Hardware ID
Definition
A structured identifier Windows uses to associate a device with an INF package.
Detailed explanation
A Hardware ID is a structured value reported by a bus or firmware to identify a device to Plug and Play. PCI IDs commonly include VEN, DEV, SUBSYS, and REV, while USB uses VID and PID. Windows compares an ordered list of specific and compatible IDs with INF declarations when ranking packages. The ordered list normally runs from a revision- and subsystem-specific value to broader class-compatible values. ACPI identifiers use a different naming authority, and Bluetooth or software-enumerated devices follow their own syntax, so prefixes reveal which enumerator created the device node.
Where you are likely to see it
This term usually appears in Device Manager, Windows recovery tools, Event Viewer, or the installation details for a device package. The definition above gives the short meaning; the detailed explanation describes the term's role in the operating system and hardware stack.
Device status, hardware IDs, and event text identify which Windows subsystem produced a label. This glossary is informational and does not provide repair, installation, or technical-support services.
Related vocabulary
Explore connected concepts and nearby entries in the Windows hardware vocabulary.