In today’s technologically driven world, knowing your computer’s hardware and manufacturer information is crucial for a variety of reasons. You may need it when troubleshooting, upgrading your hardware, or even when you’re looking to sell your device. While there are many third-party applications that can provide this information, the built-in Command Prompt utility in Windows, specifically the Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line (WMIC), can do the job just as efficiently. In this article, we will show you how to check your PC’s hardware, manufacturer, and model using the Command Prompt and WMIC.
Also see: How to Check RAM Type DDR3, DDR4 or DDR5 in Windows 11/10
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Accessing the Command Prompt
First, let’s open the Command Prompt. There are two main methods to access it:
- Press Win + R to open the Run dialog. Type
cmd
and press Enter. - Press Win + X to open the Power User Menu. Click on Command Prompt or Windows Terminal (depending on your Windows version).
Get all PC hardware information using WMIC
Using WMIC command lines in the Command Prompt can easily give you plenty of information about your computer’s hardware, like the processor, memory, and other parts.
Useful tip: How to Know If Windows 11 is 64-bit, 32-bit or ARM
Get motherboard information
To access information about your computer’s motherboard, type the following command and press Enter:
wmic baseboard get product,manufacturer,version,serialnumber
This command will display the product, manufacturer, version, and serial number of your computer’s motherboard. You can customize the command by removing or adding properties to get more or less information as needed.
Get processor information
To get detailed information about your processor, use the following command:
wmic cpu get name,description
This command will display the name and description of your computer’s CPU, which can be helpful when upgrading or troubleshooting performance issues.
Get RAM module sizes
To find out the sizes of your RAM modules, use the following command:
wmic memorychip get capacity
This command will display the capacity of each RAM module installed in your computer, which can be useful when determining if you need to upgrade your memory. If you need to check all other information about your RAM modules, see: How to check RAM brand, model and specs in Windows 11.
Obtain comprehensive system information
For a more detailed view of your PC’s hardware, you can use the systeminfo
command. Type the following command and press Enter:
systeminfo
This will display a comprehensive list of your computer’s hardware and system information, including OS version, processor, memory, and much more. You can also save this information to a text file for future reference by typing:
systeminfo > hardware_info.txt
This command will create a file called hardware_info.txt
in the current directory, containing all the information generated by the systeminfo
command.
Additional resources:
- How to Check DirectX Version in Windows 11
- How to Check .NET Framework Version in Windows 11
- How to See What Drivers Are Installed in Windows 11
WMIC to get PC manufacturer and model
To check the manufacturer and model of your computer, you can use the following command:
wmic computersystem get manufacturer,model
This command will display the manufacturer and model of your device, which is especially useful when you need to find drivers or firmware updates for your specific model.
Get BIOS serial number
To obtain the serial number of your computer’s BIOS, use the following command:
wmic bios get serialnumber
This command can be particularly useful when you need to contact your computer’s manufacturer for support or to check warranty status.
Check disk drives information
To view the information about your computer’s disk drives, use the following command:
wmic diskdrive get model,size,serialnumber
This command will display the model, size, and serial number of all disk drives connected to your computer. You can use this information to determine if you need to upgrade or replace a drive.
Check display information
To check the information about your computer’s display, such as the graphics card and monitor, use the following command:
wmic path win32_videocontroller get name
This command will display the name of your graphics card. To get more information about your graphics card and monitor, you can use the following command:
wmic path win32_desktopmonitor get screenheight,screenwidth
This command will display the screen height and width of your monitor in pixels.
Learn more: Check Graphics Card on Windows 11/10 (NVIDIA, AMD or Intel)
Check network adapter information
To get information about your computer’s network adapters, you can use the following command:
wmic nic get adaptertype,name,speed,macaddress
This command will display the adapter type, name, speed, and MAC address of all network adapters installed on your computer. This information can be useful when diagnosing network connectivity issues or when setting up a new router or network switch.
Check operating system information
To check the details of your computer’s operating system, use the following command:
wmic os get caption,version,serialnumber
This command will display the name, version, and serial number of your computer’s operating system. This information is useful when you need to verify if your system meets the requirements for certain software applications or when you need to provide the operating system details for technical support.
Summary
Using the Command Prompt is a straightforward way to check your PC’s hardware, manufacturer, and model without installing any third-party applications. The wmic
and systeminfo
commands provide you with detailed information about your computer’s components, making it easier to troubleshoot, upgrade, or find the right drivers for your device.
Always remember to exercise caution when using the Command Prompt. If you’re unsure about a command, consult the relevant documentation or seek help from a knowledgeable professional. Misusing the Command Prompt can lead to unintended consequences and potentially damage your system.