NTDETECT.COM is a read-only hidden system file that resides in the root of the primary partition. This file is responsible for examining the hardware and building a list. It then passes this list to the NTLDR to build the hardware list in the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
Windows 2000 has an advanced file called INSTALLD.CMD that contains debugging features which is also the checked version of ntdetect.com.
NTDETECT.COM contains information about the computer's system components like bus and adapter components, disk geometry, read-only memory (ROM) blocks, keyboard and communications (COM) port and parallel port components, mouse component, and floppy disk drive component.
