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WinUSB (Winusb.sys) Installation

For certain Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices, such as devices that are accessed by only a single application, you can install WinUSB (Winusb.sys) in the device's kernel-mode stack as the USB device's function driver instead of implementing a driver. You can also install WinUSB as the function driver or for a particular function in a USB composite device. WinUSB enables applications to communicate with the device by using WinUSB functions that are exposed by winusb.dll, the WinUSB user-mode dynamic link library.

This topic contains these sections:

About WinUSB (Winusb.sys) installation files
Writing a custom INF for WinUSB installation
How to install Winusb.sys as the device's function driver
How to automatically install WinUSB without writing a custom INF

About WinUSB (Winusb.sys) installation files

To use WinUSB as the device's function driver, you create a driver package. The driver package must contain these files:

WinUSB co-installer (Winusbcoinstaller.dll)
KMDF co-installer (WdfcoinstallerXXX.dll)
An .inf file that installs Winusb.sys as the device's function driver. For more information, see Writing an .Inf File for WinUSB Installation.
A signed catalog file for the package. This file is required to install WinUSB on x64 versions of Windows Vista.

For complete instructions about how to install Winusb.sys as the function driver, see How to Install Winusb.sys as the Device's Function Driver.

Note Make sure that the driver package contents meet these requirements:

The KMDF and WinUSB co-installer files must be obtained from the same version of the Windows Driver Kit (WDK).
The co-installer files must be obtained from the latest version of the WDK, so that the driver supports all the latest Windows releases.
The contents of the driver package must be digitally signed with a Winqual release signature. For more info about how to create and test signed catalog files, see Kernel-Mode Code Signing Walkthrough on the Windows Hardware Developer Center website.

Writing a custom INF for WinUSB installation

As part of the driver package, you provide an .inf file that installs Winusb.sys as the function driver for the USB device.

For complete instructions about how to install Winusb.sys as the function driver, see How to Install Winusb.sys as the Device's Function Driver.

The following example .inf file shows WinUSB installation for most USB devices with some modifications, such as changing USB_Install in section names to an appropriate DDInstall value. You should also change the version, manufacturer, and model sections as necessary. For example, provide an appropriate manufacture's name, the name of your signed catalog file, the correct device class, and the vendor identifier (VID) and product identifier (PID) for the device.

Also notice that the setup class is set to "USBDevice". Vendors can use the "USBDevice" setup class for devices that do not belong to another class and are not USB host controllers or hubs.

If you are installing WinUSB as the function driver for one of the functions in a USB composite device, you must provide the hardware ID that is associated with the function, in the INF. You can obtain the hardware ID for the function from the properties of the devnode in Device Manager. The hardware ID string format is "USB\VID_vvvv&PID_pppp".

The following INF installs WinUSB as the OSR USB FX2 board's function driver on a x64-based system.


;
;
; Installs WinUsb
;

[Version]
Signature = "$Windows NT$"
Class     = USBDevice
ClassGUID = {88BAE032-5A81-49f0-BC3D-A4FF138216D6}
Provider  = %ManufacturerName%
CatalogFile = WinUSBInstallation.cat
DriverVer=09/04/2012,13.54.20.543

; ========== Manufacturer/Models sections ===========

[Manufacturer]
%ManufacturerName% = Standard,NTamd64

[Standard.NTamd64]
%DeviceName% =USB_Install, USB\VID_0547&PID_1002

; ========== Class definition ===========

[ClassInstall32]
AddReg = ClassInstall_AddReg

[ClassInstall_AddReg]
HKR,,,,%ClassName%
HKR,,NoInstallClass,,1
HKR,,IconPath,%REG_MULTI_SZ%,"%systemroot%\system32\setupapi.dll,-20"
HKR,,LowerLogoVersion,,5.2

; =================== Installation ===================

[USB_Install]
Include = winusb.inf
Needs   = WINUSB.NT

[USB_Install.Services]
Include =winusb.inf
Needs   = WINUSB.NT.Services

[USB_Install.HW]
AddReg=Dev_AddReg

[Dev_AddReg]
HKR,,DeviceInterfaceGUIDs,0x10000,"{9f543223-cede-4fa3-b376-a25ce9a30e74}"

; [DestinationDirs]
; If your INF needs to copy files, you must not use the DefaultDestDir directive here.  
; You must explicitly reference all file-list-section names in this section.

; =================== Strings ===================

[Strings]
ManufacturerName=""
ClassName="Universal Serial Bus devices"
DeviceName="Fx2 Learning Kit Device"
REG_MULTI_SZ = 0x00010000

Except for device-specific values and several issues that are noted in the following list, you can use these sections and directives to install WinUSB for any USB device. These list items describe the Includes and Directives in the preceding .inf file.

USB_Install: The Include and Needs directives in the USB_Install section are required for installing WinUSB. You should not modify these directives.
USB_Install.Services: The Include directive in the USB_Install.Services section includes the system-supplied .inf for WinUSB (WinUSB.inf). This .inf file is installed by the WinUSB co-installer if it isn't already on the target system. The Needs directive specifies the section within WinUSB.inf that contains information required to install Winusb.sys as the device's function driver. You should not modify these directives.
Note Because Windows XP doesn't provide WinUSB.inf, the file must either be copied to Windows XP systems by the co-installer, or you should provide a separate decorated section for Windows XP.
USB_Install.HW: This section is the key in the .inf file. It specifies the device interface globally unique identifier (GUID) for your device. The AddReg directive sets the specified interface GUID in a standard registry value. When Winusb.sys is loaded as the device's function driver, it reads the registry value DeviceInterfaceGUIDs key and uses the specified GUID to represent the device interface. You should replace the GUID in this example with one that you create specifically for your device. If the protocols for the device change, create a new device interface GUID.
Note User-mode software must call SetupDiGetClassDevs to enumerate the registered device interfaces that are associated with one of the device interface classes specified under the DeviceInterfaceGUIDs key. SetupDiGetClassDevs returns the device handle for the device that the user-mode software must then pass to the WinUsb_Initialize routine to obtain a WinUSB handle for the device interface. For more info about these routines, see How to Access a USB Device by Using WinUSB Functions.

The following INF installs WinUSB as the OSR USB FX2 board's function driver on a x64-based system. The example shows INF with WDF coinstallers.


;
;
; Installs WinUsb
;

[Version]
Signature = "$Windows NT$"
Class     = USBDevice
ClassGUID = {88BAE032-5A81-49f0-BC3D-A4FF138216D6}
Provider  = %ManufacturerName%
CatalogFile = WinUSBInstallation.cat
DriverVer=09/04/2012,13.54.20.543

; ========== Manufacturer/Models sections ===========

[Manufacturer]
%ManufacturerName% = Standard,NTamd64

[Standard.NTamd64]
%DeviceName% =USB_Install, USB\VID_0547&PID_1002

; ========== Class definition ===========

[ClassInstall32]
AddReg = ClassInstall_AddReg

[ClassInstall_AddReg]
HKR,,,,%ClassName%
HKR,,NoInstallClass,,1
HKR,,IconPath,%REG_MULTI_SZ%,"%systemroot%\system32\setupapi.dll,-20"
HKR,,LowerLogoVersion,,5.2

; =================== Installation ===================

[USB_Install]
Include = winusb.inf
Needs   = WINUSB.NT

[USB_Install.Services]
Include =winusb.inf
Needs   = WINUSB.NT.Services

[USB_Install.HW]
AddReg=Dev_AddReg

[Dev_AddReg]
HKR,,DeviceInterfaceGUIDs,0x10000,"{9f543223-cede-4fa3-b376-a25ce9a30e74}"

[USB_Install.CoInstallers]
AddReg=CoInstallers_AddReg
CopyFiles=CoInstallers_CopyFiles

[CoInstallers_AddReg]
HKR,,CoInstallers32,0x00010000,"WdfCoInstaller01011.dll,WdfCoInstaller","WinUsbCoInstaller2.dll"

[CoInstallers_CopyFiles]
WinUsbCoInstaller2.dll
WdfCoInstaller01011.dll

[DestinationDirs]
; If your INF needs to copy files, you must not use the DefaultDestDir directive here.  
CoInstallers_CopyFiles=11
; ================= Source Media Section =====================

[SourceDisksNames]
1 = %DiskName%

[SourceDisksFiles]
WinUsbCoInstaller2.dll=1
WdfCoInstaller01011.dll=1


; =================== Strings ===================

[Strings]
ManufacturerName=""
ClassName="Universal Serial Bus devices"
DeviceName="Fx2 Learning Kit Device"
REG_MULTI_SZ = 0x00010000

USB_Install.CoInstallers: This section, which includes the referenced AddReg and CopyFiles sections, contains data and instructions to install the WinUSB and KMDF co-installers and associate them with the device. Most USB devices can use these sections and directives without modification.
The x86-based and x64-based versions of Windows have separate co-installers.
Note Each co-installer has free and checked versions. Use the free version to install WinUSB on free builds of Windows, including all retail versions. Use the checked version (with the "_chk" suffix) to install WinUSB on checked builds of Windows.

Each time Winusb.sys loads, it registers a device interface that has the device interface classes that are specified in the registry under the DeviceInterfaceGUIDs key.

HKR,,DeviceInterfaceGUIDs, 0x10000,"{D696BFEB-1734-417d-8A04-86D01071C512}"

Note If you use the redistributable WinUSB package for Windows XP or Windows Server 2003, make sure that you don't uninstall WinUSB in your uninstall packages. Other USB devices might be using WinUSB, so its binaries must remain in the shared folder.

How to install Winusb.sys as the device's function driver

Install the Windows Driver Kit.
Create a driver package folder on the machine that the USB device is connected to. For example, c:\UsbDevice.
Copy the WinUSB co-installer (WinusbcoinstallerX.dll) from the WinDDK\BuildNumber\redist\winusb folder to the driver package folder.

The WinUSB co-installer (Winusbcoinstaller.dll) installs WinUSB on the target system, if necessary. The WDK includes three versions of the co-installer depending on the system architecture: x86-based, x64-based, and Itanium-based systems. They are all named WinusbcoinstallerX.dll and are located in the appropriate subdirectory in the WinDDK\BuildNumber\redist\winusb folder.

Copy the KMDF co-installer (WdfcoinstallerXXX.dll) from the WinDDK\BuildNumber\redist\wdf folder to the driver package folder.

The KMDF co-installer (WdfcoinstallerXXX.dll) installs the correct version of KMDF on the target system, if necessary. The version of WinUSB co-installer must match the KMDF co-installer because KMDF-based client drivers, such as Winusb.sys, require the corresponding version of the KMDF framework to be installed properly on the system. For example, Winusbcoinstaller2.dll requires KMDF version 1.9, which is installed by Wdfcoinstaller01009.dll. The x86 and x64 versions of WdfcoinstallerXXX.dll are included with the WDK under the WinDDK\BuildNumber\redist\wdf folder. The following table shows the WinUSB co-installer and the associated KMDF co-installer to use on the target system.

Use this table to determine the WinUSB co-installer and the associated KMDF co-installer.

WinUSB co-installer	KMDF library version	KMDF co-installer
Winusbcoinstaller.dll	Requires KMDF version 1.5 or later	Wdfcoinstaller01005.dll Wdfcoinstaller01007.dll Wdfcoinstaller01009.dll
Winusbcoinstaller2.dll	Requires KMDF version 1.9 or later	Wdfcoinstaller01009.dll
Winusbcoinstaller2.dll	Requires KMDF version 1.11 or later	WdfCoInstaller01011.dll

WinUSB co-installer

KMDF library version

KMDF co-installer

Winusbcoinstaller.dll

Requires KMDF version 1.5 or later

Wdfcoinstaller01005.dll

Wdfcoinstaller01007.dll

Wdfcoinstaller01009.dll

Winusbcoinstaller2.dll

Requires KMDF version 1.9 or later

Wdfcoinstaller01009.dll

Winusbcoinstaller2.dll

Requires KMDF version 1.11 or later

WdfCoInstaller01011.dll

Write an .inf file that installs Winusb.sys as the function driver for the USB device.
Create a signed catalog file for the package. This file is required to install WinUSB on x64 versions of Windows.
Attach the USB device to your computer.
Open Device Manager to install the driver. Follow the instructions on the Update Driver Software wizard and choose manual installation. You will need to provide the location of the driver package folder to complete the installation.

How to automatically install WinUSB without writing a custom INF

As an OEM or independent hardware vendor (IHV), you can build your device so that the Winusb.sys gets installed automatically on Windows 8 and earlier versions of the operating system. Such a device is called a WinUSB device and does not require you to write a custom INF file that references in-box Winusb.inf. For more information, see WinUSB Device.

WinUSB (Winusb.sys) Installation

About WinUSB (Winusb.sys) installation files

Writing a custom INF for WinUSB installation

How to install Winusb.sys as the device's function driver

How to automatically install WinUSB without writing a custom INF

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