Replacing Device Console (DevCon.exe)

Article
12/28/2023

DevCon was originally and always has been a code sample intended as an example, not a tool to be relied upon. In response to its popularity, tools have been created to replace DevCon's functionality while following best practices and adding new capabilities. Please replace DevCon usage with the solutions described below.

Recommended Tools

PnPUtil

PnPUtil is an inbox tool that allows the user to view information on and change the state of devices and drivers. See PnPUtil for an in-depth usage guide.

Table of Equivalencies

PnPUtil command support varies by Windows version. For information on minimum version support for each command, see PnPUtil Command Syntax.

Devcon Command	Description	Alternative
classes	List all device setup classes.	pnputil /enum-classes
disable	Disable devices.	pnputil /disable-device
driverfiles	List installed driver files for devices.	pnputil /enum-drivers /files
drivernodes	List driver nodes of devices.	pnputil /enum-devices /drivers
enable	Enable devices.	pnputil /enable-device
find	Find devices.	pnputil /enum-devices /connected
findall	Find devices, including those that are not currently attached.	pnputil /enum-devices
hwids	List hardware IDs of devices.	pnputil /enum-devices /deviceids
install	Create test device and install driver.	devgen /add /bus ROOT pnputil /add-driver <INF name> /install
listclass	List all devices in a setup class.	pnputil /enum-devices /class <name or GUID>
reboot	Reboot the local computer.	shutdown /r /t 0
remove	Remove devices.	pnputil /remove-device
rescan	Scan for new hardware.	pnputil /scan-devices
resources	List hardware resources for devices.	pnputil /enum-devices /resources
restart	Restart devices.	pnputil /restart-device
stack	List expected driver stack for devices.	pnputil /enum-devices /stack
status	List running status of devices.	pnputil /enum-devices
update	Update a device manually.	pnputil /add-driver <INF name> /install
updateni	Manually update a device (non interactive).	pnputil /add-driver <INF name> /install
dp_add	Adds (installs) a third-party (OEM) driver package.	pnputil /add-driver <INF name>
dp_delete	Deletes a third-party (OEM) driver package.	pnputil /delete-driver
dp_enum	Lists the third-party (OEM) driver packages installed on this machine.	pnputil /enum-drivers

Unsupported Functionality

Wildcard Matching

Wildcard matching is not supported in DevCon alternatives. Many of the commands listed above can change the state of the system and should not be used without specificity. As an alternative, many PnPUtil commands offer the option to perform bulk operations on devices that exactly match a hardware or compatible ID.