Are you struggling to figure out what type of laptop you have? Luckily, there are plenty of methods for working it out without breaking a sweat! Throughout this post, we will be going over the different ways you can go about identifying what type of laptop you have.
How To Find Out What Type Laptop I Have
Find The Laptop Sticker Underneath Your Laptop
This is perhaps the easiest method for figuring out your exact laptop’s make and model. By examining your laptop’s outer-shell, you should be able to find the imprinted serial sticker on it. Depending on what type of laptop you have, you may only find the model number imprinted on the shell after S/N. If so, you can always do a quick search for that model number to identify the exact product you have. Doing a search will likely lead you directly to the manufacturer’s website.
Look Inside The Shell
Some laptops (usually Windows) have various stickers located near or even on the palm rests. Check to see whether or not yours does. This might give you pertinent information to distinguish what model of laptop you have. Usually, you will find the specific Central Processing Unit (CPU) and potentially even the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) that you can find in your laptop.
Go Through The Control Panel
For those that have older laptops with stickers or serial numbers that have worn off, you can always check for the model number within the control panel if you have a Windows operating system. This is a reliable way to check for your serial number regardless if you have other means of identifying the exact model number. The process is very easy and quick.
For Windows 10 Users:
Steps: Open Control Panel (type “Control Panel” into the search bar) > Click on “System”
For Windows 7 Users:
Steps: Open Control Panel > Click on “System and Security” > Click on “System”
Use Windows System Information
This specific area is going to give you a detailed list of the specifications of your current laptop. The downside is that this list can be convoluted if you aren’t entirely sure what you are looking at. That being said, you will be able to find the model number by sorting through it. By using the steps we discuss below, you can easily find the information you are looking to get.
For Windows 10 Users:
Steps: Open System Information (type “System Information” into the search bar) > Click on “System Information” > Look for the field titled “System Model”
For Windows 8 Users:
Steps: Use Search (type “msinfo32” into the search bar) > Click on the result “msinfo32” > Look for the field titled “Model”
For Windows 7 Users:
Steps: Head over to “Search” > Enter “System Information” into the field > Choose “System Information” From Results > Identify “System Model” Field
Get Laptop Serial Number From Command Promt
This Works for The Following Laptops: Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Toshiba
- If you can turn your laptop on, open the command prompt by searching for “CMD”.
- When Command Prompt is opened simply type “wmic bios get serialnumber” (without quotes) and hit return, it will display your Acer laptops serial number
For Microsoft Surface Devices
- Open the Surface app
- Locate & click on the feedback button which is on the left
- Your serial number will be present under ‘Your Surface Device’ as well as other device info such as SKU.
FAQ
Why Do I Need To Know My Laptop Model?
1. Servicing Requests
You need to be able to identify the model that you have if you are in need of service. After all, you will need to know what manufacturer/brand to contact in regards to getting your laptop fixed.
They will request the information on your laptop model when they are initiating their Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA). Therefore, you need to have the exact model number in order to properly identify what laptop you have. They might even need to know what your serial number is in order to figure out whether or not your laptop is currently under warranty.
2. Drivers
If you have a Windows laptop, you are going to need to know your laptop’s model number in order to identify the right drivers to select.
While Windows 10 does download the drivers you need automatically, you may find yourself wanting or needing to manually install them yourself. Having the right model number of your laptop will allow you to find the right drivers from the manufacturer’s website.
3. Selling Your Laptop
In order to sell your laptop, you are going to need to give the prospective buyers this information. After all, they need to know what they are buying and you need to know exactly what you are selling.
Having the model number will give you the details you need to have in order to price your laptop properly within the marketplace.
Still Can’t Find Your Laptop Model Number After All Of This?
If you have tried and exhausted all of the different methods above for finding the model number and you are still at a loss, you still have a last resort.
It is very likely that you have found the brand/manufacturer of the laptop through the methods above or by simply looking at the logo on your laptop.
You can do several things. For one, you can get into contact with them and give them the information you do have. You can also look for your purchase receipt of the laptop if you still have it. If you have the purchase receipt, it is very likely written on it.
You can also consider taking your laptop into a repair technician. They may be able to identify the laptop model for you. This is a reliable way to find it.
They will likely be able to use the BIOS in order to find out the exact model and make of your laptop. While you could use this method yourself, it is much more technical and you can actually mess things up if you do it wrong.
As you can see, there are plenty of ways to easily identify the model of your laptop. If you find yourself in a situation where you need to either send your laptop in for repair or you are in a situation where you are trying to sell it, you want to be able to identify the make and model.
Use the methods above and you should be well on your way to finding the exact model and the individual serial number of your laptop.