Download of the Week: LookInMyPC
PrintWhat's on your PC? It's a fairly innocuous question, one that even the most tired of geeks should be answer without a moment's hesitation. But let's face it -- you sometimes spend a decent amount of time between upgrades. So much so, that you might have very well lost track of the exact names of the parts and pieces inside your system. Do I personally remember the exact model name of my motherboard? Nope! I won't tell you the manufacturer, but I've definitely had to pop off the side of the case and scan around, flashlight in hand, just to find my motherboard's actual model number for a firmware update search.
Yuck.
Don't let that be you. Furthermore, now's as good a time as any to get a solid inventory of not only the parts and pieces attached to your rig, but a full list of your installed software (and running services) as well. Why's that? Suppose your rig crashes tomorrow--I'm talking about the big one. No hard drive. All your data's wiped out. Can you honestly tell me that you'll remember each little freeware app or utility you installed on your system when you go to rebuild your machine? Wouldn't it be nice to have a little checklist to help you along?
And thus enters this week's download of the week--an application that goes above-and-beyond the call of duty to give you a full load-out of every little thing, hardware or software, that's in any way connected to your system. It's called LookInMyPC, but it's not just the name of this freeware app that's clever. The program starts by listing out every possible element of your computer, everything from the brand and size of your hard drives, to all the software you've installed, to your networking information. This baseline report is a key element of LookInMyPC, as you can then come back to the application months later (presumably after you've made some changes) and compare specific elements of your new system against the baseline you previously established.
It's a great tool for analyzing just what's changed about your system over time. More importantly, it's an excellent (and portable) tool for troubleshooting your friends' systems. With but one click of a mouse, you'll have a full read-out of all the hardware and software details you'd need to know in order to make even a wild guesstimate about what's affecting their PC. Best of all, LookInMyPC is fully compatible with Windows 7!
Each week, Maximum PC picks a new free or shareware download as its favorite of... the week. Have a nifty application that you can't live without? Twitter David Murphy @acererak with your latest suggestions.
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reutnes
March 13, 2010 at 2:52pm
In response to your question, you can choose to have the report emailed to an address of your choosing, or you can print it out for yourself.
PhoneyVirus
March 12, 2010 at 2:09pm
Do I personally remember the exact model name of my motherboard?
Nope! I won't tell you the manufacturer, but I've definitely had to
pop off the side of the case.There's many Utilitys that give you infofmation on BIOS Ver, Mobo Names (ASUS P5Q Pro) and so on but never trust one and for that you need more thanks Dave nice also it's Protable.
SIW - System Information for Windows 2010: http://www.gtopala.com/
Belarc's Advisor: http://www.belarc.com/index.html
Jox
March 12, 2010 at 5:19pm
I ain't got no drug problem what I don't got under control anywise.
-Jox
douglasnye@hotm...
March 12, 2010 at 10:41am
Douglas Nye
I keep the pocket version on thumb drive in my toolbox when I make "house calls" and it works great to get all this information before you begin work on PC. It tells you everything from Bios versions to running processes, including hardware, and software. It is a one stop shop for complete information! It saves time looking in multiple locations for information.
Hg Dragon
March 12, 2010 at 10:13am
I like some of the things this reports, such as installed services and their status/authority level, plus its hardware ID'ing. If it would pull and report software licenses like Belarc does, I'd have a new full-time tool. Looks like I'll be running these in tandem.
Keith E. Whisman
March 12, 2010 at 10:00am
I really like this as part of a balanced diet.
Thanks for the excellent article as always.
nekollx
March 12, 2010 at 9:54am
niiiiice
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
Joe D
March 16, 2010 at 12:33pm
CPU-ID seems to be more thorough for hardware but this program worked very well. I used it on a clients PC and they were astonished to see a program like this. I accidentally laughed at them for that remark.
logicmaster2003
March 12, 2010 at 8:56am
wow thank you maximumpc for posting this :)
I downloaded the portable version and will test it on windowXX later on. But as of now, i tested it on LINUX (mandriva2010x) and it works !!! the output are 2 pages of HTML !! this is brilliant :)
In the past, i use PCWIZARD / SisSandra
poet_will
March 12, 2010 at 6:19am
I will continue to use SIW. No installation needed.
http://www.gtopala.com/
Cy-Kill
March 12, 2010 at 6:48am
Had you even bothered to visit the site, then you'd know that there is a portable version as well!
Cy-Kill
techmad
March 12, 2010 at 5:05am
I've seen a few other applications like this, but ill be using this one from now on, very handy!
Digital-Storm
March 12, 2010 at 4:14am
I don't need an app like this. I honestly can tell ya, I remember every little piece of software I put on my machine.
Scootiep
March 12, 2010 at 6:04am
Then this article wasn't at all targeted at you and there was no reason for you to comment on it other than to brag about your super human memory. As for the rest of us who concentrate on more important things, or have multiple systems, it is a very useful tool and should be considered. With 3 desktops, 2 laptops, and a combination NAS/HTPC, I find this very, VERY useful.
To start press any key...ohh, where's the "Any" key. - Homer Simpson
Digital-Storm
March 12, 2010 at 6:14am
Just as your ignorance wasn't at all targeted at me. There is no reason for you to comment on my comment other than to believe I have super human memory.
Scootiep
March 12, 2010 at 7:24am
Really? What ignorence? You state that you remember every single piece of software you put on your PC. I was simply pointing out that because of this, there was no reason for your comment. If the subject doesn't apply to you because you don't need it then all you are doing is bragging about your lack of need because of your superior memory. But I am curious, do you have the exact version numbers of every piece of software on your PC? Furthermore, do you have the exact model and serial numbers of every piece of hardware in your computer memorized? Go ahead and post them if you want but I'd still highly doubt that unless you are Stephen Hawking you actually have all of that information stored in your cerebral databanks.And yes, my entire comment was directed entirely at you. Don't believe so? Then prove me wrong with quotes from what I said and how they can be misinterpreted. Personally I think you should re-read the article and seriously consider whether or not it would be beneficial for you to use this program. I can honestly say that it is very useful and records a very large amount of useful data relating to your computer that could prove very useful to you shoudl you ever encounter problems. Need to check the model number of your RAM for over-volting? It's in there. Want to see if you got one of the AMD tripple cores that unlocks successfully into a free quad core? Just look in the program ranther than popping off your heatsink or digging around for your purchase information. Trust me, it's worth it.
To start press any key...ohh, where's the "Any" key. - Homer Simpson
FunkySquirrel
March 12, 2010 at 11:08am
Trust me, it's not hard to remember what you have in your computer if you just use common sense and don't load every piece of crap software someone says "Hey, this is cool!" about. When I reinstall, I grab new drivers. No need to worry about versions. I know what parts are in my computer because I built it. If something breaks, I replace it.
I don't know what all of you are loading on your computers that you need the best minds in the country to help you rebuild the damn things, but yeah, I remember every part and every piece of software I put on my computer. Because again, I built it, and if I don't need it, I don't put it on there.
Digital-Storm
March 12, 2010 at 7:56am
Here at MaximumPC, we build our own computers. We know what is on it at all times. If you find yourself installing random software all the time, you have other things to worry about than version numbers and parts. Seriously, is it so hard to check the version number on a piece of software you own?
Scootiep
March 12, 2010 at 7:00pm
I like how you didn't even bother to respond to the question about ignorence. At least
when you questioned my use of the phrase "Super human memory" I was
cordial enough to actually support my sarcasm.But seriously, lets get to the meat of this argument. Is it hard to check
software versions on your own? No. However, when I read the article it
points out quite clearly that the program can be used for far more than
just software versions. Did you even bother to look at the positive
merits of the program before stating "I don't need an app like this."?
Also, please tell me how having all of this information in one central
location where it can be easily accessed much more quickly is
detrimental to anyone? Look, whether you have a great memory or not,
keeping track of multitudes of programs, hardware specs and various
firmware versions for a single machine (let alone multiple machines) can
be very tedious, time consuming and difficult. I'm sorry that my
comment jabbed at you a little with sarcasm, but from the arrogance of
your initial comment, it was more than justified. I still maintain my
position that this is a very useful tool and allows for far greater
usability of someone’s computers.I also like how nearly
every single response from all of your readers have been overwhelmingly
in favor of this program. That's just icing on the cake.To start press any key...ohh, where's the "Any" key. - Homer Simpson
Keith E. Whisman
March 12, 2010 at 7:59pm
Every time I try to support your arguments I get hit by the Site Spam Filter that is really bothering me. I don't think the Webmaster here even reads any of the messages I sent him/her.
Scootiep
March 13, 2010 at 12:42pm
I had the same issue. I have an idea of what MIGHT be causing it. Luckly for me, I have access to a few hundred IP addresses and, if necessary, many, many email addresses that could be registered as user accounts on any website. =P
To start press any key...ohh, where's the "Any" key. - Homer Simpson
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