How To 

Learn about your computer in command prompt through WMIC

WMIC stand for Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line. It is fantastic utility to learn about your computer.


  • ■ 1st open command prompt (Windows Key + R the type 'cmd' and hit enter)
    ■ 2nd type (without the quotes) "wmic" and press enter
If all goes well, your on this screen: (command prompt in Windows 7)
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Now its just as simple as typing a command and it will give you all the info you need. Below I've listed a few:


  • ■ Motherboard Model - baseboard get product
    ■ BIOS name and version - bios get name, version
    ■ CPU's name - cpu get name
    ■ CPU's maximum speed - cpu get MaxClockSpeed
    ■ Monitor's Resolution - desktopmonitor get screenheight, screenwidth
    ■ Physical Drive's name and Manufacturer - diskdrive get Name, Manufacturer, Model
    ■ IRQ name & status (not used much since everything is plug&play) - irq get Name, Status
    ■ Operating System Info (useful for servers and vm) - OS get Version, FreePhysicalMemory, FreeVirtualMemory, LastBootUpTime, NumberofProcesses, status
    ■ List of all installed programs - product list brief
    ■ If you want to uninstall a program from the list - product where name="insert name here" call uninstall
    ■ List of updates and when they were installed - qfe get description,installedOn
    g074dvM.jpg

    ■ Computers MAC address - nic get macaddress
    ■ Computer's Temperature (note, doesn't work will all hardware or VMs) - /namespace:\\root\wmi PATH MSAcpi_ThermalZoneTemperature get CurrentTemperature

Now, all of these listed commands can be done elsewhere in Windows. But if your troubleshooting the PC and can only get into command prompt, they can be indispensable. By attaching /OUTPUT:C:\results.txt you can save and export your queries too.
Also, you can access all this info remotely by using the NODE command (/node:'computer name' bios get name). But a tool like PsExec is probably easier to use.

I have only listed a fraction of what can be done with WMIC and command prompt in general.
There as so many tweaks and tips that can be done its impossible to list them all in one tutorial

If I missed something that you think is important, I'd love to hear about it.
 
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