CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c#wmi
Cooper.Wu
Cooper.Wu

Reputation: 4565

How to check the machine type? laptop or desktop?

How to check current machine type? laptop or desktop ?

I got this from http://blog.csdn.net/antimatterworld/archive/2007/11/11/1878710.aspx ,it works well on my home machine(Win2003 on laptop), it returns "Portable", but failed on my work machine(Vista on laptop), it returns "Other".

here is the code:


public enum ChassisTypes
{
    Other = 1,
    Unknown,
    Desktop,
    LowProfileDesktop,
    PizzaBox,
    MiniTower,
    Tower,
    Portable,
    Laptop,
    Notebook,
    Handheld,
    DockingStation,
    AllInOne,
    SubNotebook,
    SpaceSaving,
    LunchBox,
    MainSystemChassis,
    ExpansionChassis,
    SubChassis,
    BusExpansionChassis,
    PeripheralChassis,
    StorageChassis,
    RackMountChassis,
    SealedCasePC
}

public static ChassisTypes GetCurrentChassisType()
{
    ManagementClass systemEnclosures = new ManagementClass("Win32_SystemEnclosure");
    foreach (ManagementObject obj in systemEnclosures.GetInstances())
    {
        foreach (int i in (UInt16[  ])(obj["ChassisTypes"]))
        {
             if (i > 0 && i < 25)
            {
                return (ChassisTypes)i;
            }
        }
    }
    return ChassisTypes.Unknown;
}

Upvotes: 16

Views: 27465

Answers (8)

JosephStyons
JosephStyons

Reputation: 58685

I am pretty sure that this will depend on whether the manufacturer has bothered to provide that data on the current chipset. If they have not, then "Other" is the best you can do.

Check out this somewhat related article, which also suggests querying the BIOS directly.

Upvotes: 2

Tomek C.
Tomek C.

Reputation: 657

In order to check if machine is laptop or desktop you can try to check battery status, using SystemPowerCapabilites.LidPresent or both of them.

Battery:

if(SystemInformation.PowerStatus.BatteryChargeStatus ==BatteryChargeStatus.NoSystemBattery){
  //desktop 
}
else{
  //laptop
}

SystemPowerCapabilites.LidPresent:

public SYSTEM_POWER_CAPABILITIES getSystemPowerCapabilites(){
{
    SYSTEM_POWER_CAPABILITIES systemPowerCapabilites;
    GetPwrCapabilities(out systemPowerCapabilites);
    return systemPowerCapabilites;
}

getSystemPowerCapabilites().LidPresent;

GetPwrCapabilities definition: http://www.pinvoke.net/default.aspx/powrprof/GetPwrCapabilities.html

Upvotes: 1

migjoe
migjoe

Reputation: 41

There is no need for both Other and Unknown check.

Change the condition to i > 1 && i < 25 and remember ChassisTypes is an array where OS returns what ever he thinks your system is.

It is possible to match more than single type. Your code only returns the first match.

Upvotes: 4

HMcG
HMcG

Reputation: 2060

Well, I may be attempting to raise the dead here, but I would suggest that the most reliable method of determining a laptop would be the present of a lid status switch. See GetPwrCapabilities and System_power_Capabilities

Upvotes: 7

Cooper.Wu
Cooper.Wu

Reputation: 4565

read registry key from HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\pcmcia, the ‘Start’ value, it's laptop if start =0, otherwise it's desktop machine if start doesn't exist or start != 0.

Upvotes: -3

Kevin Newman
Kevin Newman

Reputation: 2447

Here's a good Microsoft article that suggests looking at a few other WMI classes to get a better idea of whether the computer is a laptop or desktop:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc180825.aspx

Win32_SystemEnclosure, ChassisTypes(1)=10
Win32_Battery or Win32_PortableBattery
Win32_PCMCIAController
Win32_DriverVXD.Name = "pccard"
Win32_ComputerSystem.Manufacturer
Win32_ComputerSystem.Model

And it also suggests to look in the registry for the Power scheme.

Upvotes: 6

user1333
user1333

Reputation:

I don't think there is a definitive right answer for this and I've found WMI unreliable for it but I have been using the Win32 function GetSystemPowerStatus() to determine if there is a system battery, obviously system battery == portable computer.

I've never tried this on a desktop with a UPS though?!

Upvotes: 2

Sinan &#220;n&#252;r
Sinan &#220;n&#252;r

Reputation: 118118

See http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/resources/qanda/sept04/hey0921.mspx and http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa387204(VS.85).aspx which states that:

This documentation is derived from the CIM class descriptions published by the DMTF.

Presumably, that means the manufacturer had to provide some information for Windows to be able to discover it.

Upvotes: 2

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