Get correct Android device serial number from Windows and WPD

Question

Get correct Android device serial number from Windows and WPD

Guillaume Doucet 25

Hi,

I have two Android devices connected via USB to my computer and I am trying to get their individual serial numbers.

I am using the Windows Portable Device API and I am using the WPD_DEVICE_SERIAL_NUMBER property to query the serial numbers. The returned values match the ones I get from the device properties panel (Right clicking on the devices in Windows Explorer \ This PC) but they do not match the actual devices serial numbers.

The values seem to be a CLSID but I cannot find a way to either query the actual device serial number directly or convert the CLSID value to the real one. Is this possible?

Thank you

Guillaume D.

Castorix31 90,521 Reputation points

2023-03-02T19:59:16.0533333+00:00

It is not a CLSID if I plug my Android phone, it is the same number I get from the phone :
Guillaume Doucet 25 Reputation points

2023-03-03T13:35:46.9066667+00:00

That is absolutely weird. If I plug both my Samsung phone or Meta Quest 2 I get a serial number value that looks like a CLSID. But when I check on the devices (both software and hardware), or when I use the Meta Developer Hub, I get the correct values:

If I try to the the serial number values from the WPD interface (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/wpd_sdk/device-properties) I get the same CLSID value as the one in the Properties window.

If I use the Android Debug Bridge, I get the correct serial numbers.

To be honest I don't care which value I get back, all I want is that the two values match so I can properly identify devices.
Guillaume Doucet 25 Reputation points

2023-03-03T13:40:17.6266667+00:00

Deleted duplicated message.
Castorix31 90,521 Reputation points

2023-03-03T16:31:29.7833333+00:00

I have also the Serial Number in Device Manager

If you get the right one there, you could use SetupDi APIs :
Guillaume Doucet 25 Reputation points

2023-03-03T17:03:40.5633333+00:00

Looking into it I do not have the correct serial number in the Device Instance Path, but I do have it in the Parent property.

I've been trying to get the CM_Get_Parent (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/cfgmgr32/nf-cfgmgr32-cm_get_parent) function working but I'm not a C++ dev and I'm not super familiar with this API.

Is the PnP Device ID (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/install/device-instance-ids) in the call to CM_Locate_DevNodeW different than the one returned from the IPortableDevice->GetPnPDeviceID (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/portabledeviceapi/nf-portabledeviceapi-iportabledevice-getpnpdeviceid). I'm very confused about the documentation and when I try to use the PnP device ID I get from the WPD API it doesn't work (CR_INVALID_DEVICE_ID), so I'm guessing it's not the correct one but I have no clue how to get it working now.
Guillaume Doucet 25 Reputation points

2023-03-03T18:37:24.4233333+00:00

I did a bit of digging around and found that the newer versions of Android restrict access to device identifying parameters such as IMEI and serial numbers ( https://developer.android.com/reference/android/os/Build#getSerial() ). I've tested it on older devices and can get the correct serial number from the device properties window.

Is the WPD API from Windows limited by these restrictions?? I cannot, for the life of me, find any documentation on this.
Castorix31 90,521 Reputation points

2023-03-03T20:43:11.96+00:00

Device Instance ID/Path and PnP Device ID can be compared

If I do a loop, I get Device Interface Path = PnP Device ID,

of the form :

\?\usb#vid_0e79&pid_52c2#908165c02an9577#{6ac27878-a6fa-4155-ba85-f98f491d4f33}
Guillaume Doucet 25 Reputation points

2023-03-06T14:58:18.5+00:00

I think I've figured out how to get this working but I'm still very much confused.

Getting the device pnp ID from the windows portable devices API returns the same format you mentioned:
\\?\\usb#vid_2833&pid_0183&mi_00#7&1591db28&1&0000#{6ac27878-a6fa-4155-ba85-f98f491d4f33}
But this isn't the proper format for the CM_Locate_DevNodeW call. Instead it uses
USB\\VID_2833&PID_0183&MI_00\\7&1591DB28&1&0000 which contains the same information but with a slightly different format.

I can now get the device Parent with CM_Get _Parent then get the Parent device ID which contains the serial number. But I still don't understand the value returned from the IPortableDeviceProperties SerialNumber.

Also, do you know of any way to convert the first device pnp id to the correct format for CM Locate DevNodeW? I can manually do it with regex and toupper() but I was wondering if there's an easier way.
Castorix31 90,521 Reputation points

2023-03-06T15:56:16.22+00:00

One is the Device Path, the other is the Device ID

I can post a C++ test I did, but you probably will have to adapt it, as in my case I get "USB 2.0 Hub Driver" for the parent.
Guillaume Doucet 25 Reputation points

2023-03-07T13:08:38.44+00:00

I really appreciate the help but I don't think you need to post your test, I think I have it figured out. At least the "how" part. The "why" is still a mystery.

I tried the same code with an older android device and the serial number listed in the device properties and in the device instance path were correct. Only my two recent android devices show a different value and require getting the device parent to obtain the proper serial number. Could not find anything explaining this difference online.

1 answer

Your answer

Castorix31 90,521 Reputation points

2023-03-02T19:59:16.0533333+00:00

It is not a CLSID if I plug my Android phone, it is the same number I get from the phone :
Guillaume Doucet 25 Reputation points

2023-03-03T13:35:46.9066667+00:00

That is absolutely weird. If I plug both my Samsung phone or Meta Quest 2 I get a serial number value that looks like a CLSID. But when I check on the devices (both software and hardware), or when I use the Meta Developer Hub, I get the correct values:

If I try to the the serial number values from the WPD interface (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/wpd_sdk/device-properties) I get the same CLSID value as the one in the Properties window.

If I use the Android Debug Bridge, I get the correct serial numbers.

To be honest I don't care which value I get back, all I want is that the two values match so I can properly identify devices.
Guillaume Doucet 25 Reputation points

2023-03-03T13:40:17.6266667+00:00

Deleted duplicated message.
Castorix31 90,521 Reputation points

2023-03-03T16:31:29.7833333+00:00

I have also the Serial Number in Device Manager

If you get the right one there, you could use SetupDi APIs :
Guillaume Doucet 25 Reputation points

2023-03-03T17:03:40.5633333+00:00

Looking into it I do not have the correct serial number in the Device Instance Path, but I do have it in the Parent property.

I've been trying to get the CM_Get_Parent (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/cfgmgr32/nf-cfgmgr32-cm_get_parent) function working but I'm not a C++ dev and I'm not super familiar with this API.

Is the PnP Device ID (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/install/device-instance-ids) in the call to CM_Locate_DevNodeW different than the one returned from the IPortableDevice->GetPnPDeviceID (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/portabledeviceapi/nf-portabledeviceapi-iportabledevice-getpnpdeviceid). I'm very confused about the documentation and when I try to use the PnP device ID I get from the WPD API it doesn't work (CR_INVALID_DEVICE_ID), so I'm guessing it's not the correct one but I have no clue how to get it working now.
Guillaume Doucet 25 Reputation points

2023-03-03T18:37:24.4233333+00:00

I did a bit of digging around and found that the newer versions of Android restrict access to device identifying parameters such as IMEI and serial numbers ( https://developer.android.com/reference/android/os/Build#getSerial() ). I've tested it on older devices and can get the correct serial number from the device properties window.

Is the WPD API from Windows limited by these restrictions?? I cannot, for the life of me, find any documentation on this.
Castorix31 90,521 Reputation points

2023-03-03T20:43:11.96+00:00

Device Instance ID/Path and PnP Device ID can be compared

If I do a loop, I get Device Interface Path = PnP Device ID,

of the form :

\?\usb#vid_0e79&pid_52c2#908165c02an9577#{6ac27878-a6fa-4155-ba85-f98f491d4f33}
Guillaume Doucet 25 Reputation points

2023-03-06T14:58:18.5+00:00

I think I've figured out how to get this working but I'm still very much confused.

Getting the device pnp ID from the windows portable devices API returns the same format you mentioned:
\\?\\usb#vid_2833&pid_0183&mi_00#7&1591db28&1&0000#{6ac27878-a6fa-4155-ba85-f98f491d4f33}
But this isn't the proper format for the CM_Locate_DevNodeW call. Instead it uses
USB\\VID_2833&PID_0183&MI_00\\7&1591DB28&1&0000 which contains the same information but with a slightly different format.

I can now get the device Parent with CM_Get _Parent then get the Parent device ID which contains the serial number. But I still don't understand the value returned from the IPortableDeviceProperties SerialNumber.

Also, do you know of any way to convert the first device pnp id to the correct format for CM Locate DevNodeW? I can manually do it with regex and toupper() but I was wondering if there's an easier way.
Castorix31 90,521 Reputation points

2023-03-06T15:56:16.22+00:00

One is the Device Path, the other is the Device ID

I can post a C++ test I did, but you probably will have to adapt it, as in my case I get "USB 2.0 Hub Driver" for the parent.
Guillaume Doucet 25 Reputation points

2023-03-07T13:08:38.44+00:00

I really appreciate the help but I don't think you need to post your test, I think I have it figured out. At least the "how" part. The "why" is still a mystery.

I tried the same code with an older android device and the serial number listed in the device properties and in the device instance path were correct. Only my two recent android devices show a different value and require getting the device parent to obtain the proper serial number. Could not find anything explaining this difference online.

Answer 1

Limitless Technology 44,746

Hi. Thank you for your question and reaching out. I’d be more than happy to help you with your query.

You can actually see it in the device manager. Click the start Windows > Device Manager > Portable Devices > Android device > Properties button. Another Windows will open and you will have to switch from Details tab from Properties Windows and then select "Device Instance Path" by dropping the "Property". Then you will see your seral number there.

If the reply was helpful, please don’t forget to upvote or accept as answer, thank you.

Guillaume Doucet 25 Reputation points

2023-03-03T18:40:00.14+00:00

As stated in the other comment thread, the value I get from Device Instance Path doesn't contain the serial number. Only the "Parent" property does.

I have code written to handle all operations on the portable devices using the WPD API but I can't figure out how to get the parent device information from it, nor how to link the device properties values with the CM_Get_Parent method. Please refer to the other thread for more details.

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Get correct Android device serial number from Windows and WPD

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