USB Hotplugging callbacks with python on Windows

Question

Is it possible to write a python script such that a function is called whenever a USB device is added or removed on Windows?

libusb (and corresponding python modules such as libusb1) appears to be the most popular solution, but it lacks hotplugging callback registration support in Windows. A feature request has been open for this since 2015, and it's still not implemented.

I've seen some hacks query Windows' usb devices at some interval, do a diff of the current list of devices from the previous list of devices, and use this as an alternative. Due to the nature of my application, this hack would be a huge security risk and is not a valid solution. I need actual callback registration on usb hotplug events.

Though less ideal, I'm open to writing something in C or C++ and then writing a python binding to that code, if necessary.

Is it possible to have a python function called when a usb device is connected or disconnected on Windows?

Velites

Answer 1

Yes, you can use ctypes in python to register a callback for WM_DEVICECHANGE messages.

I was successfully able to add register callback functions to usb hotplug events in both linux (using the libusb1 python module) and windows (using the ctypes python module). The bulk of the relevant windows code can be found here:

• https://github.com/BusKill/buskill-app/blob/6c84587b25f7ef3b5300d8c0eda354b11051215e/src/buskill.py#L212-L275

Which is largely based on the code found at these links:

• http://timgolden.me.uk/python/win32_how_do_i/detect-device-insertion.html
• Detect media insertion on Windows in Python

import win32api, win32con, win32gui
from ctypes import *

#
# Device change events (WM_DEVICECHANGE wParam)
#
DBT_DEVICEARRIVAL = 0x8000
DBT_DEVICEQUERYREMOVE = 0x8001
DBT_DEVICEQUERYREMOVEFAILED = 0x8002
DBT_DEVICEMOVEPENDING = 0x8003
DBT_DEVICEREMOVECOMPLETE = 0x8004
DBT_DEVICETYPESSPECIFIC = 0x8005
DBT_CONFIGCHANGED = 0x0018

#
# type of device in DEV_BROADCAST_HDR
#
DBT_DEVTYP_OEM = 0x00000000
DBT_DEVTYP_DEVNODE = 0x00000001
DBT_DEVTYP_VOLUME = 0x00000002
DBT_DEVTYPE_PORT = 0x00000003
DBT_DEVTYPE_NET = 0x00000004

#
# media types in DBT_DEVTYP_VOLUME
#
DBTF_MEDIA = 0x0001
DBTF_NET = 0x0002

WORD = c_ushort
DWORD = c_ulong


class DEV_BROADCAST_HDR(Structure):
    _fields_ = [
        ("dbch_size", DWORD),
        ("dbch_devicetype", DWORD),
        ("dbch_reserved", DWORD)
    ]


class DEV_BROADCAST_VOLUME(Structure):
    _fields_ = [
        ("dbcv_size", DWORD),
        ("dbcv_devicetype", DWORD),
        ("dbcv_reserved", DWORD),
        ("dbcv_unitmask", DWORD),
        ("dbcv_flags", WORD)
    ]


def drive_from_mask(mask):
    n_drive = 0
    while 1:
        if (mask & (2 ** n_drive)):
            return n_drive
        else:
            n_drive += 1


class Notification:
    def __init__(self):
        message_map = {
            win32con.WM_DEVICECHANGE: self.onDeviceChange
        }

        wc = win32gui.WNDCLASS()
        hinst = wc.hInstance = win32api.GetModuleHandle(None)
        wc.lpszClassName = "DeviceChangeDemo"
        wc.style = win32con.CS_VREDRAW | win32con.CS_HREDRAW
        wc.hCursor = win32gui.LoadCursor(0, win32con.IDC_ARROW)
        wc.hbrBackground = win32con.COLOR_WINDOW
        wc.lpfnWndProc = message_map
        classAtom = win32gui.RegisterClass(wc)
        style = win32con.WS_OVERLAPPED | win32con.WS_SYSMENU
        self.hwnd = win32gui.CreateWindow(
            classAtom,
            "Device Change Demo",
            style,
            0, 0,
            win32con.CW_USEDEFAULT, win32con.CW_USEDEFAULT,
            0, 0,
            hinst, None
        )

    def onDeviceChange(self, hwnd, msg, wparam, lparam):
        #
        # WM_DEVICECHANGE:
        #  wParam - type of change: arrival, removal etc.
        #  lParam - what's changed?
        #    if it's a volume then...
        #  lParam - what's changed more exactly
        #
        dev_broadcast_hdr = DEV_BROADCAST_HDR.from_address(lparam)

        if wparam == DBT_DEVICEARRIVAL:
            print("Something's arrived")

            if dev_broadcast_hdr.dbch_devicetype == DBT_DEVTYP_VOLUME:
                print("It's a volume!")

                dev_broadcast_volume = DEV_BROADCAST_VOLUME.from_address(lparam)
                if dev_broadcast_volume.dbcv_flags & DBTF_MEDIA:
                    print("with some media")
                    drive_letter = drive_from_mask(dev_broadcast_volume.dbcv_unitmask)
                    print("in drive", chr(ord("A") + drive_letter))

        return 1


if __name__ == '__main__':
    w = Notification()
    win32gui.PumpMessages()

Velites