How to get computer serial number over a network

You can find a remote computer's serial number on the "Processor and Motherboard" node in the "Hardware" tree. See the "System" section, the "Serial Number" item. Also, you can find a laptop model here, at the "Model" item (desktops usually display a motherboard's model here).

Usually, only branded PC and laptops contain the asset tag information in their BIOS and Windows (HP, Dell, etc.) The DIY computers made by enthusiasts or by unknown vendors do not contain this data.

Warning! In order to read asset tags successfully, please do not forget to select corresponding data groups when configuring the computer data collection. The following options should be selected: "System model ", "System", "System enclosure". If the data is not displayed, this can mean two things: 1) the necessary information is missing in the computer BIOS or registry, 2) the data was not polled because the options were not selected (see the below screenshot).

See also: How to get the system asset tag or any custom registry parameter, PC and HDD health monitoring

Instead of digging out your computer from an inconvenient location just to see a serial number on a sticker, find it the easy way.

There are times when you would need to get a PC’s serial number. You might need it when contacting the manufacturer’s support helpdesk or when doing an inventory of the devices connected to your network, for example. Depending on the location of the computer, it might be hard to find the sticker. Or, perhaps the warranty information card isn’t readily available. Or, perhaps you don’t want to access the machine’s BIOS to get the number.

Whatever the case, whether it’s for helpdesk support or equipment inventory, here’s how to find the serial number the easy way.

Find PC’s Serial Number via Command Line Prompt or PowerShell

To find the serial number via PowerShell, hit the Windows key and type: powershell and run it as administrator from the search results.

Next, enter the following into the PowerShell and hit Enter:

That will bring up your PC’s serial number, and you can write it down. Or, you can copy it into a document if you’re doing inventory by highlighting it and hitting Ctrl + C. Once it’s copied to the clipboard, hit Ctrl + V to paste it into your document.

Use Command Prompt

Suppose you would rather use the command line versus PowerShell you can. Start by hitting the Windows Key to launch Start and type: cmd and select Run as Administrator.

Next, enter the following into the command line prompt and hit Enter:

The command line will return with the serial number so you can copy it down and save it in an easy-to-access location.

Of course, if the PC won’t boot, you will need to get the serial number from the sticker or warranty card. Still, if you need to find the serial number, it might be prudent to access it before disaster strikes. Boot up your computer and get the serial number using one of the steps above. Then put it in a secure location for the times when you need it.

On Windows 10, the ability to check the computer serial number can come in handy in many scenarios. For instance, when you need to create an inventory of the devices connected to your home network or organization, or need to contact technical support to troubleshoot a problem, order a replacement part, or check the warranty information.

Usually, you can find the required information on the sticker affixed on the back or bottom of your laptop or desktop, or checking the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) or Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) on your motherboard. However, if the sticker isn't available or you don't want to go through extra steps to access firmware, you can also use PowerShell and Command Prompt to retrieve this information quickly on Windows 10.

In addition, using commands can be useful to automate the process using a script when you need to retrieve the serial information from multiple devices.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to quickly find your device serial number using command lines.

How to determine PC serial number using PowerShell

To retrieve the serial number of your computer with a PowerShell command, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

3. Type the following command to find out the computer serial number and press Enter:

   Get-WmiObject win32_bios | select Serialnumber

   
   Source: Windows Central

4. Confirm the SerialNumber information.

5. (Optional) Type the following command to determine device serial number and press Enter:

   Get-CIMInstance win32_bios | format-list SerialNumber

6. Confirm the SerialNumber information.

7. (Optional) Type the following command to export the serial information to a text file and press Enter:

   Get-WmiObject win32_bios | select Serialnumber > PATH\TO\EXPORT

   In the command, make sure to replace "PATH\TO\EXPORT" with the path to the text file you want to export the serial number information.

   For example, this command exports the output to the ComputerSerial.txt file in the C drive:

   Get-WmiObject win32_bios | select Serialnumber > C:\ComputerSerial.txt

   
   Source: Windows Central

Once you complete the steps, you'll know the serial number of your desktop or laptop computer.

If you are using the command to export the output, you'll find the file in folder location you specified. Also, since you exported it as a text format, you can open it with Notepad or any other text editor.

How to determine PC serial number using Command Prompt

To check the device serial number using a Command Prompt command, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

3. Type the following command to find out the computer serial number and press Enter:

   wmic bios get SerialNumber

   
   Source: Windows Central

4. Confirm the computer serial number.

5. (Optional) Type the following command to export the serial information to a text file and press Enter:

   wmic bios get SerialNumber > PATH\TO\EXPORT

   In the command, make sure to replace "PATH\TO\EXPORT" with the path to the text file you want to export the serial number information.

   For example, this command exports the output to the ComputerSerial.txt file in the C drive:

   wmic bios get SerialNumber > C:\ComputerSerial.txt

   
   Source: Windows Central

After you complete the steps, the command will return the serial number without needing to access the BIOS or going behind the device to look for the sticker.

Although these commands will work on any computer, custom-build devices don't have a serial number. This means that the command output may read "To Be Filled By O.E.M."

If you're looking to retrieve the device model number, you can use these instructions.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources: