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Where the data on the Displays page of the Computer window comes from. See Computer Window Data Sources for how to read the Source column, and for the other pages of the Computer window.
Collected by the Displays scanner. Monitors are found through the hardware device list, and the detail is decoded from the EDID block the monitor reports, stored in the registry at HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\ under the device's instance ID, in Device Parameters\EDID. Where WMI WmiMonitorId (root\wmi namespace) also has a value, it takes precedence over EDID.
Field |
Source |
Derivation / Notes |
|---|---|---|
Description |
Registry |
The DeviceDesc value of the monitor's device key, which is usually a generic string such as Generic PnP Monitor. Hidden. |
Manufacturer |
Registry / WMI |
The Mfg value of the device key, replaced by WmiMonitorId.ManufacturerName when WMI reports one. |
Model |
EDID / WMI |
The EDID descriptor block tagged 0xFC, replaced by WmiMonitorId.UserFriendlyName when WMI reports one. |
Build Date |
Calculated |
Decoded from the EDID manufacture week and year bytes. The year is stored as an offset from 1990 and only the week is recorded, so the value is the start of that week and is approximate by design. |
Manufacturer ID |
Calculated |
The three-letter PNP vendor code packed into two EDID bytes, five bits per letter. Hidden. |
Product ID |
Calculated |
The manufacturer's product code, stored in EDID as a little-endian 16-bit number. Hidden. |
Serial Number |
EDID / WMI |
The EDID descriptor block tagged 0xFF, replaced by WmiMonitorId.SerialNumberId when WMI reports one. Many monitors leave it empty or report the same value for every unit of a model. Hidden. |
EDID Version |
EDID |
The EDID version and revision bytes. Hidden. |
Instance ID |
SetupAPI |
The Windows device instance ID of the monitor, from the hardware device list. Hidden. |
NOTE: Monitors connected through some docks, KVMs, and virtual display drivers do not expose EDID, so those rows show little more than the description.
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