Hardware Info

Don Bradbury takes beginners through HWINFO.EXE for system reporting

If you use Windows 9.x or ME, and you find you could do with a report of what's on your system and the way it's listed in Windows' Registry, Microsoft's hwinfo.exe is the utility to run.

Just click on [Start], select <Run>, and enter hwinfo /ui. If you omit the /ui part you only get the file written to disk. That's useful as a reminder, but if you want to browse the contents now, then add the /ui to view the report on screen.

Hwinfo, short for Hardware Information, takes but a few seconds to scan your entire system registry and put on the screen such items of detail as your Windows version, product ID, registered name and so on. Well, that might not appear fascinating, but sure as night follows day you'll need it one day.

Also useful are your Run Key Items. These are the utility programs Windows runs from Startup, checking this and that; task monitoring, registry scanning and what have you. Hwinfo gives you the full Path to each item, together with the name of the executable file.

AOL

If you want to check your AOL Dial-up Adapter details, for example, page down the list and you'll find it, complete with the driver, its date, and its name, plus the version and file description.

Under System Board you'll find details of your BIOS, its date and maker (useful when you want to check for updates on the manufacturer's web site), the CPU and machine type, plus the Registry Key.

Registry entries are crucial if you're into hacking that arcane database Windows calls 'home'. No one who feels they are out on a limb hacking the Windows Registry should make the attempt, and in any event a full backup of any important items is essential if you do want to make changes. Failed attempts can render your PC helpless.

Regedit

If you do decide to seek Registry entries, summon Regedit from Start/Run, but don't copy/paste the entire Key; just use the last part, after the last backslash mark. Then use Find/Next if necessary to locate the actual item of interest. Thus, for my modem entries, for example, I'd paste in 'BUS_00&DEV_0C&FUNC_00' (without the quote marks).

If I wanted details of my nVidia graphics card, I'd just paste in '000800' to locate the item. There I would discover the driver date and version, plus all manner of associated DLL files that were in use with it.

At the end of the list of items you'll find a colour key which describes how colours are used to indicate specific detail:

Color Key:

All Keys from the registry are this color

File Attributes are this color

Configuration Manger information is this color

Error information is displayed in this color

Warnings are displayed in this color

In conclusion

Give Hwinfo a whirl. I think you'll find it interesting. But, please, no messages to the Editor that you blew your Registry trying that part of the deal!

 

Don Bradbury