How to Find Out What Is on Your Computer Windows

If you want to know things such as how much RAM you have, what hardware and software are installed, and many other interesting details about your PC, you can use a built-in Windows utility called System Information. Here is how to access it.

Windows XP

On most XP systems System Information can be found in Start-All Programs-Accessories-System Tools. Another route is:

1. Open the Start menu
2. Click “Run”
3. Enter “msinfo32" (without quotes)
4. Click “OK”

Windows Vista/7

1. Open the Start menu
2. Enter “msinfo32” (without quotes) in the box labeled "Start search" (Vista) or "Search programs and files" (Windows 7)
3. Click “msinfo32” or “msinfo32.exe” at the top of the menu

Open System Information from the command line

Another way to access this utility is to open the command line and enter "start msinfo32" (without quotes). This works in Windows XP, Vista, and 7.

How to use System Information

System Information opens in a two-pane view. The left pane contains the entries “System Summary”, “Hardware Resources”, “Components”, and “Software Environment”. To see the details of any category except “System Summary”, click the + by its name to expand the list and then click a desired sub-category. The right pane will show the details.

System information freeware

There are also a number of free programs that provide considerably more details than the built-in application System Information. Such helpful additional information as license keys for software are given.

Belarc Advisor, which works on all current Windows versions, both 32-bit and 64-bit.

System Information for Windows, which comes in a portable version. It works on Windows XP on up.