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How to Get the Serial Number of a Volume in Batch Script

Every formatted volume in Windows is assigned a unique Volume Serial Number at the time of formatting. This hexadecimal identifier (e.g., A1B2-C3D4) is different from the physical hard drive's hardware serial number, it changes every time the volume is reformatted, while the hardware serial is permanent. Volume serial numbers are used by software licensing systems that bind to a specific volume, forensic investigations that need to identify a disk image, and inventory scripts that need a per-volume fingerprint.

This guide will explain how to retrieve volume serial numbers.

Volume Serial vs. Hardware Serial​

These are two completely different identifiers that are frequently confused:

PropertyVolume Serial NumberHardware (Disk) Serial Number
What it identifiesA specific format instance of a partitionThe physical drive hardware
Format8-digit hex (e.g., A1B2-C3D4)Manufacturer-specific string
When it changesEvery time the volume is reformattedNever (burned into firmware)
Where it's storedVolume boot sectorDrive firmware/controller
Use caseSoftware licensing, forensic image matchingAsset tracking, warranty, hardware inventory
Command to retrievevol C:Get-Disk or Get-PhysicalDisk

Method 1: Quick Volume Serial Check​

The simplest way to see the volume label and serial number for a specific drive.

Implementation​

@echo off
setlocal

set "Drive=%~1"
if "%Drive%"=="" set "Drive=C"

:: Normalize
set "DriveLetter=%Drive:~0,1%"

if not exist %DriveLetter%:\ (
    echo [ERROR] Drive %DriveLetter%: does not exist. >&2
    endlocal
    exit /b 1
)

echo [INFO] Volume information for %DriveLetter%:
echo.
vol %DriveLetter%:

endlocal
exit /b 0

Sample output:​

 Volume in drive C is Windows
 Volume Serial Number is A1B2-C3D4

Method 2: Extract Serial Number as a Variable​

When you need the serial number as a clean variable for use in scripting logic, license validation, file naming, or conditional processing.

@echo off
setlocal

set "Drive=%~1"
if "%Drive%"=="" set "Drive=C"

set "DriveLetter=%Drive:~0,1%"

if not exist %DriveLetter%:\ (
    echo [ERROR] Drive %DriveLetter%: not found. >&2
    endlocal
    exit /b 1
)

:: Extract the serial number using vol (Much safer than parsing an entire dir output)
set "Serial="
for /f "usebackq tokens=*" %%a in (`vol %DriveLetter%: 2^>nul`) do (
    :: Split line by spaces and check each word for the XXXX-XXXX format
    for %%w in (%%a) do (
        echo "%%w" | findstr /i /r "\"*[0-9A-F][0-9A-F][0-9A-F][0-9A-F]-[0-9A-F][0-9A-F][0-9A-F][0-9A-F]\"*" >nul 2>&1
        if not errorlevel 1 (
            :: Store value and clean up any quotes
            set "Serial=%%~w"
        )
    )
)

:: Fallback: use PowerShell if parsing failed (Written safely on one line to prevent CMD parser crashes)
if not defined Serial (
    for /f "usebackq delims=" %%s in (
        `powershell -NoProfile -Command "$vol = Get-CimInstance Win32_Volume -Filter \"DriveLetter='%DriveLetter%:'\" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue; if ($vol.SerialNumber) { '{0:X4}-{1:X4}' -f ($vol.SerialNumber -shr 16), ($vol.SerialNumber -band 0xFFFF) } else { 'UNKNOWN' }"`
    ) do set "Serial=%%s"
)

if "%Serial%"=="UNKNOWN" (
    echo [ERROR] Could not retrieve serial number for %DriveLetter%: >&2
    endlocal
    exit /b 1
)

echo [RESULT] Volume Serial: %Serial%

endlocal
exit /b 0

Why dir instead of vol for parsing:​

Both vol and dir display the volume serial number, but their output format varies by locale:

  • English: Volume Serial Number is A1B2-C3D4
  • German: Volumeseriennummer: A1B2-C3D4
  • French: Le numéro de série du volume est A1B2-C3D4

The token position of the serial number shifts depending on the language. The script uses a regex-based approach that searches for the XXXX-XXXX hex pattern regardless of surrounding text, making it more robust across locales. If this fails, it falls back to PowerShell's Win32_Volume.SerialNumber.

Using the serial in scripts:​

:: Example: Create a license-validation filename
set "LicenseFile=license_%Serial%.dat"

:: Example: Log the serial for inventory
echo %COMPUTERNAME%,%DriveLetter%:,%Serial% >> inventory.csv

:: Example: Compare against expected serial
if "%Serial%"=="A1B2-C3D4" echo Licensed machine detected.

Method 3: All-Drive Serial Number Inventory​

Generates a complete inventory of all volume serial numbers on the machine.

@echo off
setlocal

echo [INFO] Volume Serial Number Inventory for %COMPUTERNAME%:
echo --------------------------------------------------

powershell -NoProfile -Command ^
    "$volumes = Get-CimInstance Win32_Volume |" ^
    "    Where-Object { $_.DriveLetter -and $_.FileSystem };" ^
    "if (-not $volumes) {" ^
    "    Write-Host 'No volumes with drive letters found.';" ^
    "    exit 0" ^
    "};" ^
    "$volumes | ForEach-Object {" ^
    "    $serial = if ($_.SerialNumber) { '{0:X8}' -f $_.SerialNumber } else { 'N/A' };" ^
    "    $serialFormatted = if ($serial.Length -eq 8) {" ^
    "        $serial.Substring(0,4) + '-' + $serial.Substring(4,4)" ^
    "    } else { $serial };" ^
    "    [PSCustomObject]@{" ^
    "        Drive = $_.DriveLetter;" ^
    "        Label = if ($_.Label) { $_.Label } else { '(none)' };" ^
    "        FileSystem = $_.FileSystem;" ^
    "        'Serial Number' = $serialFormatted" ^
    "    }" ^
    "} | Sort-Object Drive | Format-Table -AutoSize"

echo --------------------------------------------------

endlocal
exit /b 0

Sample output:​

Drive Label       FileSystem Serial Number
----- -----       ---------- -------------
C:    Windows     NTFS       A1B2-C3D4
D:    Data        NTFS       E5F6-7890
E:    BACKUP_USB  exFAT      1234-ABCD

Why PowerShell for the inventory:​

  • Win32_Volume.SerialNumber returns the serial as a 32-bit integer. Formatting with '{0:X8}' -f $value produces the standard 8-digit hexadecimal representation.
  • A single WMI query retrieves all volumes at once, no need to loop through drive letters.
  • Works for all file system types (NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, ReFS).

Method 4: Combined Volume + Hardware Serial Report​

For complete asset documentation, this method shows both the volume serial (per partition) and the hardware serial (per physical disk).

@echo off
setlocal

echo [INFO] Complete serial number report for %COMPUTERNAME%:
echo --------------------------------------------------

echo.
echo --- Volume Serial Numbers (per partition^) ---
echo.

powershell -NoProfile -Command ^
    "Get-CimInstance Win32_Volume |" ^
    "    Where-Object { $_.DriveLetter -and $_.FileSystem } |" ^
    "    Sort-Object DriveLetter |" ^
    "    ForEach-Object {" ^
    "        $serial = if ($_.SerialNumber) { '{0:X8}' -f $_.SerialNumber } else { 'N/A' };" ^
    "        $formatted = if ($serial.Length -eq 8) { $serial.Insert(4,'-') } else { $serial };" ^
    "        Write-Host \"  $($_.DriveLetter)  $($_.FileSystem.PadRight(6))  $formatted  $(if ($_.Label) { $_.Label } else { '' })\"" ^
    "    }"

echo.
echo --- Hardware Serial Numbers (per physical disk^) ---
echo.

powershell -NoProfile -Command ^
    "Get-Disk | ForEach-Object {" ^
    "    $sn = if ($_.SerialNumber) { $_.SerialNumber.Trim() } else { 'N/A' };" ^
    "    Write-Host \"  Disk $($_.Number): $($_.FriendlyName) - SN: $sn\"" ^
    "}"

echo.
echo --------------------------------------------------

endlocal
exit /b 0

Sample output:​

--- Volume Serial Numbers (per partition) ---

  C:  NTFS    A1B2-C3D4  Windows
  D:  NTFS    E5F6-7890  Data

--- Hardware Serial Numbers (per physical disk) ---

  Disk 0: Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus - SN: S4EWNX0M123456
  Disk 1: WDC WD40EFAX-68JH4N1 - SN: WD-WCC7K1234567

Why both serials matter:​

  • Volume serial changes with reformatting. Useful for tracking specific format instances, license bindings, and forensic image matching.
  • Hardware serial is permanent. Useful for asset tracking, warranty claims, and identifying the physical device regardless of what partitions are on it.

Method 5: Fleet-Wide Serial Inventory CSV​

For collecting serial numbers across multiple machines.

@echo off
setlocal

set "CSVFile=\\Server\Audit\volume_serials.csv"

if not exist "%CSVFile%" (
    echo "Timestamp","Computer","Drive","FileSystem","VolumeSerial","Label","DiskNum","HardwareSerial" > "%CSVFile%" 2>nul
)

powershell -NoProfile -Command ^
    "$ts = Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss';" ^
    "$volumes = Get-CimInstance Win32_Volume | Where-Object { $_.DriveLetter -and $_.FileSystem };" ^
    "foreach ($v in $volumes) {" ^
    "    $serial = if ($v.SerialNumber) { '{0:X8}' -f $v.SerialNumber } else { 'N/A' };" ^
    "    $label = if ($v.Label) { $v.Label } else { 'none' };" ^
    "    $driveLetter = $v.DriveLetter;" ^
    "    $diskNum = 'N/A';" ^
    "    $hwSerial = 'N/A';" ^
    "    try {" ^
    "        $partition = Get-Partition | Where-Object { $_.DriveLetter -eq $driveLetter[0] } | Select-Object -First 1;" ^
    "        if ($partition) {" ^
    "            $diskNum = $partition.DiskNumber;" ^
    "            $disk = Get-Disk -Number $diskNum -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue;" ^
    "            if ($disk.SerialNumber) { $hwSerial = $disk.SerialNumber.Trim() }" ^
    "        }" ^
    "    } catch {};" ^
    "    Write-Output ('\"' + $ts + '\",\"' + $env:COMPUTERNAME + '\",\"' + $driveLetter + '\",\"' + $v.FileSystem + '\",\"' + $serial + '\",\"' + $label + '\",\"' + $diskNum + '\",\"' + $hwSerial + '\"')" ^
    "}" >> "%CSVFile%" 2>nul

echo [OK] Serial data exported for %COMPUTERNAME%.

endlocal
exit /b 0

What to look for in the fleet CSV:​

  • Volume serial changes for the same drive letter on the same machine: Indicates the volume was reformatted between scans, investigate whether this was intentional.
  • Same hardware serial on different computer names: May indicate a drive was moved between machines (e.g., during hardware repair).
  • Missing hardware serials: Some USB enclosures and virtual disks don't report hardware serials.

How to Avoid Common Errors​

Wrong Way: Confusing Volume Serial with Hardware Serial​

:: WRONG - this shows the HARDWARE serial, not the volume serial
wmic diskdrive get serialnumber

The hardware serial identifies the physical drive. The volume serial identifies a specific format instance of a partition. They are completely different values used for different purposes.

Correct Way: Use vol C: or Win32_Volume.SerialNumber for volume serials. Use Get-Disk or Get-PhysicalDisk for hardware serials.

Problem: Locale-Dependent Output from vol​

The text surrounding the serial number in vol output is translated:

  • English: Volume Serial Number is A1B2-C3D4
  • German: Volumeseriennummer: A1B2-C3D4

Using for /f "tokens=5" to extract the serial works in English but fails in German (where it's at a different token position).

Solution: Method 2 uses pattern matching for the XXXX-XXXX hex format rather than relying on token position. For fully reliable extraction, use Win32_Volume.SerialNumber via PowerShell.

Problem: PowerShell Returns Serial as an Integer​

Win32_Volume.SerialNumber returns the serial as a 32-bit signed integer (e.g., -1582119980). This needs to be formatted as hexadecimal to match the XXXX-XXXX format shown by vol.

Solution: Use '{0:X8}' -f $value to convert to an 8-digit hex string, then insert a hyphen at position 4 for the standard display format. All PowerShell methods in this guide handle this formatting.

Best Practices and Rules​

1. Know Which Serial You Need​

For licensing audits and forensic image matching, you need the volume serial. For asset tracking and hardware inventory, you need the hardware serial. Method 4 shows both side by side.

2. Volume Serial Changes on Reformat​

If a drive is reformatted, its volume serial changes. Software licenses bound to the old serial may deactivate. Document the serial before reformatting if licenses are tied to it.

3. Log Both Serials for Fleet Management​

Capture both volume and hardware serials in your inventory system. The hardware serial tracks the physical asset; the volume serial tracks the logical volume state.

4. Use PowerShell for Reliable Extraction​

Parsing vol or dir output is fragile across locales. Win32_Volume.SerialNumber returns a consistent numeric value regardless of Windows language.

5. Include Serials in Forensic Documentation​

When creating disk images for forensic analysis, record the volume serial number. This allows the image to be traced back to the specific volume instance on the source machine.

Conclusions​

Retrieving volume serial numbers provides a unique per-format-instance identifier that is essential for licensing validation, forensic traceability, and inventory management. By using Win32_Volume for reliable cross-locale extraction, distinguishing volume serials from hardware serials, and collecting both in fleet-wide inventories, you ensure that every volume in your infrastructure is properly catalogued and traceable. This small piece of metadata provides a powerful anchor for identification and compliance across your entire Windows environment.

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