Description of Microsoft System Information (Msinfo32.exe) Tool

Summary

Windows includes a tool called Microsoft System Information (Msinfo32.exe). This tool gathers information about your computer and displays a comprehensive view of your hardware, system components, and software environment, which you can use to diagnose computer issues.

If you run MSINFO32 without Administrator privileges, it may show some drivers as stopped when they are not. This is because the cache for this information requires Administrator privileges to update. To avoid this issue, make sure to run MSINFO32 with Administrator privileges.

MSINFO32 is not able to provide hardware information when run in Safe Mode. While Microsoft System Information can be run in Safe Mode, it is limited to displaying information about system components and the software environment.

More Information

How to start MSINFO32

Expand your version of Windows below for instructions to run MSINFO32:

Type msinfo32 in the Search box.

Right-click System Information in the search results and select Run as administrator.

While on the Start screen, type msinfo32. (Alternatively, swipe in from the right edge of the screen and select Search. If you are using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, and then select Search. Then type msinfo32 in the Search box.)

Right-click (or tap and hold) the search results and select Run as administrator.

Click Start. Type msinfo32 in the Search box.

Right-click msinfo32.exe in the search results, and then click Run as administrator.

How to run MSINFO32 using the Command Prompt

You can also run MSINFO32 from an elevated command prompt. To open the command prompt, type cmd in the Search box. Then right-click Command Prompt in the search results and select Run as administrator.

You can perform the following tasks using the MSINFO32 command-line tool switches:

Create .nfo or .txt files that contain your system information.

Start System Information connected to a remote computer.

Use the following syntax in the command prompt to run the MSINFO32 command on computers that are running Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10:

Msinfo32 [ /nfo Path] [ /report Path] [ /computer ComputerName]

Parameters Path
Specifies the file to be opened in the format C:\ folder1\ file1. xxx where C is the drive letter, folder1 is the folder, file1 is the file and xxx is the file name extension.

ComputerName
This can be a Universal Naming Convention name, an IP address, or a Fully Qualified Domain Name.

/nfo
Saves the exported file as an .nfo file. If the file name that is specified in Path does not end in .nfo, an .nfo file name extension will be appended to the file name.

/report
Saves the file that is specified in Path in the .txt format. The file name will be saved exactly as it appears in path. The .txt file name extension will not be appended to the file unless it is specified in Path.

/computer
Starts System Information for the specified remote computer.

Note: When you connect to a remote computer, you must have appropriate permissions to access WMI on the remote computer.

Examples To view your System Information, type:

Computer System Hardware Classes

The Computer System Hardware category groups classes together that represent hardware related objects. Examples include input devices, hard disks, expansion cards, video devices, networking devices, and system power.

Cooling Device Classes

The Cooling Devices subcategory groups classes that represent instrumentable fans, temperature probes, and refrigeration devices.

Class	Description
Win32_Fan	Represents the properties of a fan device in the computer system.
Win32_HeatPipe	Represents the properties of a heat pipe cooling device.
Win32_Refrigeration	Represents the properties of a refrigeration device.
Win32_TemperatureProbe	Represents the properties of a temperature sensor (electronic thermometer).

Input Device Classes

The Input Devices subcategory groups classes that represent keyboards and pointing devices.

Class	Description
Win32_Keyboard	Represents a keyboard installed on a computer system running Windows.
Win32_PointingDevice	Represents an input device used to point to and select regions on the display of a computer system running Windows.

Mass Storage Classes

Classes in the Mass Storage subcategory represent storage devices such as hard disk drives, CD-ROM drives, and tape drives.

Class	Description
Win32_AutochkSetting	Represents the settings for the autocheck operation of a disk.
Win32_CDROMDrive	Represents a CD-ROM drive on a computer system running Windows.
Win32_DiskDrive	Represents a physical disk drive as seen by a computer running the Windows operating system.
Win32_FloppyDrive	Manages the capabilities of a floppy disk drive.
Win32_PhysicalMedia	Represents any type of documentation or storage medium.
Win32_TapeDrive	Represents a tape drive on a computer system running Windows.

Motherboard, Controller, and Port Classes

The Motherboard, Controllers, and Ports subcategory groups classes that represent system devices. Examples include system memory, cache memory, and controllers.

Class	Description
Win32_1394Controller	Represents the capabilities and management of a 1394 controller.
Win32_1394ControllerDevice	Relates the high-speed serial bus (IEEE 1394 Firewire) Controller and the CIM_LogicalDevice instance connected to it.
Win32_AllocatedResource	Relates a logical device to a system resource.
Win32_AssociatedProcessorMemory	Relates a processor and its cache memory.
Win32_BaseBoard	Represents a baseboard (also known as a motherboard or system board).
Win32_BIOS	Represents the attributes of the computer system’s basic input or output services (BIOS) that are installed on the computer.
Win32_Bus	Represents a physical bus as seen by a Windows operating system.
Win32_CacheMemory	Represents cache memory (internal and external) on a computer system.
Win32_ControllerHasHub	Represents the hubs downstream from the universal serial bus (USB) controller.
Win32_DeviceBus	Relates a system bus and a logical device using the bus.
Win32_DeviceMemoryAddress	Represents a device memory address on a Windows system.
Win32_DeviceSettings	Relates a logical device and a setting that can be applied to it.
Win32_DMAChannel	Represents a direct memory access (DMA) channel on a computer system running Windows.
Win32_FloppyController	Represents the capabilities and management capacity of a floppy disk drive controller.
Win32_IDEController	Represents the capabilities of an Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) controller device.
Win32_IDEControllerDevice	Association class that relates an IDE controller and the logical device.
Win32_InfraredDevice	Represents the capabilities and management of an infrared device.
Win32_IRQResource	Represents an interrupt request line (IRQ) number on a Windows computer system.
Win32_MemoryArray	Represents the properties of the computer system memory array and mapped addresses.
Win32_MemoryArrayLocation	Relates a logical memory array and the physical memory array upon which it exists.
Win32_MemoryDevice	Represents the properties of a computer system’s memory device along with its associated mapped addresses.
Win32_MemoryDeviceArray	Relates a memory device and the memory array in which it resides.
Win32_MemoryDeviceLocation	Association class that relates a memory device and the physical memory on which it exists.
Win32_MotherboardDevice	Represents a device that contains the central components of the computer system running Windows.
Win32_OnBoardDevice	Represents common adapter devices built into the motherboard (system board).
Win32_ParallelPort	Represents the properties of a parallel port on a computer system running Windows.
Win32_PCMCIAController	Manages the capabilities of a Personal Computer Memory Card Interface Adapter (PCMCIA) controller device.
Win32_PhysicalMemory	Represents a physical memory device located on a computer as available to the operating system.
Win32_PhysicalMemoryArray	Represents details about the computer system’s physical memory.
Win32_PhysicalMemoryLocation	Relates an array of physical memory and its physical memory.
Win32_PNPAllocatedResource	Represents an association between logical devices and system resources.
Win32_PNPDevice	Relates a device (known to Configuration Manager as a PNPEntity), and the function it performs.
Win32_PNPEntity	Represents the properties of a Plug and Play device.
Win32_PortConnector	Represents physical connection ports, such as DB-25 pin male, Centronics, and PS/2.
Win32_PortResource	Represents an I/O port on a computer system running Windows.
Win32_Processor	Represents a device capable of interpreting a sequence of machine instructions on a computer system running Windows.
Win32_SCSIController	Represents a small computer system interface (SCSI) controller on a computer system running Windows.
Win32_SCSIControllerDevice	Relates a SCSI controller and the logical device (disk drive) connected to it.
Win32_SerialPort	Represents a serial port on a computer system running Windows.
Win32_SerialPortConfiguration	Represents the settings for data transmission on a Windows serial port.
Win32_SerialPortSetting	Relates a serial port and its configuration settings.
Win32_SMBIOSMemory	Represents the capabilities and management of memory-related logical devices.
Win32_SoundDevice	Represents the properties of a sound device on a computer system running Windows.
Win32_SystemBIOS	Relates a computer system (including data such as startup properties, time zones, boot configurations, or administrative passwords) and a system BIOS (services, languages, and system management properties).
Win32_SystemDriverPNPEntity	Relates a Plug and Play device on the Windows computer system and the driver that supports the Plug and Play device.
Win32_SystemEnclosure	Represents the properties associated with a physical system enclosure.
Win32_SystemMemoryResource	Represents a system memory resource on a Windows system.
Win32_SystemSlot	Represents physical connection points including ports, motherboard slots and peripherals, and proprietary connections points.
Win32_USBController	Manages the capabilities of a universal serial bus (USB) controller.
Win32_USBControllerDevice	Relates a USB controller and the CIM_LogicalDevice instances connected to it.
Win32_USBHub	Represents the management characteristics of a USB hub.

Networking Device Classes

The Networking Devices subcategory groups classes that represent the network interface controller, its configurations, and its settings.

Class	Description
Win32_NetworkAdapter	Represents a network adapter on a computer system running Windows.
Win32_NetworkAdapterConfiguration	Represents the attributes and behaviors of a network adapter. The class is not guaranteed to be supported after the ratification of the Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF) CIM network specification.
Win32_NetworkAdapterSetting	Relates a network adapter and its configuration settings.

Power Classes

The Power subcategory groups classes that represent power supplies, batteries, and events related to these devices.

Class	Description
Win32_Battery	Represents a battery connected to the computer system.
Win32_CurrentProbe	Represents the properties of a current monitoring sensor (ammeter).
Win32_PortableBattery	Represents the properties of a portable battery, such as one used for a notebook computer.
Win32_PowerManagementEvent	Represents power management events resulting from power state changes.
Win32_VoltageProbe	Represents the properties of a voltage sensor (electronic voltmeter).

Printing Classes

The Printing subcategory groups classes that represent printers, printer configurations, and print jobs.

Class	Description
Win32_DriverForDevice	Relates a printer to a printer driver.
Win32_Printer	Represents a device connected to a computer system running Windows that is capable of reproducing a visual image on a medium.
Win32_PrinterConfiguration	Defines the configuration for a printer device.
Win32_PrinterController	Relates a printer and the local device to which the printer is connected.
Win32_PrinterDriver	Represents the drivers for a Win32_Printer instance.
Win32_PrinterDriverDll	Relates a local printer and its driver file (not the driver itself).
Win32_PrinterSetting	Relates a printer and its configuration settings.
Win32_PrintJob	Represents a print job generated by a Windows-based application.
Win32_TCPIPPrinterPort	Represents a TCP/IP service access point.

Telephony Classes

The Telephony subcategory groups classes that represent «plain old telephone» modem devices and their associated serial connections.

Class	Description
Win32_POTSModem	Represents the services and characteristics of a Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) modem on a computer system running Windows.
Win32_POTSModemToSerialPort	Relates a modem and the serial port the modem uses.

Video and Monitor Classes

The Video and Monitors subcategory groups classes that represent monitors, video cards, and their associated settings.