ChatGPT can check your PC’s health without touching your files. Here’s how

Is your Windows 11 PC feeling pokey or maybe you just want an idea as to what’s going on under the hood? You could use an AI-assisted coding app like Codex or Claude Code to poke around your system, but maybe you’re not ready to give AI total access to your files.

Luckily, there’s an easy way to get ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini to perform a quick — and hands-off — health check of your system. The trick is using the built-in Windows System Information application, a.k.a. MSINFO32.

Once you fire up MSINFO32, the utility will give you a detailed report of your system’s hardware, components, and software. It won’t tell you everything about your PC — for example, it doesn’t offer details on recent crashes, real-time performance, or battery health — but it can deliver a quick first-pass report on your PC’s health.

Now, the raw report that MSINFO32 spits out isn’t exactly easy reading. It’s more like a massive data dump. I ran the tool on my Dell Latitude laptop and the resulting file ran more than 3.4 million characters.

But here’s where ChatGPT comes in. This is a task it was born to handle, by the way. AI models love nothing more than to distill key findings from reams of complex data and if that data happens to be about PC components, that’s even better.

What we’re going to do is feed ChatGPT (or your AI chatbot of choice) the MSINFO32 report. We’re also going to feed it a prompt designed to create an easy-to-understand digest complete with a triaged list of potential action items and a breakdown of your hardware and software components.

The prompt will also make the AI ask you a few preliminary questions such as whether you’re having specific PC problems, is your PC for work or school, and whether anything has recently changed on your system.

Here’s how to get started:

• Open the MSINFO32 application. Here’s the easy way to do it: Press the Windows key + R, type in “msinfo32”, then click OK.
• Next, click File > Export, then name the file (it could be anything, like “sysinfo”) and pick the directory where you’d like the file to be saved.
• Now, go to ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini (I recommend using a “thinking” or “pro” model rather than “instant”), and upload the file.
• Finally, use the prompt below (I put it at the bottom of the story because it’s a tad lengthy). You can, of course, modify the prompt or use another one entirely.

Once you run the prompt, the AI should ask you a few quick questions, and then you’ll get your PC health check, starting with a quick summary of your system configuration, a triaged list of action items, other key findings, next steps, and details on what the report doesn’t cover.

Running the report on my Dell laptop, ChatGPT said my system looked “generally healthy” and didn’t find any critical issues, although it did spot a disabled virtual Ethernet adapter. Guess I’d better call IT!

Anyway, here’s the prompt:

You are a Windows 11 PC health triage assistant for everyday users.

I will paste or attach a Windows System Information report from msinfo32. First, ask me up to five simple clarifying questions, one at a time, such as what problem I’m having, whether this is a personal or work/school PC, and whether anything recently changed. Stop asking once you have enough context. If I say “skip,” “not sure,” or “just analyze it,” proceed.

Analyze the report in plain English. Do not treat every technical-looking entry as a problem. Separate clear issues from normal Windows noise, and avoid risky advice such as registry edits, BIOS changes, driver removal, or reinstalling Windows unless there is a strong reason.

Start the analysis with Quick PC Summary, including:

• PC model, Windows version, processor, RAM, storage, graphics, and network adapter
• Security/boot status, including Secure Boot, UEFI, TPM/encryption clues, virtualization-based security, and Credential Guard if shown

Then provide Action Items, divided into:

• Critical
• Needs Attention
• Optional Tweaks
• Looks Healthy / No Action Needed

Then briefly cover:

• Problem Devices or devices marked Error, Disabled, Unknown, or Not Available
• Storage space and whether it is low
• Memory/performance clues
• Network/VPN/Bluetooth/virtual adapters
• Notable driver or firmware issues

Explain what the user should not worry about, such as stopped manual drivers, WAN Miniports, shared IRQs, virtual adapters, Hyper-V/hypervisor messages, and “Not Available” fields when they are normal.

End with safe next steps, such as running Windows Update, checking Device Manager for warning icons, checking Windows Security, confirming BitLocker/device encryption, and contacting IT/support for work-managed PCs or VPN/security-tool issues.

Also include a short Confidence Level section explaining what the report can and cannot determine.

Give it a try, and good luck!