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Get HD Serial Number

U

unnamedplayer

Member
Hi all,

I need a way to get the serial numbers from my hard drives. They are 2 WD raptors. I downloaded WD diagnostic utility, but I do not see the drives from it. I think this is because the drives are in raid 1. Is there anyway I can get the serial number for each drive without having to open up the case?

Thanks!
 
Intel's Application Accelerator RAID Edition (IAA) utility can identify the serial numbers of my two drives in a RAID-0 configuration. I just checked it to be sure, but I have never tried a RAID-1 configuration, so no info there.

I'm running a Canterwood system - Intel's 875 chipset - and the IAA utility was an optional install. Your mileage may vary ...
 
It's really easy - and built in to Windows XP. Just run System Information:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\MSInfo\msinfo32.exe

Then select COMPONENTS, then DRIVES. It will give the S/N of every drive and more.
 
MSinfo32 does not provide the correct serial number for RAID-0 drives, at least not in my case. The single serial number reported corresponds to neither drive; it may be a serial number generated by the RAID controller or perhaps it's the controller itself. (I used IAA to help identify the port of a failing drive a few years ago.)

But that's RAID-0. MSinfo may indeed provide the correct info for RAID-1 drives, which is what the OP wants.

Edit: the serial number reported by MSinfo appears to be the volume serial number, not the physical drive's serial number. I got the wrong serial numbers for 2 non-RAID PATA drives in my system too . They are the same 8-character serial numbers reported by the running the DIR command.

Moreover, one of my PATA drives has two partitions. Both MSinfo and DIR report 2 serial numbers for the partitions, and each partition has a different serial number. Obviously, the physical drive only has 1 serial number.

ack - this goes back to the old days of DOS and floppies!
 
On my system (RAID1), the S/Ns are accurate, as are those for the IDE and other drives. Yeah - you are right - ack! The good old days of DOS and floppies.
 
Why can't you open up the case? It sounds alot like you're trying to steal serial numbers off a computer from work or something to me.
 
There are valid reasons for wanting the ability to read them from software. Depending on the case and bay setup, a person might have to pull the hard drive out in order to be able to read anything on the label, and depending on the case and mainboard and bay positioning, might end up having to remove memory modules or video card or unplug more than just IDE cables in order to be able to slide the drives out. Even with my relatively open Antec case, I usually end up pulling the drive cage out to be able to read a drive label. If I have more than one drive sitting in it I'd have to dismount the drive from the cage in order to get to the label.
 
Thanks for the replies.

To read them off the label I will have to pull the cage from the case and I don't want to do that because the computer is currently acting as a file server. I need the serials so I can go ahead and get my rebates from WD =]

I am trying Everest now. I'll let you know how that goes.
 
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