title: ADB fails to recognize devices, but Windows does. Possible causes?
body: <p>Yes, another "adb devices return nothing". Seems I've found another problem case.</p>
  
  <p>In my case, I'm running with prototype hardware, not commercial. That's no problem at the driver level, Windows picks up the provided driver. Device Manager shows the associated ADB device, with the correct vendor ID, product ID and serial number. Driver Provider is Google, Inc, version 1.0.9.0. So, that part is OK. (XP SP3, 32 bits btw)</p>
  
  <p>However, even though Windows recognizes the device and its ADB interface, it's not listed under <code>adb devices</code>. <sub>Diagnostic output at end of post.</sub></p>
  
  <p>Apparently, adb-server may need the vendor ID in <code>.android/ADB_USB.INI</code>, so I've killed it, added one line with the relevant vendor ID, in hex (i.e. <code>0xFFFF</code> format) and restarted adb-server. The file says that this should be done via <code>android update adb</code>, but that doesn't work Since adb fails to detect the device, that's no surprise. But it seems a chicken-and-egg design failure in ADB: how do you add the vendor ID of a device you fail to detect?</p>
  
  <p>Anyway, I can't get to my device this way. How do I tell adb-server to stop being deaf and just believe the OS list of compatible devices?</p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p>Diagnostic output of adb devices: </p>
  
  <pre><code>adb_query: host:devices
  _adb_connect: host:version
  socket_loopback_client: port 5037 type tcp =&gt; fd 100
  writex: 100 0x22dcd7 4: 30303063  000c
  writex: 100 ok
  writex: 100 0x41d41d 12: 686f73743a76657273696f6e  host:version
  writex: 100 ok
  readx: 100 0x22dc57 4
  readx: 100 ok: 4f4b4159  OKAY
  readx: 100 0x22dd14 4
  readx: 100 ok: 30303034  0004
  readx: 100 0x22dd14 4
  readx: 100 ok: 30303161  001a
  adb_close: 100(lo-client:5037)
  _adb_connect: host:devices
  socket_loopback_client: port 5037 type tcp =&gt; fd 101
  writex: 101 0x22dcd7 4: 30303063  000c
  writex: 101 ok
  writex: 101 0x22ee11 12: 686f73743a64657669636573  host:devices
  writex: 101 ok
  readx: 101 0x22dc57 4
  readx: 101 ok: 4f4b4159  OKAY
  readx: 101 0x22ddb7 4
  readx: 101 ok: 30303030  0000
  readx: 101 0x4c3f80 0
  readx: 101 ok:
  adb_close: 101(lo-client:5037)
  List of devices attached
  </code></pre>