In Windows, each user and group has a distinct SID. Here are the Command Prompt and PowerShell commands for finding the SID of a user in Windows 10 and 11.
Though not often, there might be times when you need to know a SID of a user account or all the user accounts. If that’s ever the case, follow the below steps to find the SID of a user in Windows 10 & 11.
Windows provides several methods for determining the SID of any or all users. For clarity, I’ve separated the post into two major sections, each showing two methods. The first section describes how to find the SID of a specific user, while the second section covers all users.
The steps below work the same in Windows 10 and 11.
Related: How to find full user account details in Windows
Find the SID of a Specific User
You can use the Command Prompt or PowerShell to find the SID of a specific or current user. I’m showcasing both techniques. Both work in the same way. Follow the one you prefer.
Command Prompt command to find the SID of the current user:
If you want to know the SID of your own user account, i.e., the current user, run the below command.
whoami /userWhen you run the command, it will show your username and the associated SID in the output.
Command Prompt command to find the SID of a specific/any user:
To find the SID of another user, you should run the wmic command with get sid. So, execute the below command while replacing USERNAME with the actual username of the user you are trying to get the SID.
wmic useraccount where name="USERNAME" get sidAs soon as you run the command, the Command Prompt window shows the SID of that user. Since you already know the username, unlike the first command, the command will show the SID of the target user.
Find the SID of All Users
To find the SID of all users in your system, follow one of the below methods. Both work the same.
Command Prompt command to find SIDs of all users:
First, open the Command Prompt from the Start menu and execute the below command. If you look at the command, it is pretty much similar to the specific user command but a tad bit different.
wmic useraccount get name,sidUpon successful execution, the Command Prompt window will list all users on your system and their SIDs.
PowerShell command to find SIDs of all users:
If you are a PowerShell user, you can use a simple cmdlet. First, open PowerShell by searching for it in the start menu and execute the below command.
Get-WmiObject win32_useraccount | Select name,sidAs soon as you execute the command, PowerShell will list all user accounts on your system and their SIDs.
What is a SID?
SID (Security Identifier) is a unique string value automatically generated for every user account and group. Windows uses the SID to manage many things, such as user settings, user resources, files, shares, networks, registry entries, etc. Simply put, SID is like the identity that Windows uses to manage the user.
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That is all. It is that simple to find the SID of users in Windows 10 and 11.
I hope this simple and easy Windows how-to guide helped you.
If you are stuck or need some help, send an email, and I will try to help as much as possible.
