How To Get Hardware Information (CPU ID, MainBoard Info, Hard Disk Serial, System Information , ...)

http://www.codeproject.com/KB/system/GetHardwareInformation.aspx

 

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Introduction

For numerous reasons, you may need to access system hardware information. One example is when you have created a software and you want to put a lock on that software.

One of the most efficient ways to do so is to get one of the IDs of a piece of hardware in the target machine and then plan your software so that it can just work with the computer that has the same ID. Since some hardware IDs (and not all of them) are unique, you have very simply created a lock!

Notice

In the first versions of this article, I thought that the Processor ID was unique, but some other users told me that they had tested the Processor ID in different computers and sometimes they give the same result. So you should consider this and not try to just rely on Processor ID. I suggest that you combine it with some other IDs such as Motherboard, USB Controller, Bios, CD-ROM Drive and so on.

Another example is the need to get hard disk information, its partitions, and the free space on each partition. You may also require the hardware information while working on a multimedia application when you need to have complete information about the sound device and the VGA device of the target machine. An excellent use of this application is getting information about the memory of the system and valuable information such as the device memory address, memory device and so on.

Using the Code

First of all, you have to know that the application function is using some System.Management classes. So you need to add this line of code:

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using System.Management;

To get hardware information, you need to create an object of ManagementObjectSearcher class.

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ManagementObjectSearcher searcher = new ManagementObjectSearcher(    "select * from " + Key);

The Key on the code above, is a variable that is replaced with appropriate data. For example, to get the information of the CPU, you have to replace the Keywith Win32_Processor. A complete list of these keys is given below:

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Win32_1394ControllerWin32_1394ControllerDeviceWin32_AccountWin32_AccountSIDWin32_ACEWin32_ActionCheckWin32_AllocatedResourceWin32_ApplicationCommandLineWin32_ApplicationServiceWin32_AssociatedBatteryWin32_AssociatedProcessorMemoryWin32_BaseBoardWin32_BaseServiceWin32_BatteryWin32_BinaryWin32_BindImageActionWin32_BIOSWin32_BootConfigurationWin32_BusWin32_CacheMemoryWin32_CDROMDriveWin32_CheckCheckWin32_CIMLogicalDeviceCIMDataFileWin32_ClassicCOMApplicationClassesWin32_ClassicCOMClassWin32_ClassicCOMClassSettingWin32_ClassicCOMClassSettingsWin32_ClassInfoActionWin32_ClientApplicationSettingWin32_CodecFileWin32_COMApplicationWin32_COMApplicationClassesWin32_COMApplicationSettingsWin32_COMClassWin32_ComClassAutoEmulatorWin32_ComClassEmulatorWin32_CommandLineAccessWin32_ComponentCategoryWin32_ComputerSystemWin32_ComputerSystemProcessorWin32_ComputerSystemProductWin32_COMSettingWin32_ConditionWin32_CreateFolderActionWin32_CurrentProbeWin32_DCOMApplicationWin32_DCOMApplicationAccessAllowedSettingWin32_DCOMApplicationLaunchAllowedSettingWin32_DCOMApplicationSettingWin32_DependentServiceWin32_DesktopWin32_DesktopMonitorWin32_DeviceBusWin32_DeviceMemoryAddressWin32_DeviceSettingsWin32_DirectoryWin32_DirectorySpecificationWin32_DiskDriveWin32_DiskDriveToDiskPartitionWin32_DiskPartitionWin32_DisplayConfigurationWin32_DisplayControllerConfigurationWin32_DMAChannelWin32_DriverVXDWin32_DuplicateFileActionWin32_EnvironmentWin32_EnvironmentSpecificationWin32_ExtensionInfoActionWin32_FanWin32_FileSpecificationWin32_FloppyControllerWin32_FloppyDriveWin32_FontInfoActionWin32_GroupWin32_GroupUserWin32_HeatPipeWin32_IDEControllerWin32_IDEControllerDeviceWin32_ImplementedCategoryWin32_InfraredDeviceWin32_IniFileSpecificationWin32_InstalledSoftwareElementWin32_IRQResourceWin32_KeyboardWin32_LaunchConditionWin32_LoadOrderGroupWin32_LoadOrderGroupServiceDependenciesWin32_LoadOrderGroupServiceMembersWin32_LogicalDiskWin32_LogicalDiskRootDirectoryWin32_LogicalDiskToPartitionWin32_LogicalFileAccessWin32_LogicalFileAuditingWin32_LogicalFileGroupWin32_LogicalFileOwnerWin32_LogicalFileSecuritySettingWin32_LogicalMemoryConfigurationWin32_LogicalProgramGroupWin32_LogicalProgramGroupDirectoryWin32_LogicalProgramGroupItemWin32_LogicalProgramGroupItemDataFileWin32_LogicalShareAccessWin32_LogicalShareAuditingWin32_LogicalShareSecuritySettingWin32_ManagedSystemElementResourceWin32_MemoryArrayWin32_MemoryArrayLocationWin32_MemoryDeviceWin32_MemoryDeviceArrayWin32_MemoryDeviceLocationWin32_MethodParameterClassWin32_MIMEInfoActionWin32_MotherboardDeviceWin32_MoveFileActionWin32_MSIResourceWin32_NetworkAdapterWin32_NetworkAdapterConfigurationWin32_NetworkAdapterSettingWin32_NetworkClientWin32_NetworkConnectionWin32_NetworkLoginProfileWin32_NetworkProtocolWin32_NTEventlogFileWin32_NTLogEventWin32_NTLogEventComputerWin32_NTLogEventLogWin32_NTLogEventUserWin32_ODBCAttributeWin32_ODBCDataSourceAttributeWin32_ODBCDataSourceSpecificationWin32_ODBCDriverAttributeWin32_ODBCDriverSoftwareElementWin32_ODBCDriverSpecificationWin32_ODBCSourceAttributeWin32_ODBCTranslatorSpecificationWin32_OnBoardDeviceWin32_OperatingSystemWin32_OperatingSystemQFEWin32_OSRecoveryConfigurationWin32_PageFileWin32_PageFileElementSettingWin32_PageFileSettingWin32_PageFileUsageWin32_ParallelPortWin32_PatchWin32_PatchFileWin32_PatchPackageWin32_PCMCIAControllerWin32_PerfWin32_PerfRawDataWin32_PerfRawData_ASP_ActiveServerPagesWin32_PerfRawData_ASPNET_114322_ASPNETAppsv114322Win32_PerfRawData_ASPNET_114322_ASPNETv114322Win32_PerfRawData_ASPNET_ASPNETWin32_PerfRawData_ASPNET_ASPNETApplicationsWin32_PerfRawData_IAS_IASAccountingClientsWin32_PerfRawData_IAS_IASAccountingServerWin32_PerfRawData_IAS_IASAuthenticationClientsWin32_PerfRawData_IAS_IASAuthenticationServerWin32_PerfRawData_InetInfo_InternetInformationServicesGlobalWin32_PerfRawData_MSDTC_DistributedTransactionCoordinatorWin32_PerfRawData_MSFTPSVC_FTPServiceWin32_PerfRawData_MSSQLSERVER_SQLServerAccessMethodsWin32_PerfRawData_MSSQLSERVER_SQLServerBackupDeviceWin32_PerfRawData_MSSQLSERVER_SQLServerBufferManagerWin32_PerfRawData_MSSQLSERVER_SQLServerBufferPartitionWin32_PerfRawData_MSSQLSERVER_SQLServerCacheManagerWin32_PerfRawData_MSSQLSERVER_SQLServerDatabasesWin32_PerfRawData_MSSQLSERVER_SQLServerGeneralStatisticsWin32_PerfRawData_MSSQLSERVER_SQLServerLatchesWin32_PerfRawData_MSSQLSERVER_SQLServerLocksWin32_PerfRawData_MSSQLSERVER_SQLServerMemoryManagerWin32_PerfRawData_MSSQLSERVER_SQLServerReplicationAgentsWin32_PerfRawData_MSSQLSERVER_SQLServerReplicationDistWin32_PerfRawData_MSSQLSERVER_SQLServerReplicationLogreaderWin32_PerfRawData_MSSQLSERVER_SQLServerReplicationMergeWin32_PerfRawData_MSSQLSERVER_SQLServerReplicationSnapshotWin32_PerfRawData_MSSQLSERVER_SQLServerSQLStatisticsWin32_PerfRawData_MSSQLSERVER_SQLServerUserSettableWin32_PerfRawData_NETFramework_NETCLRExceptionsWin32_PerfRawData_NETFramework_NETCLRInteropWin32_PerfRawData_NETFramework_NETCLRJitWin32_PerfRawData_NETFramework_NETCLRLoadingWin32_PerfRawData_NETFramework_NETCLRLocksAndThreadsWin32_PerfRawData_NETFramework_NETCLRMemoryWin32_PerfRawData_NETFramework_NETCLRRemotingWin32_PerfRawData_NETFramework_NETCLRSecurityWin32_PerfRawData_Outlook_OutlookWin32_PerfRawData_PerfDisk_PhysicalDiskWin32_PerfRawData_PerfNet_BrowserWin32_PerfRawData_PerfNet_RedirectorWin32_PerfRawData_PerfNet_ServerWin32_PerfRawData_PerfNet_ServerWorkQueuesWin32_PerfRawData_PerfOS_CacheWin32_PerfRawData_PerfOS_MemoryWin32_PerfRawData_PerfOS_ObjectsWin32_PerfRawData_PerfOS_PagingFileWin32_PerfRawData_PerfOS_ProcessorWin32_PerfRawData_PerfOS_SystemWin32_PerfRawData_PerfProc_FullImage_CostlyWin32_PerfRawData_PerfProc_Image_CostlyWin32_PerfRawData_PerfProc_JobObjectWin32_PerfRawData_PerfProc_JobObjectDetailsWin32_PerfRawData_PerfProc_ProcessWin32_PerfRawData_PerfProc_ProcessAddressSpace_CostlyWin32_PerfRawData_PerfProc_ThreadWin32_PerfRawData_PerfProc_ThreadDetails_CostlyWin32_PerfRawData_RemoteAccess_RASPortWin32_PerfRawData_RemoteAccess_RASTotalWin32_PerfRawData_RSVP_ACSPerRSVPServiceWin32_PerfRawData_Spooler_PrintQueueWin32_PerfRawData_TapiSrv_TelephonyWin32_PerfRawData_Tcpip_ICMPWin32_PerfRawData_Tcpip_IPWin32_PerfRawData_Tcpip_NBTConnectionWin32_PerfRawData_Tcpip_NetworkInterfaceWin32_PerfRawData_Tcpip_TCPWin32_PerfRawData_Tcpip_UDPWin32_PerfRawData_W3SVC_WebServiceWin32_PhysicalMemoryWin32_PhysicalMemoryArrayWin32_PhysicalMemoryLocationWin32_PNPAllocatedResourceWin32_PnPDeviceWin32_PnPEntityWin32_PointingDeviceWin32_PortableBatteryWin32_PortConnectorWin32_PortResourceWin32_POTSModemWin32_POTSModemToSerialPortWin32_PowerManagementEventWin32_PrinterWin32_PrinterConfigurationWin32_PrinterControllerWin32_PrinterDriverDllWin32_PrinterSettingWin32_PrinterShareWin32_PrintJobWin32_PrivilegesStatusWin32_ProcessWin32_ProcessorWin32_ProcessStartupWin32_ProductWin32_ProductCheckWin32_ProductResourceWin32_ProductSoftwareFeaturesWin32_ProgIDSpecificationWin32_ProgramGroupWin32_ProgramGroupContentsWin32_ProgramGroupOrItemWin32_PropertyWin32_ProtocolBindingWin32_PublishComponentActionWin32_QuickFixEngineeringWin32_RefrigerationWin32_RegistryWin32_RegistryActionWin32_RemoveFileActionWin32_RemoveIniActionWin32_ReserveCostWin32_ScheduledJobWin32_SCSIControllerWin32_SCSIControllerDeviceWin32_SecurityDescriptorWin32_SecuritySettingWin32_SecuritySettingAccessWin32_SecuritySettingAuditingWin32_SecuritySettingGroupWin32_SecuritySettingOfLogicalFileWin32_SecuritySettingOfLogicalShareWin32_SecuritySettingOfObjectWin32_SecuritySettingOwnerWin32_SelfRegModuleActionWin32_SerialPortWin32_SerialPortConfigurationWin32_SerialPortSettingWin32_ServiceWin32_ServiceControlWin32_ServiceSpecificationWin32_ServiceSpecificationServiceWin32_SettingCheckWin32_ShareWin32_ShareToDirectoryWin32_ShortcutActionWin32_ShortcutFileWin32_ShortcutSAPWin32_SIDWin32_SMBIOSMemoryWin32_SoftwareElementWin32_SoftwareElementActionWin32_SoftwareElementCheckWin32_SoftwareElementConditionWin32_SoftwareElementResourceWin32_SoftwareFeatureWin32_SoftwareFeatureActionWin32_SoftwareFeatureCheckWin32_SoftwareFeatureParentWin32_SoftwareFeatureSoftwareElementsWin32_SoundDeviceWin32_StartupCommandWin32_SubDirectoryWin32_SystemAccountWin32_SystemBIOSWin32_SystemBootConfigurationWin32_SystemDesktopWin32_SystemDevicesWin32_SystemDriverWin32_SystemDriverPNPEntityWin32_SystemEnclosureWin32_SystemLoadOrderGroupsWin32_SystemLogicalMemoryConfigurationWin32_SystemMemoryResourceWin32_SystemNetworkConnectionsWin32_SystemOperatingSystemWin32_SystemPartitionsWin32_SystemProcessesWin32_SystemProgramGroupsWin32_SystemResourcesWin32_SystemServicesWin32_SystemSettingWin32_SystemSlotWin32_SystemSystemDriverWin32_SystemTimeZoneWin32_SystemUsersWin32_TapeDriveWin32_TemperatureProbeWin32_ThreadWin32_TimeZoneWin32_TrusteeWin32_TypeLibraryActionWin32_UninterruptiblePowerSupplyWin32_USBControllerWin32_USBControllerDeviceWin32_UserAccountWin32_UserDesktopWin32_VideoConfigurationWin32_VideoControllerWin32_VideoSettingsWin32_VoltageProbeWin32_WMIElementSettingWin32_WMISetting

First, call the Get() method of the ManagementObjectSearcher object that this application calls the searcher object. This will fill the object with the information you need. After that, you need to process the data that is in the searcher object.

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foreach (ManagementObject share in searcher.Get()){// Some Codes ...}

Each ManagementObject has some Properties that are useful for us. Of course the Data of those properties is needed and we can process them like this:

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foreach (PropertyData PC in share.Properties){ //some codes ...}

The other parts of this application are nothing but working with the ListView control and that is really easy!

License

This article, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The GNU General Public License (GPL)