However, neither the Icon nor the Label seem to have any effect in Win7 *OR* Win8.

Also, under Win8, my device always shows up as WinUsb Device. Is the problem that I'm running Win8 Evaluation Build 8400?

re: How to install WinUSB.sys without a custom INF?

dsmtoday — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 05:37:31 GMT

Just thought I'd add that the same problem occurs using the new IvyBridge Intel chipsets that offer USB 3.0. No Extended Property enumeration when plugged into a super-speed (3.0) port, even though Compatible ID enumeration is done and new winusbcompat drivers are autodownloaded and installed.

As before, full expected enumeration occurs when using a USB 2.0 port.

re: How to install WinUSB.sys without a custom INF?

dsmtoday — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 04:29:58 GMT

Okay, I got this working under Windows 7 to some degree. It indeed auto-downloads the updated winusb compat-id inf driver. But I found a very strange behavior under Win7 when plugging a device in for the first time when connected to a USB 3.0 port. Examining a USB capture trace of enumeration shows that Win7 fetches the Compat ID information (wIndex == 4) as expected, but does not ask for the Extended Property information (wIndex == 5), so my device does not get its DeviceInterfaceGUID set. The strange thing is that the updated winusb driver is downloaded and installed, and the device shows up in the device manager saying it is working properly without a yellow warning sign on it.

When I try a similar test plugging into a plain old USB 2.0 on the same computer, Win7 does asks for the Extended Property information, and the DeviceInterfaceGUID information ends up in the Device Parameters section of the registry. Note that in between each switching of my device from a USB 2.0 port to a USB 3.0 port and back, I do change the Product ID of the device so that Win7 will go through the entire enumeration process as if it had never seen the device.

My device is a USB 2.0 device. I've updated the USB 3.0 drivers (ASMedia XHCI Controller) to the latest I can find. I've had no problem using this device plugged into the same USB 3.0 ports if I use the INF files I've written.

I've tried debugging what could possibly be wrong for some time and examined a lot of USB trace captures, even down to the byte level. Not sure why Win7 is not making a GET_MS_DESCRIPTOR request with wIndex == 5 when plugged into a USB 3.0 port.

re: How to install WinUSB.sys without a custom INF?

Eliyas Yakub — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 19:33:30 GMT

Yes, Windows 7 will use these new descriptors and install a device without an INF file. However, for that to happen, the Windows 7 system should have access to the internet and should have the policy to get updates from Windows Update because the system needs a new INF from Windows Update that has a compat-id match.

Essentially, you don't need to write an INF because we have written one that can be used by everybody.

re: How to install WinUSB.sys without a custom INF?

dsmtoday — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 19:08:32 GMT

Since you aren't replying on your blog, I had to figure this one out myself. The WinUSB.inf file in Windows 7 is missing the additional lines that Windows 8 has. Therefore, your Summary is wrong. This feature is ONLY available in Windows 8.

re: How to install WinUSB.sys without a custom INF?

dsmtoday — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 04:39:42 GMT

In your summary, you write "This feature is available on Windows 8 and earlier versions up to Windows XP SP3". Is that true? Windows 7 will use these new descriptors and install a device without an INF file?

Also, it would be very useful it you would post something like a bus traffic trace of the negotiation that occurs at device power on when the special descriptor is asked for. I have read several of the documents for Microsoft OS descriptors, but still haven't quite figured out how to implement them. A bus traffic trace example would clear up all ambiguity in the documentation.

Thanks!