How do I find the hard drive type and specifications?

Updated: 05/03/2022 past Computer Hope

Computer hard drive

If you'd like to view detailed information nigh your hard disk drives, solid-state drives, or external storage devices fastened to your estimator, we recommend the methods beneath.

System Information in Windows

In Windows, you tin can view information about your hardware (including disks) using the Arrangement Data utility.

  • System Information utility in Windows 10 and Windows xi
  • Before versions of Windows System Information

System Data utility in Windows x and Windows eleven

  1. Press the Windows key, blazon Arrangement Information, and press Enter.

Or, you tin employ the Run box to open up the Organization Information utility.

  1. Press the Windows key+R keyboard shortcut.
  2. In the Run box, type msinfo32.
  3. Press Enter or click OK.

Opening the System Information utility using the Run box

  1. In the System Information window that opens, in the left window pane, you lot'll see a list of hardware categories. Expand Components, and then Storage. Then, cull Drives, Disks, or any category you'd like to view.

System Information utility main window

Earlier versions of Windows Organization Data

In earlier versions of Microsoft Windows, you tin can open the Arrangement Information utility by post-obit the steps below.

  1. Click Start and so click the Programs binder.
  2. Click Accessories and so the System Information or Arrangement Tools binder.
  3. Open the System Data file.
  4. In the Arrangement Information window, click the + symbol next to Components.
  5. Click the + next to Storage and click Drives. In the correct-side of the window, you lot run into data virtually the difficult drive including its capacity and serial number.

IBM-uniform users

IBM-compatible users can usually enter the reckoner'south BIOS setup to view boosted information about their hard drive. Commonly, the CMOS lists the hard drive'southward serial number, model number, cylinders, heads, sectors, and the size of the hard bulldoze.

  • How to enter the BIOS or CMOS setup.

Note

If the CMOS is not configured to auto-notice the hard drive, it is important to note that the hard drive values may not be right.

Determining the speed or RPM of a hard drive

To determine the hard drive RPM find the manufacturer and model of the difficult drive in an area such as Organization Information in Windows.

For example, in Windows System Information we may decide that the hard drive model is: Toshiba MQ04ABF100.

Once you've determined this information, you lot tin look up the drive on the hard bulldoze manufacturer's web page or through a Google search to decide the RPM of the bulldoze.

In our case, searching for the bulldoze nosotros determine that the Toshiba MQ04ABF100 is a 5400rpm SATA 7mm 2.v" drive.

Some manufacturers besides listing the RPM of the difficult drive on the bodily drive. If you open the reckoner and remove the hard drive, look on the top sticker to encounter if the RPM is listed.

Tertiary-political party utilities

There are many free software utilities designed to detect the hardware in your estimator. These utilities can display the model of your difficult drive and additional information.

  • How to find hardware and other computer specifications.

Viewing S.M.A.R.T. difficult drive data

All modern hard drives now include S.M.A.R.T. to aid detect and detect problems with difficult drives before they happen. In addition to detecting problems, S.M.A.R.T. too gives details about the hard drive including such information as the life of the difficult drive. Meet our S.M.A.R.T. term for further information about this tool and how to access its information.

Other disk utilities

Many disk utilities designed to set up the hard drive will properly detect and configure information technology. Too, these utilities may also provide the user with some basic additional information about the hard drive.

For example, using the fdisk utility you can display additional information near the size of the difficult drive and partition information.

Other methods of determining the hard bulldoze

One of the best methods for determining additional information virtually a difficult drive is to obtain information directly off the difficult bulldoze. The bulk of difficult drives accept a sticker on the top of the bulldoze containing complete information about the bulldoze. If yous cannot locate the information you lot need through software, we recommend you open the example and remove the hard bulldoze to go the information you need.

Product listing or specifications

If you're trying to list all the specific information nigh your calculator, specifying the manufacturer, model, type, and size of the hard drive is sufficient. Below is an example of how this may look.

Maxtor 54098H8 IDE 40Gig difficult bulldoze

Drivers or installation

  • How to install a difficult drive or SSD.

Replacement or repair

If you're trying to decide the hard drive because it needs to be replaced or repaired, we recommend the bulldoze exist replaced with some other hard drive. Equally long as you are using the same hard drive interface (IDE/SATA), the model or manufacturer of the previous drive should be irrelevant.

  • Computer hard drive buying tips.