10 digit unique pc code?

Hi folks, I am told that every computer is shipped with a unique 10 digit ID code. Does anyone know if this is correct?
If this is the case anyone know how I find out mine?
cheers

 

Go to Start / Run and type msinfo32.exe then click OK.
On the general information tab the 4th item down is system name.
It shour say YOUR- followed by 10 numbers and letters.
I don't know for sure if it is randomly generated but it will change every time you reload the OS.

 

Done this but mine just says the name of the computer station that I gave it when I loaded up the OS originally.

I have a mini application that tells me that my unique computer machine number is 8184932362 - where does it get this information from?

 

Go to Start / My Computer.
Right click it and select properties.
Then select the computer name tab.
Under computer discription is full computer name.
If your click the change bar and then the more bar this is identified as the NetBIOS computer name.

 

WHICH "mini application" did you use to find that number? If you can tell us that, we MIGHT be able to help you find the source of the number you've posted here, but without knowing exactly how you found that number, we probably can't tell you WHERE it is located on your system...

I'm wondering if that is actually a Pentium III ID number, but I haven't seen one in the last few years, so I can't recall the format used by Intel...

 

well I don't know the name of the mini application but I can post the .exe file here that prints it out.

 

No, some programs can try to generate such an id by hashing value of hardware to make a id string. But generally no, most pcs don't contain a "unique id code"

 

I am told that the software that produces this code is the same as the security software that microsoft uses to check windows XP validity.

Certainly it always generates the same code for the same computer

 

Are you sure you don't mean the Media Access Control (MAC) address.
This is a unique 12 hexadecimal digit hardwired into all equipment, not just pcs.
To find it
start>run>cmd
type in at the command prompt
ipconfig /all

The MAC number is called the 'physical address' an looks like

00-B0-D0-E6-5A-F6

for example.

in theory this number is printed on the the equipment label but for pcs usually only laptop manufacturers do it.

See

http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/ASCC/documentation/macaddrss.html

Studio T

 

A code can be generated by hashing various hardware componets sure. But its definitaly possible to produce a same id via that method with same hardware I am about 95% postive. As far a mac address, thats very easy to change/spoof so its not a very good method for id either. Even though people do use it, its easy to spoof/change a mac address on a network device, so i don't think thats whats shes reffering to.

 

If you are talking about the Machine Serial#, that is burned into the Bios by the manufacturer.

 

I think we are going around in circles here.
Perhaps Charco would tell us what the information is for?

The numbers referred to by Tjet are for the operating system, not the pc, albeit they can be generated using munufacturers code stored in chips. Change the os or buy pc with no os and these change. The ms hash code is 20 digits btw.

The Bios serial number, available to quick readers at boot, chan be changed by rewriting a bios chip ( not a service technique much used thses days as it is costs more than a modern pc). It can also be changed by simply changing the motherboard!

MAC addresses, spoofs notwithstanding, are the most reliable as they can always be read AT SOURCE and can not be changed. However there may be more than one associated with a pc as each network card (NIC) has its own.

Studio T