DeviceInBox

How to find the hardware ID of a device in Windows

Updated Sep 17, 2026

When Windows cannot find a driver, Device Manager shows the device under vague names like Unknown device, PCI Device or Base System Device. The name is useless for finding a driver, but every device also reports a hardware ID — a code that identifies the chip manufacturer and the exact model. With it you can find the right driver in seconds.

In this guide
  1. Find the hardware ID in Device Manager
  2. Get IDs of all problem devices with PowerShell or pnputil
  3. How to read a hardware ID
  4. Common vendor IDs
  5. Search for a driver by hardware ID

1. Find the hardware ID in Device Manager

  1. Press Win + X and choose Device Manager (or run devmgmt.msc).
  2. Find the device. Devices without a driver are usually under Other devices and have a yellow warning sign.
  3. Right-click it → Properties → open the Details tab.
  4. In the Property list select Hardware Ids.
  5. Right-click the first line → Copy. The first line is the most specific ID; the lines below are shorter, more general versions of it.

Example for a Realtek network card:

PCI\VEN_10EC&DEV_8168&SUBSYS_86771043&REV_15
PCI\VEN_10EC&DEV_8168&SUBSYS_86771043
PCI\VEN_10EC&DEV_8168&CC_020000
PCI\VEN_10EC&DEV_8168&CC_0200

2. Get IDs of all problem devices at once

If several devices are missing drivers — typical after a clean Windows install — list them all from the command line.

PowerShell (Windows 10 and 11) — devices with a problem and their instance IDs:

Get-PnpDevice -PresentOnly | Where-Object Status -ne 'OK' | Format-Table Status, Class, FriendlyName, InstanceId -AutoSize

The part of InstanceId before the last backslash contains the hardware ID, for example PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_A123&SUBSYS_….

To see the full list of hardware IDs for one device:

(Get-PnpDeviceProperty -InstanceId 'PASTE_INSTANCE_ID' -KeyName DEVPKEY_Device_HardwareIds).Data

pnputil on recent builds of Windows 10 and on Windows 11 can do the same in a normal Command Prompt:

pnputil /enum-devices /problem

3. How to read a hardware ID

A hardware ID starts with the bus the device is connected to, followed by codes separated by &:

PartMeaningExample
PCI\Device on the PCI or PCI Express bus: network and Wi-Fi cards, chipset functions, card readers, graphicsPCI\VEN_8086&DEV_A123
VEN_xxxxVendor (chip manufacturer) ID, 4 hex digits8086 = Intel
DEV_xxxxDevice (chip model) IDA123 = Intel Sunrise Point-H SMBus
SUBSYS_xxxxxxxxSubsystem: the last 4 digits identify the laptop or motherboard maker, the first 4 their model code86771043 → 1043 = ASUS
REV_xxChip revisionREV_15
USB\VID_xxxx&PID_xxxxUSB device: vendor ID and product IDUSB\VID_1A86&PID_7523
HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_…&DEV_…Audio codec on the High Definition Audio busHDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0269
ACPI\…Device described by the motherboard firmware (buttons, sensors, power management)ACPI\INT33D2

For finding a driver the important part is VEN + DEV (or VID + PID). A driver that supports the chip usually works regardless of the SUBSYS value, although laptop makers sometimes ship their own customised versions.

4. Common vendor IDs

PCI VENManufacturerUSB VIDManufacturer
8086Intel8087Intel (Bluetooth, USB hubs)
1022AMD (chipset)0BDARealtek
1002AMD / ATI (graphics)1A86QinHeng (CH340 / CH341)
10DENVIDIA10C4Silicon Labs (CP210x)
10ECRealtek067BProlific (PL2303)
14E4Broadcom0403FTDI
168CQualcomm Atheros046DLogitech
14C3MediaTek0E8DMediaTek
1217O2 Micro / BayHub05E3Genesys Logic
1B21ASMedia04E8Samsung

Paste the ID into the search box. You can paste the whole line from Device Manager — the site recognises the VEN/DEV or VID/PID part and opens the page of that device with all available drivers, newest first.

If the ID is not found, try Windows Update first: Settings → Windows Update → Advanced options → Optional updates → Driver updates. For laptops, the support page of the laptop maker (search for your exact model) is the next best source.

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