I intend to use the users BIOS/Motherboard Serial Number to uniquely identify a user. When I refer to the BIOS/Motherboard Serial Number I am referring to the number returned when you type in: wmic BIOS get SerialNumber
- Change Motherboard Serial Number Windows
- Motherboard Serial Number Bios
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Regarding the BIOS/Motherboard' Serial Number:
- Can the user change this serial number? Either using third party applications or through Windows.
- According to this forum post, not all vendors supply a motherboard
UUID
so I cannot use this to uniquely identify the user. Do venders mostly/always supply/fill out the BIOS/Motherboard Serial Number or will I also find some computers dont have a serial number? - I have tried to uniquely identify a user using the Hard Drive's Serial Number. But I have first hand run into the issue that it can change and that Windows API is unreliable and can return different values. See my post here. Do you know if I may experience the same issue for the BIOS/Motherboard's Serial Number?
- Can a standard process (Standard Windows User) retrieve the BIOS/Motherboard Serial Number? Or does the process need to be elevated (Admin User)?
- Assuming your BIOS supports it, in most cases, you would have to change it there. That's what i did for some old dells boards to keep our inventory in check.
- Knowing how to change a Windows serial number is vital when your computer is locked out from receiving essential Windows updates, which provide the security features necessary to safely maintain a connection to the internet.
Just to confirm the BIOS is the motherboard, correct? I am a little unclear because I thought the BIOS is the simple software installed on the motherboard.
1 Answer
I can't speak for the motives of others, but there are legitimate reasons for needing to 'correct' the serial number in the BIOS of a motherboard. Over the past decade I have purchased 9 Asus motherboards. They all have a sticker with a proper serial number; however, the BIOS reports a generic serial number of 'SYS-'. Becaauusee I purchased motherboard from singapore and there is model number just 780 and serial number is 123456789 uuid is 123456789 So there is no model nr no serial. The serial and product number will change when the motherboard is relaced. The new motherboard. Note: Due to the Serial Number SN on motherboard is the necessary information needed for RMA service, please must keep it in perfect condition. The utility for setting model and serial number used to be called snzero and was used to set these after the motherboard was replaced.
- Yes, a power user can change nearly all serial numbers using either service utilities like AMI DMIEdit or by editing BIOS chip contents manually.
- Most desktop motherboards right now are coming with empty MBSN and UUID, except for ASUS ones. The only PCs that almost always have valid identification data are branded ones (i.e. Dell or HP workstations).
- Nearly all 'individual' data can be changed somehow, and virtual devices makes the whole situation even more complex.
- It depends on how you will try to access it, but general answer is 'No, you need administrator rights'. Read more here.
Change Motherboard Serial Number Windows
Motherboard Serial Number Bios
My 5 cents on this: just don't use HW-based identification, it brings more problems then solves.