devcon.exe for Windows (and F.E.A.R. games)

Tags: Windows

devcon.exe is a command-line tool alternative to the Windows Device Manager.

Version 5.2.3718.0, released on 2003-01-29, modification date from 2002-11-15, can be downloaded from Q311272. Only available on ia64 and x86 architectures. It is very old, designed to work on Windows up to version 2003. Don’t waste time trying this version.

Version 6.1.7600.16385, modification date from 2010-02-08, is inside setuptools_x86fre.msi and setuptools_x86fre_cab001.cab (or setuptools_x64fre.msi and setuptools_x64fre_cab001.cab), which can be found inside GRMWDK_EN_7600_1.ISO, which is the WDK 7.1.0 (Windows Driver Kit) that can be downloaded from Microsoft. This version should be compatible with Windows 7. To save you trouble, I’m also making it available for download: devcon_x86.exe and devcon_amd64.exe.

Source-code is available at Microsoft’s repository on GitHub.

F.E.A.R. games

F.E.A.R. games have an issue with Logitech USB devices. The only known workaround is to disable them at Device Maanager.

Igor Duarte Cardoso posted a .bat script to automatically disable and re-enable Logitech devices, which was later edited by zacr0 to support the Steam version. The script is copied down below:

@echo off

:: Disable all Logitech HID devices.
devcon.exe disable HID\VID_046D*
:: The previous command disables too much and the mouse may stop working, but this line fixes it.
devcon.exe enable HID_DEVICE_SYSTEM_MOUSE

:: Uncomment one of the following lines (by removing the double-colon):
::pause
::FEAR.EXE
::FEARMP.EXE
::start steam://rungameid/21090
::start steam://rungameid/21110
::start steam://rungameid/21120

:: Enable everything back.
devcon.exe enable HID\VID_046D*

Does it work?

Unfortunately, it does not work for me. Running the script gives me:

D:\>devcon_amd64.exe disable HID\VID_046D*
HID\VID_046D&PID_C062\8&A7583A8&0&0000                      : Disabled
1 device(s) disabled.

D:\>devcon_amd64.exe enable HID_DEVICE_SYSTEM_MOUSE
HID\VID_045E&PID_0745&MI_01&COL01\9&283EC78A&0&0000         : Enabled
HID\WACOMVIRTUALHID&COL03\1&4784345&0&0002                  : Enabled
HID\VID_046D&PID_C062\8&A7583A8&0&0000                      : Enabled
HID\VID_056A&PID_0016&COL01\8&15A54371&0&0000               : Enabled
4 device(s) are enabled.

We can clearly see the Logitech LS1 mouse being disabled on the first command, and then re-enabled on the second command.

My advice? Don’t buy F.E.A.R. games.