How to Find the Serial Number of a USB Drive

Finding the serial number of a USB drive can be quite useful, whether you need to identify it for security, warranty claims, or data tracking. Here’s how to find the serial number of a USB drive on various operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Windows

To find the serial number of a USB drive on Windows, you can use either the Command Prompt or Disk Management. Here are the steps for both methods:

Using Command Prompt

1. Plug in the USB drive 2. Open Command Prompt by typing 'cmd' in the search bar and pressing Enter. 3. Type the following command and press Enter: ```bash wmic diskdrive get serialnumber ``` This will list the serial numbers of all connected drives, including your USB drive.

Using Disk Management

1. Right-click on the Start menu and select 'Disk Management' 2. Locate your USB drive in the list of disks. 3. Right-click on the disk and select 'Properties'. - In the 'Details' tab, look for 'Serial number'.

macOS

On macOS, the serial number of a USB drive can be found easily using the Terminal. Here’s the process: 1. Plug in the USB drive 2. Open Terminal (found in Applications > Utilities) 3. Type the following command and press Enter: ```bash system_profiler SPUSBDataType ``` 4. Look for your USB drive in the output list and find the 'Serial Number' listed under it.

Linux

For Linux-based operating systems, there are multiple commands to find the serial number of a USB drive. Here’s how: 1. Plug in the USB drive 2. Open a terminal window 3. Type the following command and press Enter: ```bash lsusb -v | grep -i 'serial' ``` 4. This will display the serial number of all attached USB devices.

Additional Notes

- Not all USB drives have a serial number because it depends on the manufacturer and drive firmware. - Ensure you have the necessary permissions to access hardware information on your system. - For detailed USB hardware monitoring, you can use the command `tailf /var/log/messages`, `usb-devices`, or `dmesg`, which also provide live activity and hardware information.

Windows Users Additional Information

For Windows users who want to dig deeper, you can also find the serial number through the Device Manager. Here’s how: 1. Right-click on Computer - Manage - Device Manager 2. Navigate to 'Portable Devices' 3. Click on the ' ' next to 'USB Mass Storage Devices' to find your USB drive 4. Right-click on your drive and select 'Properties' 5. In the 'Details' tab, select 'Property' 'Device Instance Path' to view detailed information, which includes the serial number. By following these steps, you can easily locate the serial number of your USB drive regardless of the operating system you're using. This should help in managing your USB storage devices more effectively.

Keywords: USB serial number, finding USB serial number, USB drive serial number method