Add Serial Number to BIOS or Windows on Custom System

[ChunkDog]

Hi,

I work for a small computer company that builds quite a few systems. Our systems are of course custom built, and each one has a serial number on the case witch is used to track the system. Now we would like to add the machines serial number to the BIOS or the Windows installation. We are using Everest to generate reports on the system's we build and service, and would like that custom serial number to show up in these reports. Thanks in advance for the help.

[puntoMX]

Computer name is the only thing I can come up with, but if the user changes it then it will be useless (e.g. new Windows installed by user).

[LLXX]

There is already a serial number in the BIOS, it is displayed on the bottom of the POST screen during bootup.

[-I-]

true, but i wouldn't know how to get it as a variable in windows,

another dis-avantage is that its a verry long nr. with no real asosations for Your company,

Asus has mylogo and this is actualy realy usefull for these kinds of tasks,

im realy not sure if there are other manufacturers that have a simular feature,

setting the key in windows would only work IF the user won't re-install themeselves (or that nephew of thairs), otherwise you could just create a reg entry in windows...

for example in:

\HKLM\OEMINFO\

$date

$system

$clientID

$ect.

witch of cource you might also want to put in oem.ini (for easy enduser access to the info).

[puntoMX]

There is already a serial number in the BIOS, it is displayed on the bottom of the POST screen during bootup.

That’s not a serial number, that’s a product number of the BIOS dude .

[ChunkDog]

Wow, thanks for all the replies. I was considering Hex Editing the BIOS to add the custom serial number, then flashing the board, but I'm afraid that the BIOS image would not be reconstructed correctly for use in flashing. I know about changing the Logo, witch we plan on doing, but how do companies like DELL and HP put a serial number in their BIOS images? or is there something else in play for them to achieve this.

[LLXX]

You have basically described the process, edit the BIOS binary and reflash it.

For AWARD bios there is a specific utility called MODBIN that can be used for this purpose.