11 Best Free System Information Tools

11 Best Free System Information Tools

System information tools are software programs that gather all the important but hard-to-come-by details about the hardware in a computer system. This sort of data is beneficial to someone helping you with a computer problem.

Miguel Co / Lifewire

Some other reasons I recommend a system info tool to people is for the same reasons I use one, like to learn about the type of RAM I have so I make sure to buy the right replacement, to create a list of hardware when selling a computer, to keep tabs on the temperature of the PC’s important components, and lots more.


What We Like

  • Shows detailed information on lots of components

  • Lets you copy text out of the program

  • Results can be shared via the web and exported to a file

What We Don’t Like

  • A report can’t be made of specific sections of information

  • Infrequent updates


Piriform, creators of the popular CCleaner, Defraggler, and Recuva programs, also produce Speccy, my favorite free system information tool. The program’s layout is nicely designed to provide all the information you need without being overly cluttered.

Something I like is the summary page, which gives brief, but very helpful information on things like the operating system, memory, graphics, and storage devices. A more detailed look at each category is organized in their respective sections.

My favorite feature is the ability to send system specs from the program to a public web page to easily share with others. Exporting to a file, as well as printing, are additional options, making saving a list of all your hardware details really easy.

This tool should work fine for all versions of Windows. I’ve used it in Windows 11 and Windows 10.




What We Like

  • Easy to read and use

  • Completely portable with a small download size

  • Supports making reports

  • Lets you copy text from the program

  • Includes features not found in other programs

What We Don’t Like

  • Information on some components aren’t included in reports

  • Isn’t as detailed as similar tools


Free PC Audit includes all the features you’d expect to find in any system information utility, including the ability for a report to be saved as a simple text file.

You can see information on all the hardware, like the motherboard, memory, and printers. It also displays the Windows product key and ID, a list of installed software, and all the currently running processes, among many other things.

Free PC Audit is completely portable, making it perfect for a flash drive.

I tested it in Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7, but it should also work fine in older versions.




What We Like

  • Easy to use

  • Results are detailed

  • Lets you copy specific results

  • A one-page summary of all the details is available

  • Supports extensions

  • Works in Windows, as a DOS program, and in portable mode

  • Supports alarms

What We Don’t Like

  • Missing information found in some similar programs


HWiNFO shows nearly the same details as these other free system information tools, like for the CPU, motherboard, monitor, audio, network, and other components.

A sensor status window is included to monitor the current and average speed/rate of the memory, hard drive, and CPU. HWiNFO can also run a benchmark against these areas.

Report files can be created for some or all of the system components, and you can also set up automatic reporting that sounds an alarm when a sensor exceeds a particular threshold.

Unfortunately, I found that this program doesn’t include as much information as some of the other applications from my list. Although, the data it does display is still very helpful, and support for extensions isn’t something I see in most system info apps.

It runs on Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, and older ones. There’s an installer, portable edition, and a download for DOS.




What We Like

  • Runs quickly

  • Shows unique information not found in other programs

  • Includes basic information on lots of hardware components

  • Software information is shown, too

What We Don’t Like

  • You have to install the program to your computer

  • Needs your email address


Belarc Advisor isn’t as detailed as some of these other free system information tools. However, basic information on the operating system, processor, motherboard, memory, drives, bus adapters, display, group policies, and users are shown.

One unique feature I appreciate is the ability to list all the security updates Windows is missing. You can also view software licenses, installed hotfixes, program usage frequency, and version numbers for select Microsoft products.

Results of a scan open in a web browser and can be viewed on a single web page.

The program is quick to download and doesn’t try to install additional programs during setup, which is always nice.

Both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP are supported.




What We Like

  • Has a tabbed user interface

  • Includes very detailed information on lots of components

  • It’s portable

  • Supports copying and making reports

What We Don’t Like

  • Reports don’t include information on some hardware details

MiTeC System Information X is another free option, so that’s clearly a big plus. But I also like it because it’s portable, easy to use, and can create a summary report.

Among many other categories, you’ll find all the standard details like audio, network, and motherboard, information. More specific information can also be shown, such as drivers and processes.

The tabbed interface makes MiTeC System Information X really easy to navigate through if you’re viewing more than one report at once.

This program is said to be compatible with Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP, and 2000, as well as with Windows Server 2019 through 2008. I was able to use it without any problems in Windows 11.




What We Like

  • Lets you favorite components for easier access

  • Condenses everything into several categories

  • It’s a portable program

  • Reports can be made of some or all of the data

What We Don’t Like

  • The program no longer gets updated

  • It’s not as detailed as other similar tools

  • Doesn’t identify Windows 11 properly

EVEREST Home Edition is a portable free system information tool that scans very quickly and organizes everything it finds into several categories, including one for a summary page.

All the standard hardware details are included, like that of the motherboard, network, storage devices, and display

I like that it lets me create favorites to have instant access to any hardware component from the menu bar, and that an HTML report (of everything or just whatever you pick) can be generated.

Unfortunately, this program is no longer being developed, which is probably why it doesn’t work perfectly in Windows 11. It also runs on Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP.




What We Like

  • Lets you see a summary of everything in one section

  • Provides lots of detail

  • Supports copying and exporting results

What We Don’t Like

  • Buttons aren’t labeled, which can be confusing

  • It’s often slow when scanning the computer

  • Setup tries to install another program

Another tool that shows detail on a huge variety of components is PC Wizard. It’s easy to save a report detailing any or all parts of the program, and you can even copy out single lines of data to the clipboard.

Out of all the system information tools I’ve used, this one is certainly the most informative. It includes not only the basic and advanced information on internal and external hardware, but also useful operating system details.

PC Wizard can be installed on all versions of Windows, which includes Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP.




What We Like

  • Info from every category is summarized on one page

  • Reveals detailed information on computer hardware

  • It can be used without installation

What We Don’t Like

  • Functions as a demo program

  • Some information gets truncated

  • Doesn’t let you copy text out of the program

  • Shows ads to buy the full program

ASTRA32 shows amazing detail on numerous devices and other parts of the system.

There are several categories to separate the information it gathers on hardware, like that of a motherboard, storage, and monitor information. A system summary section is perfect for seeing an overview of all the hardware and operating system details. Also, a dedicated section for live monitoring is included to show the temperature and current usage of various hardware components.

ASTRA32 works as a demo program, but it doesn’t really mean much because it still provides lots of useful information. That said, I’ve placed it in this position of the list to encourage you to first try the other, better choices listed above.

It can be used on Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP, 2000, and Windows Server 2008 and 2003.




What We Like

  • Has lots of features that make it unique

  • Results are centered around security

  • It’s portable

  • Can make reports about what the program finds

What We Don’t Like

  • Isn’t built to show as much info as similar tools

ESET SysInspector is dead simple to use because of its search utility and well-organized interface. If some of these other programs look too difficult to work with, I recommend giving this one a try just for its simplified UI.

Results can be filtered to show information based on a risk level between one and nine. You can find basic information like available memory, system uptime, and the local time. More advanced details include things like environment variables, installed software, hotfixes, and an event log.

This program can also view a list of running processes and current network connections, active and disabled drivers, and a list of important registry entries and system files.

I like this tool because it’s the only program in this list that’s centered around providing detail regarding the security of the computer. However, it doesn’t show exhaustive details like the higher rated system information tools in this list.

It should work in 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP, and 2000. Server operating systems are also supported, including Windows Home Server.




What We Like

  • Shows detailed information

  • There’s a summary page

  • Monitor system resources

  • Reports can be made for all the info or just some of it

  • No need for installation (it’s portable)

What We Don’t Like

  • Results are hard to read

  • The interface is cluttered

  • Searching doesn’t work well

SIV is another free system information tool for Windows that runs as a portable program (i.e., no need to install).

In addition to USB, hard drive, adapter, and basic OS details, SIV also includes a live sensor to show CPU and memory utilization.

I think the interface is a bit hard to look at—the details are too difficult to read. However, if you have the patience to look closely enough, you’ll find all the information you’d expect.

It’s designed for Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP, and 2000, plus older versions like Windows 98 and 95. It also works with Windows Server 2022 and some older versions.




What We Like

  • View system information remotely

  • Also includes diagnostic tools

  • Free for up to five devices

  • Export to HTML

  • Lots of detail

What We Don’t Like

  • Takes a while to complete all the necessary scans

  • Slow to update web dashboard

  • Must enter name and email to get the download

What makes PC-Doctor Toolbox stand out from the crowd is its remote viewer. After the program has been installed, you can log in from any web browser to check up on the stats.

There are several parts to this app. The Diagnostics tab lets you run system scans to check on the health of the motherboard, keyboard, hard drive, video card, etc. This is also where you can run BSOD troubleshooting if the app has detected a Blue Screen of Death. In here are also shortcuts to various Windows tools, like to configure network adapter settings or edit the Windows Firewall.

My Device is a summary page showing the current CPU usage, free space left on the hard drive, your local IP address, and a few other things. Selecting anything from that screen points you to the Information tab.

The Information tab is where all the system information is held. Lots of detail is included here about the OS, motherboard, hard drives, optical drives, audio, printers, memory, security, drivers, USB devices, and more. All of it can be packed neatly in an HTML file. There’s also an area in this tab for listing detected app crashes.

You can see just how useful this program could be. Unfortunately, during my tests, it just didn’t seem to work as well as it’s been advertised. Still, I keep it here with the hope that you have better luck with it. Plus, the remote access ability is really cool.



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