Windows XP in a Nutshell

Name

System Information — \windows\system32\winmsd.exe\program files\common files\microsoft shared\msinfo\msinfo32.exe

Synopsis

Collect and display information about your computer.

To Open

Start → Programs → Accessories → System tools → System Information

Command Prompt → winmsd

Command Prompt → msinfo32

Description

Microsoft System Information is a reporting tool used to view information about hardware, system resources used by that hardware, software drivers, and Internet Explorer settings (see Figure 4-90). Information is arranged in a familiar Explorer-like tree. Expand or collapse branches with the little plus (+) and minus (-) signs, and click any category to view the corresponding information in the right-hand pane.

Figure 4-90. The System Information window shows an exhaustive amount of information about your system

The “Components” view of your hardware is similar to Device Manager, except that Device Manager also allows modification and removal of the devices. Likewise, the “Hardware Resources” view can also be duplicated in Device Manager with View → Resources by type. One advantage Microsoft System Information has over Device Manager is its ability to show history of changes, using View → System History.

The information displayed in Software Environment category is also available in bits and pieces through other utilities (such as DriverQuery, discussed earlier in this chapter), ...