When auditing a Windows 11 machine or preparing to deploy a complex software package, you need to know exactly what hardware and software are currently installed on the device. While the graphical “System Information” tool (msinfo32) provides this data, it is slow to load and impossible to use in automated deployment scripts. For instant, highly structured system telemetry, administrators rely on the native PowerShell cmdlet: Get-ComputerInfo.
What Does Get-ComputerInfo Do?
The Get-ComputerInfo command is the modern PowerShell replacement for the legacy systeminfo command prompt utility. It queries the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) database and returns a massive, object-oriented list containing over 100 distinct data points, including BIOS versions, physical memory capacity, operating system build numbers, and hypervisor status.
Generating a Complete System Report
Using the command requires administrator privileges to ensure it can access low-level hardware data.
- Click the Windows 11 Start Menu.
- Type PowerShell, right-click the application icon, and select Run as administrator.
- In the blue console window, simply type:
Get-ComputerInfo
- Press Enter.
The console will pause for a moment as it polls the hardware, and then it will dump a massive list of properties to the screen. Because this list is so extensive, scrolling through it manually is inefficient.
Filtering for Specific Hardware Properties
The true power of PowerShell is its ability to filter object properties instantly. If you only care about the physical memory (RAM) and the specific version of Windows 11 installed, you do not need to generate the entire list.
You can use the -Property parameter to select only the exact data points you need. For example, to check the OS version and total physical RAM, run:
Get-ComputerInfo -Property OsName, OsVersion, CsTotalPhysicalMemory
The command will execute significantly faster and output a clean, concise list containing only those three specific values. (Note: The physical memory is reported in raw bytes, so a 16GB RAM machine will display a massive number that you will need to mathematically convert).
Exporting System Specs to a File
If you are auditing a remote machine or need to keep a record of the hardware before performing an upgrade, you can easily export the telemetry data into a structured CSV file that can be opened in Microsoft Excel.
To export the entire system report to a file on your desktop, pipe the output into the Export-Csv cmdlet:
Get-ComputerInfo | Export-Csv -Path "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\SystemAudit.csv" -NoTypeInformation
This command silently creates a spreadsheet containing every piece of hardware and software data, allowing you to review the machine’s specifications offline at your convenience.