Can Windows natively identify the 'Hard Disk Model ID' on a USB connected HDD.?

Any ideas, thoughts - not necessary related to Hard Disk Sentinel.
yupowert
Posts: 2
Joined: 2020.11.02. 12:34

Can Windows natively identify the 'Hard Disk Model ID' on a USB connected HDD.?

Post by yupowert »

Hi,

Firstly, HDS is amazing. I bought it 5+ years ago and it has proved its worth practically every day.
Thank you!

I have a problem in that I need to be able to identify a particular HDD, inside an external USB shell, without opening it, and without installing (or downloading) any software (due to policy restrictions/ownership etc).

I'm visiting second-hand / thrift stores to find a number of compatible drives I need. Although the owner will plug in the USB drive (on their PC) to show it works, they (nearly) always say 'no' to installing/running any app which might be able to help me identify the drive inside. There is custom firmware available to make these drives compatible with some old industrial machinery I have.

I'm really only interested in the 'Hard Disk Model ID' (in this example ST4000LM024-2U817V)

I have tried various WMIC commands, but it only ever comes back with the USB external drive controller info. If I then plug it into MY PC, using HDS - hey presto, the truth of the real external HDD is revealed! Of course!
I'm personally using a "drop-in USB HDD chassis" to be able to quickly swap drives, but it's not typical of the USB housings containing the other drives.

Let me show you an example USB using 'wmic diskdrive list full'

Availability=
BytesPerSector=512
Capabilities={3,4}
CapabilityDescriptions={"Random Access","Supports Writing"}
CompressionMethod=
ConfigManagerErrorCode=0
ConfigManagerUserConfig=FALSE
DefaultBlockSize=
Description=Disk drive
DeviceID=\\.\PHYSICALDRIVE3
ErrorCleared=
ErrorDescription=
ErrorMethodology=
Index=3
InstallDate=
InterfaceType=SCSI
LastErrorCode=
Manufacturer=(Standard disk drives)
MaxBlockSize=
MaxMediaSize=
MediaLoaded=TRUE
MediaType=External hard disk media
MinBlockSize=
Model=ASMT 2105 SCSI Disk Device
Name=\\.\PHYSICALDRIVE3
NeedsCleaning=
NumberOfMediaSupported=
Partitions=1
PNPDeviceID=SCSI\DISK&VEN_ASMT&PROD_2105\7&654313A&0&000000
PowerManagementCapabilities=
PowerManagementSupported=
SCSIBus=0
SCSILogicalUnit=0
SCSIPort=3
SCSITargetId=0
SectorsPerTrack=63
Signature=
Size=4000784417280
Status=OK
StatusInfo=
SystemName=XEON-DESKTOP
TotalCylinders=486401
TotalHeads=255
TotalSectors=7814032065
TotalTracks=124032255
TracksPerCylinder=255
(I've removed the other HDD entries for brevity)


And then HDS information:

Hard Disk Summary
Hard Disk Number,6
Windows Drive Index,3
Interface,USB Attached SCSI (UASP) SAT Standard USB/ATA
Vendor Information,"VID: 174C, PID: 55AA"
Version,USB 3.x @ 2.0
Disk Controller,"Intel(R) ICH10 Family USB Enhanced Host Controller - 3A3A (USB 2.0, v2.10) [VEN: 8086, DEV: 3A3A] Version: 10.0.19041.1, 6-21-2006"
Hard Disk Model ID,ST4000LM024-2U817V
Firmware Revision,0001
Hard Disk Serial Number,WCK7SBC6
Total Size,3815445 MB
Power State,Active
USB Device Name,ASMT1051
Device Type,"Removable, surprise remove possible"


So, my question is, is there a way to query Windows 10/11 via a command line (CMD/Terminal/Powershell) or even registry interrogation to identify the correct 'Hard Disk Model ID' (in this case ST4000LM024-2U817V)

Indeed even if only a kind of unique PID can be returned, as long as I can identify that drive vs others

I know, not really a HDS question, hence posted in this General section, but who better to ask than the person with the most knowledge of extracting all this from such USB drives
Many thanks in advance for any help.

Many thanks
Steve
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hdsentinel
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Posts: 3010
Joined: 2008.07.27. 17:00
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Re: Can Windows natively identify the 'Hard Disk Model ID' on a USB connected HDD.?

Post by hdsentinel »

Thanks for your message and your kind words!

To be short: NO, I'm afraid Windows can't report that.

Yes, exactly as you can see, Windows can detect/report how the external USB adapter/dock/enclosure/converter identifies itself.
For example, if it's based on an ASMEDIA chipset, then it reports what the chip provides:

ASMT 2105 SCSI Disk Device

and maybe you can also find the USB VID/PID identifier in Windows Device Manager (eg. VID: 174C, PID: 55AA which displayed in Hard Disk Sentinel).

Windows detects the capacity too and can read/write the drive, and that's all. It does not look "behind" the USB chipset, does not attempt to identify the REAL disk model, serial number, supported functions/features and so.

Some (very rare) newer USB docks/adapters may (instead of the USB-specific ASMT 2105 SCSI Disk Device name) provide the model of the disk drive, but these are rare so with most external USB adapters/enclosures/docks, we'd need Hard Disk Sentinel to detect/report the REAL hard disk model ID, serial number and so.

Yes, I understand the situation - but sometimes we'd need to use 3rd party software, a clean Windows installation does not contain everything ;)
The Portable version could be a good solution:

https://www.harddisksentinel.com/hdsentinel_pro_portable.zip

as if extracted, launched for a quick check - it can be deleted and there are surely nothing remains on the system.
yupowert
Posts: 2
Joined: 2020.11.02. 12:34

Re: Can Windows natively identify the 'Hard Disk Model ID' on a USB connected HDD.?

Post by yupowert »

Hi,

Thankyou for your quick and informative reply, and for confirming what I had feared RE: Windows native interrogation !

However, I never considered a 'portable HDS' solution, maybe even on another USB stick to run in situ.
It has given me several ideas.

Many thanks indeed!
Cheers
Steve
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hdsentinel
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Posts: 3010
Joined: 2008.07.27. 17:00
Location: Hungary
Contact:

Re: Can Windows natively identify the 'Hard Disk Model ID' on a USB connected HDD.?

Post by hdsentinel »

Yes, the portable version can be useful, this page can give additional information about it:

How to use Hard Disk Sentinel Pro Portable?

https://www.hdsentinel.com/kb/category/9/licensing/how-to-use-hard-disk-sentinel-pro-portable.html
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