Look up hard disk information with PowerShell

[harlan4096]

Windows PowerShell is quite powerful when it comes to looking up hard disk information. While you may look up some information in Windows directly, e.g. in Disk Management, or by using third-party programs like Hard Disk Validator, Disk Checkup, or DiskBoss, using PowerShell is a quick and easy option as well.

Hard disks are essential on Windows as they store operating system data and user data. The devices don't last forever, and a hard disk failure can easily lead to all sorts of issues including data loss if backups are not available (or corrupt).

PowerShell comes with several commands that return information about connected internal and external storage devices.

You may start a new PowerShell console by opening Start, typing Powershell, and selecting the item from the list of results. The commands don't require elevation to run.

Option 1: Retrieve general information

The command: get-wmiobject -class win32_logicaldisk

Run the command get-wmiobject -class win32_logicaldisk to look up core information about each connected hard drive. The command returns drive letters and types, the overall size and free space in bytes, and the volume name.

Drive type uses a numerical code:

0 -- Unknown
1 -- No Root directory
2 -- Removable Disk
3 -- Local Disk
4 -- Network Drive
5 -- Compact Disc
6 -- Ram Disk

You may use filters to display only select drive types, e.g. Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_logicaldisk -Filter "DriveType =4" to display network drives only.

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