Hard Drive Serial Number: How to Find It

This guide shows you how to locate the serial number of any internal or external hard drive on Windows, macOS, and Linux. You’ll learn the quickest commands and the physical locations, so you can identify a drive for warranty claims, asset tracking, or RMA requests.

What You’ll Need

• Access to the computer the drive is connected to (or the drive itself if it’s external)
• Administrator or sudo privileges on Windows and Linux (not required on macOS for the simple method)
• A terminal or command prompt (built into every OS)

Step-by-Step

On Windows (Command Prompt or PowerShell)

1. Press Windows Key + R, type cmd, and press Enter. For PowerShell, right-click the Start button and select “Windows PowerShell” or “Terminal”.
2. Type the following command and press Enter:
   wmic diskdrive get serialnumber
3. Wait a few seconds. The output will list the serial numbers for every physical disk detected, one per line. The order matches the disk order shown in Disk Management.
4. If the above returns nothing (older systems), try:
   wmic path win32_physicalmedia get serialnumber
5. For a more detailed list including model and interface, use:
   wmic diskdrive get model,serialnumber,index

On macOS (Terminal)

1. Open Terminal (found in Applications > Utilities).
2. Type the following command and press Enter:
   system_profiler SPStorageDataType
3. Scroll through the output. Each storage device is listed with its “Serial Number” field. Internal and external drives both appear here.
4. For a shorter list that only shows the device name and serial, use:
   system_profiler SPStorageDataType | grep -E "Device Name|Serial Number"

On Linux (Terminal)

1. Open a terminal window (Ctrl+Alt+T on most distributions).
2. Type the following command and press Enter:
   lsblk -o NAME,SERIAL,MODEL
3. The output shows each drive (sda, sdb, etc.) with its serial number in the SERIAL column. If the column is empty, you may need sudo.
4. For a more detailed view that includes the drive path, use:
   sudo hdparm -I /dev/sda | grep -i serial (replace sda with your actual drive identifier).
5. Alternatively, use sudo smartctl -i /dev/sda if smartmontools is installed; look for “Serial number” in the output.

Physical Label (All Drives)

1. Power off the computer and unplug it.
2. Open the case (desktop) or access the drive bay (laptop – often a small panel on the bottom).
3. Locate the drive. The serial number is printed on the top label, usually alongside the model number, capacity, and date of manufacture. It may be labeled “SN”, “S/N”, or “Serial No”.
4. For external drives, the label is often on the bottom or back of the enclosure, or on the drive itself if you open the enclosure (which may void the warranty).

Common Mistakes

• Confusing the model number with the serial number. The model number identifies the product line (e.g., “Barracuda 2TB”), while the serial number is unique to that individual unit. The serial is usually longer and often contains a mix of letters and numbers.
• Using the volume label instead. In Windows Explorer, the “C:” label is the volume name (like “Local Disk”), not the serial number. The command wmic diskdrive get serialnumber gives the physical drive serial, not the volume serial.
• Running the command without admin rights on Linux. Many Linux commands need sudo to read drive information. If you get “Permission denied”, re-run with sudo.
• Looking at the wrong drive. If you have multiple drives, the serial number you get may be for a different disk than you intended. Cross-check with the model output or the physical label.

Tips

• On Windows, you can copy the output directly by right-clicking in the command prompt and selecting “Mark”, then highlighting the text.
• For warranty claims, write down the serial number and the model number together; most manufacturers require both.
• If you manage many computers, use a script to export all serial numbers at once. On Windows, wmic diskdrive get serialnumber /format:csv gives a CSV output.
• The serial number is also stored in the drive’s firmware. Tools like CrystalDiskInfo (Windows) or smartctl (Linux) can display it without opening the case.
• On a Mac with Apple Silicon, the internal SSD’s serial is also listed in system_profiler SPStorageDataType, but it may be formatted as a long alphanumeric string.

Troubleshooting

• wmic is not recognized on Windows 11. WMIC is deprecated in newer Windows versions. Use PowerShell instead: open PowerShell and run Get-PhysicalDisk | Select-Object FriendlyName, SerialNumber. This works in Windows 10 and 11.
• The serial number comes back blank. This can happen with USB drives on Windows. Try plugging the drive directly into a SATA port (if internal) or use a different USB cable/port. On Linux, try sudo lsblk -o NAME,SERIAL.
• macOS shows “Not available” for the serial. Some external drives (especially older USB enclosures) do not pass the serial through the USB bridge. Check the physical label on the drive itself.
• You see multiple serial numbers and don’t know which is which. On Windows, run wmic diskdrive get index,serialnumber,model and compare the index to Disk Management (Disk 0, Disk 1, etc.). On Linux, the lsblk output shows the device name (sda, sdb) which you can match to df -h.
• The physical label is worn off. Use the software method. If the drive still works, the serial is always readable via the commands above. If the drive is dead, the serial may be printed on the circuit board or on the side of the drive casing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the hard drive serial number the same as the Windows volume serial number?

No. The Windows volume serial number is a 32-bit number assigned to a partition when it is formatted; it changes if you reformat. The hard drive serial number is a unique identifier burned into the drive’s firmware at the factory and never changes.

Can I find the serial number without turning off the computer?

Yes. The command-line methods above work while the system is running. You do not need to open the case or power down to get the serial number via software.

Why do external USB drives sometimes not show a serial number?

Many USB-to-SATA bridge chips do not pass the serial number through to the operating system. The OS sees the bridge’s identifier instead. Check the label on the drive itself or remove the drive from the enclosure (if it is not sealed) to read the serial.

Does an SSD have a serial number like a hard drive?

Yes. Both SSDs and HDDs have a unique serial number stored in their firmware. The same commands listed above work for SATA and NVMe SSDs.

I need the serial number for a warranty claim, but the drive is dead. What can I do?

Check the physical label first. If it is unreadable, look for a smaller barcode on the side of the drive or on the circuit board. Some manufacturers also print the serial on the original packaging or the invoice. If the drive is under warranty, the manufacturer may be able to look it up by the model and purchase date.

Is the serial number the same as the UUID or device ID?

No. The UUID (Universally Unique Identifier) is a filesystem-level identifier used by the operating system to mount partitions. The device ID (like /dev/sda) is assigned by the OS and can change between reboots. The serial number is permanent and unique to the physical drive.

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