Serial Number Commands

Get Serial Number — Commands for Desktops, Servers & Network Devices

Copy the commands from the boxes and run them on the target machine. This HTML uses no JavaScript (improves Blogger Compose compatibility). Expand each section for commands and notes.

Windows (Desktop & Server)PowerShell & WMIC

Works on Windows 7 / 8 / 10 / 11 and Windows Server (2008+). Run as Administrator when required.

Commands

Tip: Click inside a box, Ctrl+A then Ctrl+C to copy

PowerShell (Get-CimInstance)

Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_BIOS | Select-Object SerialNumber

PowerShell (alternate)

Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_BIOS | Select-Object SerialNumber

Legacy WMIC (works in many environments)

wmic bios get serialnumber

From registry (example)

reg query HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\HARDWARE\\DESCRIPTION\\System\\BIOS /v SystemSerialNumber

If commands return blank on virtual machines the host/BIOS might not expose serial number (VMs often show 'None' or empty).

Linux (Desktop & Server)dmidecode / sysfs

Commands below require root privileges for dmidecode and reading /sys files on many systems.

Commands

Run as root or prepend sudo where shown

dmidecode

sudo dmidecode -s system-serial-number

Alternative via sysfs (Linux kernel)

cat /sys/class/dmi/id/product_serial\n# or\ncat /sys/class/dmi/id/board_serial

Using lshw (if installed)

sudo lshw -class system | grep -i serial

Red Hat / CentOS note

sudo dmidecode -t system

On cloud instances or some small form-factor devices the DMI table may be absent or have vendor-specific fields.

macOS (Apple desktop & server)system_profiler / ioreg

Run on the Mac where the hardware is physically present.

Commands

system_profiler

system_profiler SPHardwareDataType | awk '/Serial/ {print $4}'\n# Or fuller info\nsystem_profiler SPHardwareDataType

ioreg method

ioreg -l | grep IOPlatformSerialNumber\n# or\n/usr/sbin/ioreg -c IOPlatformExpertDevice | awk -F'\"' '/IOPlatformSerialNumber/ {print $4}'

Cisco IOS (routers & switches)show commands

Run from privileged EXEC mode (enable).

Commands

Basic (shows Processor board ID / serial)

show version

Inventory (detailed, modular devices)

show inventory\n# On some platforms\nshow platform chassis serial\nshow platform hardware qfp active infrastructure sysid

Look for lines like Processor board ID XXXXXXXXX or serial entries in the inventory output.

Juniper Junosshow chassis

Run from CLI in operational mode.

Commands

show chassis hardware | match Serial\n# or\nshow system information | match serial

Other Unix variantsAIX / Solaris / FreeBSD / HP-UX

Commands below vary by vendor. Run as root when required.

Commands

OS	Command (examples)
AIX	lsattr -El sys0 | grep -i systemid\n# or\nlscfg -vp | grep -i serial
Solaris (SPARC/x86)	prtdiag -v | grep -i serial\n# or\n/usr/sbin/smbios -s system-summary
FreeBSD	dmidecode -s system-serial-number\n# or\nkenv -q smbios.system.serial
HP-UX	# On many HP systems\n/opt/hp/hpuxinfo/bin/serialnumber (vendor tool)\n# Or check SAM or iLO for servers; vendor utilities vary

If OS-level commands do not show serial, check vendor management interfaces (ILO, DRAC, IMM) or hardware labels.

Quick troubleshooting & best practice

• Run commands as an administrator/root where noted (use sudo for Linux).
• Virtual machines often do not expose a hardware serial number; check hypervisor or cloud metadata service instead.
• For servers, management controllers (iLO, DRAC, IMM) reliably show chassis serial numbers from the vendor.
• If a command returns nothing, try alternate commands in the same section — vendors differ.

Speed Up Your PC: Disable Bing Search in Start Menu

Boost Your PC Speed: Turn Off Windows Web Search in Minutes

Feeling the Start menu lag? Windows Web Search (the Bing/online results mixed into the Start search) can slow things down and leak queries to the cloud. Disable it to reclaim speed, improve privacy, and keep search results local. Below are two safe, reversible methods — pick what fits your Windows edition.

Why disable Windows Web Search?

• Faster local searches: The Start menu returns results quicker when it doesn't try to query the web.
• Less background network load: Stops unnecessary outbound queries to Bing.
• Better privacy: Keeps search terms on your PC unless you explicitly browse the web.

Choose your approach

Pick Group Policy if you run Windows Pro/Enterprise. Pick the Registry method if you run Home or prefer manual control. Both are reversible.

Option A — Group Policy (Windows Pro / Enterprise)

1. Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to:
   Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Windows Components → Search
3. Double-click and Enable the policy: Do not allow web search.
4. Also consider enabling: Don't search the web or display web results in Search and Don't allow Cortana (optional).
5. Restart the PC (or run gpupdate /force in an elevated Command Prompt).

Result: Start searches will only return local results.

Option B — Registry (All Windows editions)

Use this when Group Policy isn't available. Always back up the Registry before changes.

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
2. Go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows. If Explorer doesn't exist, right-click → New → Key → name it Explorer.
3. Right-click Explorer → New → DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it DisableSearchBoxSuggestions.
4. Double-click it and set the value to 1.
5. Restart Windows.

Result: Web suggestions and Bing integration in Start are turned off.

Quick checklist — before and after

• ✅ Backup Registry if using Registry method.
• ✅ Test Start search: type a local filename to confirm quicker local results.
• ✅ If you need web results later, revert the setting (set policy to Not Configured or delete the Registry value).

Pro tip: If you still use web search sometimes, keep a browser bookmark for fast web lookups — but keep Start search focused locally for speed.

Reclaiming your disk space in Windows. (PART II)

Actually, this post was published due to frustration for me to gain back storage that is being taken by the unnecessary process. Those logs are helpful if you know how to manipulate them. That's why log collector is being developed.

What log can do? 

Long list cut short: Audit trails, Improving existing systems and System Troubleshooting.

Nevertheless, I'll still update this post if I encounter another solution. (Definitely without using third-party tools). Let's Go...

• Cleanup the content inside the folder Component-Based Servicing (CBS): This folder has logged about the installed and uninstalled Windows Update component.
  
  Go to run > key in %Windir%\logs\CBS and press Enter key. 
  
  
  
• If you have IIS running, check the logs and move them to another drive or just delete it.
  
  C:\inetpub\logs\LogFiles\W3SVC1

Reclaiming your disk space in Windows.

There are lots utility that can you install on your machine to claimed your disk space. But personally, I prefer preset tools or tricks that come with the operating system. Those utilities are the last option for me. Here are my sharing to all.

• Empty your Recycle Bin
  
  
  
• Using Control Panel
  Go to run > key in appwiz.cpl and press Enter key. Uninstall unwanted applications and their respective appdata and Program folders.
  
  
  
• Delete temporary file inside the folder.
  Go to run > key in %temp% and press Enter key. 
  
  
  
• Run Disk Cleanup
  (For Windows that didn't have this utility, I'll share instructions on how to obtain it in the incoming post.)
  
  
  
• ReportQueue: Windows Error Reporting service (WER) is used to collect the debug information about the system and third-party app failures but actually, few people use this feature. Safe to delete.
  
  System data goes to the ProgramData directory
  Go to run > key in %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\WER\ and press Enter key.
  
  User data is saved to the user profile
  Go to run > key in %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\WER\ and press Enter key.
  
  
  
• Cleanup the SoftwareDistribution folder: Used by Windows Update to preload downloaded updates and hotfixes before installing them. Safe to delete.
  C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download
  
  
  
• Cleanup cached folder after your computer applies a Windows patch. The files in this cache are mainly used to roll the system back when a patch is uninstalled. 
  C:\Windows\Installer\$PatchCache$
  
  
  
• For those who use TightVNC, must probably the log is full. Just delete the file inside the folder.
  C:\ProgramData\TightVNC
  
  

If you have questions or concerns, just let me know.

Print Spooler Error 1068: The dependency service or group failed to start.

There are several solution for these problem, but this solution suit for me;

Change the RPC Service as their dependency from command line.

To change the print spooler dependency, back to RPCSS, Please follow the below steps

1. Start the Command Prompt as administrator.
2. Now type the following command in the command line one by one followed by hitting the Enter key.

Net stop spooler
sc config spooler depend= RPCSS
Net start spooler
exit

credit to; http://www.techsupportall.com/

Inbound Connection limit in Windows

Basic need to know, Limitation connection for Windows.

Using net config server command through command prompt, we can check Maximum Logged On Users for current operating system.

In my case, Windows 7 Professional 64 bit operating system support 20 concurrent users.

Source : support.microsoft.com

Windows 7 N, K, KN, E versions

There are a few version of Windows 7 available.

These are determined by geographic location and based on the ruling legislation.

Here is the break down of what they are:

Windows 7 N:
Meant for European market, and includes the same functionality as Windows 7,
except that it does not include Windows Media Player and related technologies such as Windows Movie Maker.

Windows 7 K:
Meant for Korean market, and includes the same functionality as ordinary Windows 7,
except that it includes links to a Media Player Center Website and a Messenger Center Website.

Windows 7 KN:
Meant for Korean market, and includes the same functionality as Windows 7 K,
except that it does not include Windows Media Player and related technologies such as Windows Movie Maker, links to download Windows Live Messenger, or links to a Media Player Center Website and a Messenger Center Website.

Windows 7 E:
Meant for European Commission countries, including UK, and includes the same functionality as ordinary standard flavor of Windows 7,
except that it does not include Internet Explorer 8 (IE8)

The missing Media Player and associated technologies can be add back by installing:
Media Feature Pack for Windows 7 N with Service Pack 1 and Windows 7 KN with Service Pack 1 (KB968211)

This is probably a good idea since there are a few things that do not work properly with these components removed. Here is the list of items that are removed and the list of impacts on other components. (from http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968211)


Credit goes to http://fixmyitsystem.com

Presentation utility for zooming and drawing on the screen

ZoomIt is screen zoom and annotation tool for technical presentations that include application demonstrations. ZoomIt runs unobtrusively in the tray and activates with customizable hotkeys to zoom in on an area of the screen, move around while zoomed, and draw on the zoomed image.

Prevent user from changing default homepage for IE.

1. Click Start button.
2. From the "Search programs and files" menu,
   
3. Key in "edit group policy" and from the menu click "Edit group policy"
   
4. Navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Component > Internet Explorer.
   
   
5. Search for "Disable changing home page settings" and double click it.
6. Select Enable and key in your preferred Home Page.
7. Finally click Apply button.

Not Responding Application!!! Windows application

Windows solution for Not Responding Application For Windows user, facing problem with “Not Responding Application” is often.

Actually when the application hang or freezes, that application will send command to KILL ITSELF. Frankly speaking, every user hate when application goes not responding and want to kill the application immediately without waiting time to KILL ITSELF.

Here are the solutions;

1. Run > regedit Go to Registry Key HKEY_CURRENT_USER / Control Panel / Desktop
2. See at the right side panel Double click at AutoEndTasks
3. Modify its Value to 1
4. See there also WaitToKillAppTimeout
5. Double click that and modify its value from 20000 to 100
6. Done

This trick will eliminate user from seeing “Not Responding”

PS: The method works for Windows XP.

Linux like workspaces with WindowsPager

Basic feature that I like when using Linux is having multiple desktop/workspace that we are able to switch between. But what about when using Windows..

Base on my Googling, there are lots software either freeware or shareware that will allow we to have multiple workspace, but yet still not as the functional as the Linux built-in.

Finally I found WindowsPager. You should try this. I really recommend it.

Source : www.inspectmygadget.com

Check open port for program in Windows

Open your command prompt and type in netstat -ano this will list all processes ID and what port it is running or listening on.

Find the port you’re inquiying about and take note of the PID. Now that you have the PID number (located to the left side of the command prompt) you can open up the task manager to tie that PID to a process / program.

Just hit Control + Alt + Del to open Task Manager. Once Task Manager is open you need to display the PID by;
Click tab Process > Click menu View > Click menu Select Columns.. and then select PID (Process Identifier).

Now you can see the PID and the corresponding program / process associated with it.

Remote Desktop VS Remote Assistance

I really need to cleared the air on this topic. Every user need privacy foremost if the computer having a sensitif information. So how do admin want to manage all the computer with taking consideration from violate their privacy. That's why, Microsoft have introduce Remote Desktop and Remote Assistance (long-long time ago, from windows XP if I not mistaken).. So what are the difference?

Even though they have similar names and involve connecting to a remote computer, Remote Desktop and Remote Assistance are used for different things.

Use Remote Desktop to access one computer from another remotely. For example, you can use Remote Desktop to connect to your work computer from home. You will have access to all of your programs, files, and network resources, as if you were sitting in front of your computer at work. While you are connected, the remote computer screen will appear to be blank to anyone at the remote location who sees it.

Use Remote Assistance to give or receive assistance remotely. For example, a friend or a technical support person can access your computer to help you with a computer problem or show you how to do something. You can help someone else the same way. In either case, both you and the other person see the same computer screen. If you decide to share control of your computer with your helper, you will both be able to control the mouse pointer.

How to check either the service are turn off or not..

CMD Change Windows Vista Product Key After Install

To change Windows Vista product key using command prompt, use the following steps:

Do you need to change your product key so that you can activate Windows Vista properly? You can use a great command line tool that will help you do this very easily.

1. Run Elevated Command Prompt in Windows Vista with administrator rights or privileges. To do so, locate Command Prompt icon in Start Menu, right click on it and select Run as Administrator. You can also type in command prompt in Windows Vista instant search, and right click on Command Prompt shortcut and then select Run as Administrator to enable administrator credentials. Answer yes to any Windows Vista User Account Control (UAC) confirmation.
2. In the command prompt window, type the following command: slmgr.vbs -ipk
3. Replace with the 25-digit Windows Vista product key.
4. To activate windows after changing the key, run the following command in the command prompt window: slmgr.vbs -ato

How to Extract Drivers From Windows

Double Driver is a very simple and useful tool which not only allows you to view all the drivers installed on your system but also allows you to backup, restore, save and print all chosen drivers.

Double Driver analyzes your system and lists the most important driver details such as version, date, provider, etc. All drivers that are found can easily be backed up the application and easily restored at a later point in one go.

Force shutdown computer using Schedule Task

1. Click Start, Run and type control schedtasks
2. Double-click Add Scheduled Task. The Scheduled Task Wizard starts.
3. Click Next.
4. Under Click the program you want Windows to run, click Browse.
5. In the Select Program to Schedule dialog box, locate the %SystemRoot%\System32 folder, locate and click the Shutdown.exe file, and then click Open.
6. Under Perform this task, specify a name for the task and how frequently you want this task to run, and then click Next.
7. Under Select the time and day you want this task to start, specify a start time and date for the task, and then click Next.
8. Type the user name and password to run this task under, and then click Next.
9. Click to select the Open advanced properties for this task when I click Finish check box, and then click Finish.
10. Click the Task tab. In the Run box, add -f -s at the back of Shutdown.exe (C:\WINDOWS\system32\shutdown.exe -f -s).
11. Click OK.

Registry editing has been disabled by your administrator

Simplest solution for it;

1. Click Start >> Run >> Key in gpedit.msc
2. On the left hand side, navigate to User Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> System

3. Locate "Prevent access to registry editing tools" and double click it.
4. Set value to Disable and click Apply >> Ok

‘You may be a victim of software counterfeiting’

This problem occurred because Microsoft detect your Windows are not genuine "pirate". Below are the solution and step to prevent it from occurred.

1. Log in into the Safe Mode and delete the file WgaTray.exe from c:\Windows\System32 and from c:\Windows\System32\dllcache
2. Type regedit in Run to open Registry Editor, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Notify key.
   Delete the folder WgaLogon and all of its contents.
3. Restart the PC normally.

After restarting the computer, go to System Properties, then select "Turn off Automatic Updates."

Click Apply then Ok.

How to re-gain access to the hidden attribute setting ?

1. Click Start
2. Click Run
3. Key in cmd and then press Enter
4. Key in your thumb drive location H: (example; H,I,J) and then press Enter
5. Key in attrib -S -H -R *.* and then press Enter

How to disable Dr. Watson for Windows ?

To disable Dr. Watson

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit.exe in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. Locate and click the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AeDebug
   
   
   • NOTE: Steps three and four are optional, but they necessary if you want to restore the default use of Dr. Watson.
     
   
   
3. Click the AeDebug key, and then click Export Registry File on the Registry menu.
4. Enter a name and location for the saved registry file, and then click Save.
5. Delete the AeDebug key. 

To enable Dr. Watson

1. At a command prompt, type the following line, and then press ENTER:
   drwtsn32 -i