DeviceCleanup V0.7.1.0 - Removes non-present devices from the Windows device management
Freeware by Uwe Sieber - www.uwe-sieber.de

Works under Window 2000, XP and higher

On x64 Windows only the x64 release can delete devices.


All devices listed by DeviceCleanup are currently not present, usually they have the problem
code 45 which is CM_PROB_PHANTOM, "The devinst currently exists only in the registry".

You can select one, multiple or all devices and remove them. If the device is attached again
it will be detected as new.

The 'last used' time comes from the write time of the device's registry key
under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum

On some Windows the times are set on startup or even while it is running every few hours,
so all devices seem to have the same age. On a Windows 7 the Sysinternal ProcessMonitor
shows a recurring RegSetKeySecurity caused by a svchost.exe hosting the PlugPlay service
every 11 hours 45 minutes. No idea what is causing it. I you want to check yourself:
Set a filter "operation is RegSetKeySecurity" and set the option "Filter -> Drop filtered
events", otherwise your pagefile (or other backing file) gets flooded in no time.

On most Windows the time is set when the device gets active, so it makes sense to use this as
'last used' time.

Non-PnP devices and 'soft' devices are not listed because they are not automatically reinstalled.
These are devices whose ID begins with
- HTREE\ROOT\
- ROOT\
- SW\{

If you want to delete them, use the Windows Device Manager.
                                                           
For removing devices admin privileges are required, otherwise you get an access denied error.

Since regular device management functions are used, any removed device's CoInstallers are called
as planned, so you might loose for instance custom Explorer icons for card reader volumes. Just
have the card reader attached while executing DriveCleanup to prevent this.



A command line version is available too:
http://www.uwe-sieber.de/misc_tools_e.html#devicecleanupcmd



Licence: Freeware

Allowed:
- usage in any environment, including commercial
- include in software products, including commercial
- include on CD/DVD of computer magazines
- making available for download by means of package managers

Not allowed:
- modify any of the files
- offer for download by means of a "downloader" software



Uwe Sieber, mail@uwe-sieber.de
June 2017