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BGInfo for Windows

Display a Windows computer's name, IP address and other system details on its desktop background with BGInfo, a free Sysinternals utility.

WindowsFree; not identified as open source in the cited sources
Operating system
Windows 10 and higher; Windows Server 2016 and higher
Architecture
Not specified in the cited publisher documentation
Download package
ZIP archive
Download BGInfo for Windows (ZIP)

The publisher lists these client and server requirements. The archive was checked by HEAD only; its contents and processor architectures were not inspected.

Link checked · Download guidance

What is BGInfo?

BGInfo puts selected system information on the Windows desktop background so you can identify a machine without opening several settings windows. It is useful when working across multiple computers: choose fields such as the computer name, IP address and operating system, then adjust their order, font, colors and position. The configuration editor also offers a preview before you apply the background.

Save a configuration as a .bgi file to reuse the layout. For repeat updates, the publisher documents running BGInfo from the Startup folder or through Windows Scheduler; the /timer:0 option applies the configuration without displaying the editor.

The desktop information is a snapshot, not a live monitoring panel. BGInfo writes a background bitmap and exits, so changes made after that run will not appear until it runs again. The download linked here is the publisher's ZIP archive; no specific processor architecture or numeric release version is asserted.

What it offers

  • Show system details such as computer name, IP address and operating system on the desktop background.
  • Choose and arrange fields, with editable fonts, background colors and text position.
  • Preview the background before applying it.
  • Save and reopen .bgi configurations to reuse a layout.
  • Refresh through startup or scheduled runs, with /timer:0 for an update without the configuration dialog.

Good to know

  • Desktop information does not update continuously: BGInfo writes a bitmap and exits. Run it again, at startup or on a schedule, to refresh changed details.

Product images

BGInfo configuration editor with system-information field placeholders, formatting controls, background options and preview button.
BGInfo configuration editor with system-information field placeholders, formatting controls, background options and preview button. Image source ↗Application screenshot supplied in Microsoft Sysinternals documentation. Rights remain with their respective owners; no separate screenshot reuse permission was established. Used to illustrate the documented interface; not a claim of the current release's exact appearance.
Historical BGInfo output on a Windows XP desktop, listing boot time, CPU, host name, IP address, memory and network details.
Historical BGInfo output on a Windows XP desktop, listing boot time, CPU, host name, IP address, memory and network details. Image source ↗Screenshot from the BGInfo for Windows gallery on Softonic. Rights remain with their respective owners; no explicit reuse license or permission was established. Historical desktop illustration, not evidence of current operating-system support or release appearance.

Sources

References used for this listing. Retrieval dates do not indicate hands-on testing.

  1. BGInfo - Download ↗Retrieved
  2. BgInfo - Sysinternals | Microsoft Learn ↗Retrieved

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