Register for your free TechRepublic membership or if you are already a member, sign in using your preferred method below.
We recently updated our Terms and Conditions for TechRepublic Premium. By clicking continue, you agree to these updated terms.
Invalid email/username and password combination supplied.
An email has been sent to you with instructions on how to reset your password.
By registering, you agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices outlined in the Privacy Policy.
You will also receive a complimentary subscription to TechRepublic’s News and Special Offers newsletter and the Top Story of the Day newsletter. You may unsubscribe from these newsletters at any time.
All fields are required. Username must be unique. Password must be a minimum of 6 characters and have any 3 of the 4 items: a number (0 through 9), a special character (such as !, $, #, %), an uppercase character (A through Z) or a lowercase (a through z) character (no spaces).
How to display updated Windows 11 system information with BgInfo
Your email has been sent
With the help of the free utility app BgInfo, you don’t have to remember all of your Windows 11 system information because it will always be available on your desktop.
As a practical matter, it is difficult to remember specific hardware and software information regarding your personal computer, particularly if the PC is a few years old. The exact CPU, network adapter, or version of Windows 11 we are using is just not information most of us remember and are ready to recite when asked. Yet this is just the kind of information that is often vital for identifying your system and troubleshooting problems.
SEE: Web 3.0 quick glossary (TechRepublic Premium)
The task of identifying systems and the hardware and software currently in use can be accomplished simply and easily with an app called BgInfo, which is part of the Sysinternals suite of utility applications freely available from Microsoft. By running BgInfo and making a few decisions on which information you would like to display, you can overlay pertinent system information on your Windows 11 desktop background image where it can be viewed at any time.
Figure A shows you a cut out of a standard Windows 11 desktop. Note that the current version is blank and devoid of system information.
Figure A
Download BgInfo from the Sysinternals website and extract the contents of the ZIP file into the C:WindowsSystem32 folder. You should have two new files in that folder, as shown in Figure B.
Figure B
When you run BgInfo, you will be presented with a configuration screen that you can use to change the default settings, as shown in Figure C. Under most circumstances the default settings will be adequate, but you may adjust to fit your needs.
Figure C
Once you are satisfied with your configuration settings, click the OK button. Now, when you look at the Windows 11 desktop, you will see your system information incorporated into your Windows 11 desktop background image, as shown in Figure D.
Figure D
As an alternative to downloading BgInfo, you may run the application directly from the Sysinternals Live website. Navigate to the BgInfo page and scroll down to the link shown in Figure E. When you click it, you will run BgInfo remotely.
Figure E
BgInfo can also be run from the command prompt with various parameters and switches applied. The switches allow you to save system information into a configuration file, a popup overlay or onto the Windows 11 taskbar as a user accessible icon. The available configuration parameters include:
By default, BgInfo replaces your current Windows 11 desktop background with a new one. However, by changing the default configuration settings, you can have BgInfo use the current background image and replace it with a version updated with your system information. The original image will still be intact on your system if you wish to change back.
Placing a shortcut to BgInfo into your Startup folder will update the Windows 11 system information every time the system is booted, so it will always display the latest information. Always available and up to date system information on your desktop could come in handy when you are trying to troubleshoot.
Be your company’s Microsoft insider by reading these Windows and Office tips, tricks, and cheat sheets.
How to display updated Windows 11 system information with BgInfo
Your email has been sent
Your message has been sent
TechRepublic Premium content helps you solve your toughest IT issues and jump-start your career or next project.
The technologies could enable immersive experiences, accelerated AI automation and optimized technologist delivery in the next two to 10 years, according to the firm.
Are you an IT manager or executive trying to make the case for a new ERP vendor? Compare the top ERP software solutions with our list today.
Learn about the new features available with macOS 13 and how to download and install the latest version of Apple’s flagship operating system.
Get great deals on developer and Linux training courses, Microsoft Office licenses and more through these TechRepublic Academy offerings.
This comprehensive guide covers the use of services from multiple cloud vendors, including the benefits businesses gain and the challenges IT teams face when using multicloud.
Recruiting a Scrum Master with the right combination of technical expertise and experience will require a comprehensive screening process. This hiring kit provides a customizable framework your business can use to find, recruit and ultimately hire the right person for the job. This hiring kit from TechRepublic Premium includes a job description, sample interview questions …
Knowing the terminology associated with Web 3.0 is going to be vital to every IT administrator, developer, network engineer, manager and decision maker in business. This quick glossary will introduce and explain concepts and terms vital to understanding Web 3.0 and the technology that drives and supports it.
While the perfect color palette or the most sublime button shading or myriad of other design features play an important role in any product’s success, user interface design is not enough. Customer engagement and retention requires a strategic plan that attempts to measure, quantify and ultimately create a complete satisfying user experience on both an …
IIoT software assists manufacturers and other industrial operations with configuring, managing and monitoring connected devices. A good IoT solution requires capabilities ranging from designing and delivering connected products to collecting and analyzing system data once in the field. Each IIoT use case has its own diverse set of requirements, but there are key capabilities and …

source