How to Find Hardware ID (HWID) in Windows 11

Method 1Finding the Hardware ID Using Device Manager

Step 1Open Device Manager

1. Press Win+R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type devmgmt.msc into the box.
3. Press Enter or click OK.

The Device Manager window opens with a list of device categories. You can also right-click the Start button and choose Device Manager if you prefer a menu.

Step 2Find the Device

Device Manager groups your computer parts into categories, such as Display adapters or Network adapters, so you can locate specific hardware in Windows 11.

1. Look through the category list for the type of device you need.
2. Click the small arrow next to the category name.

The individual devices in that category now appear underneath it. Expanding Display adapters, for example, might show your NVIDIA or AMD graphics card. If you are hunting for a device with no driver, look for an entry under Other devices or one marked with a yellow warning icon.

Step 3Open the Device’s Properties

1. Locate the device whose Hardware ID you need.
2. Double-click that device.

The device’s Properties window appears, showing details about the hardware. You can also right-click the device and choose Properties.

Step 4Go to the Details Tab

3. In the Properties window, click the Details tab.

The tab shows a Property drop-down menu and a Value box below it. The Value box is empty until you choose a property.

Step 5Select “Hardware Ids”

4. Click the Property drop-down menu.
5. Scroll down and choose Hardware Ids.

One or more lines of text now appear in the Value box. Most devices list several IDs. The first line is the most specific, and the lines below it are more general. When you search for a driver, start with the first line.

Step 6Copy the Hardware ID

Copying your Windows 11 hardware id lets you save the text string for driver searches or troubleshooting. You cannot type into the Value box, but you can still copy from it.

1. Right-click the Hardware ID line you want in the Value box.
2. Select Copy from the menu.
3. Click into a text editor such as Notepad, an email, or a document.
4. Press Ctrl+V to paste.

The full ID, for example a string beginning with PCI\VEN_, now appears in the document. If you need to undo anything, there is nothing to undo here. Reading properties does not change the device.

Method 2Finding the Hardware ID Using PowerShell

PowerShell can retrieve the Hardware IDs for all your devices at once, which makes it the better choice when you need information for many components or want a file you can search. It works the same on Windows 11 Home and Pro.

Step 1Open PowerShell

1. Right-click the Start button.
2. Choose Terminal (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin), depending on your Windows 11 version.
3. Click Yes if User Account Control asks for permission.

A terminal window opens with a prompt. Running as Administrator helps ensure you can access all system information, including hardware details, and avoids permission errors.

Step 2Choose Your Command

1. Type Get-PnpDevice -PresentOnly | Select-Object Name, HardwareID | Format-Table -AutoSize into the window.
2. Press Enter.

PowerShell prints a table with every connected device and its hardware id. The list can be long, so scroll up to read it. If long IDs are cut off at the edge of the window, save the output to a file instead, as shown below.

Option A: Display All Hardware IDs in PowerShell

You can also run a shorter version of the command: Get-PnpDevice -PresentOnly | Select-Object -Property Name, HardwareID. It lists each hardware device and its Hardware ID without the table formatting, which is useful for troubleshooting or driver installation.

Get-PnpDevice -PresentOnly | Select-Object Name, HardwareID | Format-Table -AutoSize

The command tells Windows to list all connected devices (-PresentOnly), display their name and Hardware ID (Select-Object -Property Name,HardwareID), and then format the output neatly (Format-List). The -PresentOnly part means devices that are not currently connected are left out.

Option B: Save All Hardware IDs to a Text File

To save the list to a text file on your Desktop for later use, enter this command and press Enter:

Get-PnpDevice -PresentOnly | Select-Object Name, HardwareID | Format-Table -AutoSize > "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\HardwareID.txt"

This command does the same job, but the > "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\HardwareID.txt" portion redirects the results to a file named “HardwareID.txt” on your Desktop. PowerShell shows no output on screen while it does this. The file simply appears on your Desktop.

Step 3Find the Hardware ID in the Output

Scanning the output helps you match your device to its correct Windows 11 hardware id.

1. Read down the Name column until you find your hardware.
2. Look at the matching code on the same line.
3. Copy the identifier you need.

Understanding What Those IDs Mean

Decoding a Windows 11 hardware id tells you who made your computer part and how it connects to your system. The prefix shows the connection type, such as PCI or USB, while the VEN and DEV codes identify the exact manufacturer and model.

• PCI or USBShows the type of connection the device uses.
• VEN_XXXXThe Vendor ID. This is a unique code for the company that made the hardware (like NVIDIA or Intel).
• DEV_XXXXThe Device ID. This identifies the specific model of hardware from that maker.
• SUBSYS_xxxxThe Subsystem ID. This often identifies the main device or system board it’s on.
• REV_xxThe Revision number. This shows a specific version or update of the hardware.

The VEN and DEV codes are the most useful parts. You can enter them on websites like PCI Lookup to find the specific device and its maker. This is a good first step toward locating the right driver. USB devices usually use VID_ and PID_ in place of VEN_ and DEV_, and you search them the same way.

References:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/install/hardware-ids

Summary

Device Manager lets you check individual device properties under the Details tab, while PowerShell lets you view all hardware identifiers at once with a single command. Use Device Manager when you are chasing one problem device, and PowerShell when you want the whole list or a file to keep.