{"id":416,"date":"2010-07-03T18:29:13","date_gmt":"2010-07-03T13:29:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.devicedriverfinder.com\/blog\/?p=416"},"modified":"2024-02-23T16:01:55","modified_gmt":"2024-02-23T11:01:55","slug":"how-to-check-the-hardware-id-for-a-windows-device","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.devicedriverfinder.com\/blog\/device-drivers\/how-to-check-the-hardware-id-for-a-windows-device","title":{"rendered":"How to Check the Hardware ID for a Windows Device"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

All hardware equipment inside and connected to personal computers uses an identifier to uniquely identify itself. This allows operating systems to recognize the device and install the necessary software for it. In Windows, this generally means that a device driver for the hardware is installed. The hardware ID for a device can be checked to locate a driver for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hardware identifier is a combination of the bus type, the hardware manufacturer (or vendor), and the device identifier. In some cases, additional sub-system identifiers and revision information is included to distinguish between variations of a device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So when you are looking for a device driver for a piece of hardware, it is useful to know the hardware id of the device. This can tell you which manufacturer made the device and help you find a device driver. Read on to find out how to check the hardware ID for a device in Microsoft Windows. The steps are valid for Windows XP all the way up to Windows 11.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check the Hardware ID using the Windows Device Manager<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The hardware id for a device in Windows can be found in the Windows Device Manager. To check the hardware id for a device, follow these steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Open the Device Manager<\/strong> from the Control Panel<\/strong>. You can also type \u201cdevmgmt.msc\u201d at the Run <\/strong>option in the Start <\/strong>menu (or menu Search<\/strong> option for Windows 7 and newer).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. In the Device Manager<\/strong>, right-click the device, and select Properties <\/strong>in the popup menu.
    \"Windows<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Next, select the Details <\/strong>tab.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Now select the entry called Hardware Ids<\/strong> in the Property<\/strong> dropdown list.
    \"Check<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    As you can see in the screenshot, there can be multiple hardware ids for a device. The top one is the most specific identifier, and going down, the identifiers are more generic. The reason this is done is to allow a device driver to be selected based on a match to any of these hardware identifiers. This allows drivers to be used that are applicable to variations of devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The hardware manufacturer in this example is NVidia<\/strong>, which is identified by VEN_10DE<\/strong><\/code>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Obviously, this is a device for which a driver is already installed, and the manufacturer and model for the device are shown. But the hardware id is also available for unknown devices and not recognized<\/a> devices. This way, the hardware id, or Windows device ID, can be used to find the correct driver for the device. If no exact match for the driver is available, you can also check out the Compatible Ids<\/strong> by selecting that as the Property<\/strong> selector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Compatible<\/picture><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Note<\/strong>: Depending on the hardware device, the number of tabs in the device properties dialog will vary. But there will always be a Details<\/strong> tab as used in the steps in this guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Hardware<\/picture><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Programs like DriverFinder<\/a> use the hardware id and the compatible id to find a matching driver for a device as well. This way these programs can find a driver for a device to match the hardware and Windows version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    FAQs<\/h2>\n\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t

    What is a hardware ID?<\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t
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    The hardware ID for a device is an identifier for a piece of computer hardware. Think of a sound card, or a webcam, for example. The hardware ID is vendor-specific. A hardware ID consists of a device class, vendor identifier, device identifier, subsystem identifier (different versions of the device), and a revision number. An example of a hardware ID is: PCI\\VEN_8086&DEV_9A49&SUBSYS_14321043&REV_01<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Revisions can be used for updates of firmware on the same device for example.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t

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    Is hardware ID the same as Device ID?<\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Yes, the hardware ID is often referred to as the device ID.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t

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    Is the hardware ID the same for all Windows versions?<\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t
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    A hardware ID is specific to a device. So, it is linked to the equipment, not the operating system. The hardware ID will not change for different Windows versions.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t

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    How do I find the hardware ID?<\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t
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    The hardware ID for a device can be found in the Windows Device Manager. In each version of Windows, the steps are the same. Open the Device Manager<\/strong>, right-click the device, select Properties<\/strong>, select the Details <\/strong>tab, and under Property <\/strong>select Hardware Ids<\/strong>. The Value <\/strong>shown contains the hardware ID(s) for the device.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t

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    What is the hardware ID used for?<\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t
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    The hardware ID is used by Windows to identify the device and find a device driver for it. Microsoft finds a driver in the repository or the Windows Update catalog. If no driver is available with Microsoft, a driver from the manufacturer needs to be installed to allow communication between Windows and the device.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t

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    What is a compatible ID?<\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t
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    The compatible IDs for a device are also hardware IDs. The difference is that a hardware ID is unique to a single device, while compatible IDs can apply to multiple devices. The compatible IDs identify the device as a piece of equipment of a certain category that can be used for certain functions. This is important if no unique device driver is available for a device. A driver for a compatible ID of the device can enable Windows to still communicate with the device.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t

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    Do Virtual Devices also have a hardware ID?<\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Yes, virtual devices in Windows also have a hardware ID. These devices also need software to function, and need to be identified as a device within Windows. Examples are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Intel(R) Virtual 82566 Gigabit Network Connection (PCI\\VEN_8086&DEV_10B7)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Logitech Gaming Virtual Mouse (LogiDevice\\VID_046D&PID_C231)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    HP 530T DP Virtual Bus Device (pci\\ven_14e4&dev_16af&subsys_18d3103c)<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\n