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Dell Laptop Service Tag in BIOS

Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 11:31 am
by Chris H
Hi, I bought a laptop second hand a few weeks ago in a garage sale, works fine, but just noticed in the BIOS setup, a rude word has been set underneath the Service Tag (Serial No). As below...

*********** System Identification **********
Service Tag: XXXXXXXXX
Asset Tag: RUDE WORD

Clearly this has been setup by someone since the PC was originally purchased (Dell D600 laptop with Phoenix BIOS Version A14.

It is not an inpt field ie. you cannot tab or move to it to change it, so it must have been set elsewhere. Presumably some utiliy programme or editing of a specific file somewhere.

Any ideas how to remove it ?

thanks
Chris

Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 4:47 pm
by ajzchips
Can't you reflash it with a clean BIOS download from DELL's site?

Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 10:44 pm
by Chris H
tried that, thas how I got to A14, still there...

Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2004 3:14 pm
by Rainbow
Use Dell Asset Tag Utility to delete it http://support.dell.com/support/downloa ... eid=R33634

Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 3:12 pm
by ajzchips
Chris H wrote:My Service Tag shows as XXXXXXX, I want to put the actual tag number in. Tried asset.com /s but asks me to remove the SETUP password first. I didn't think I had one, and I don't know where to do this anyway.

No password on entering BIOS and all password options show as disabled.

Any one know how to get around this nope please ?

thanks
Chris
Chris, please stick to this original thread of yours. The newer one has been deleted.

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2005 2:07 pm
by TechGirl
Don't know if you have taken care of this or not, but the way to clear an asset tag is relatively simple for your D600. Your resource cd has the utility on it. The directory is CSD\TOOLS\BIOS. The utility will be named "Asset" followed by the version it is running. For example, if you have version 2.09, your utility file will be named "Asset209.com."

To erase the asset tag, browse to the directory where the file is located in DOS. (You'll need to boot to the resource cd and then exit to DOS and then navigate to the "BIOS" directory.) When you're there, type ASSETxxx (where xxx = the 3 numbers indicating the version in your utility's file name) followed by a space and /d to erase the existing asset tag. If you want to add your own, simply type ASSETxxx "your new tag." It will hold 9 alphanumeric characters with no spaces. The /s switch you were referring to is for your Service Tag and cannot be changed once it is set without a very good reason to change it and an Onsite Dell Technician with a special piece of software, which is not available to the public for obvious reasons. You can change your asset tag and owner tag all day long, however.

I hope this helps.

Another dell problem

Posted: Tue May 03, 2005 1:06 am
by whackerjack
I have installed a new LCD screen on my dell latitude cpi400xt system but now I have a weird problem.
My service tag is missing (blank) and I cann't unlock my hard drive password. I cann't fill in any password and I get the meesage no password can be set beacuse service tag is missing.

I used the asset utility to restore the old system asset key.

Please help me to solve this problem. I need the data on this drive and I cann't unlock it on antoher system.

Posted: Tue May 03, 2005 9:05 pm
by edwin
Check the nearest Dell service center with the original receipt/proof of purchase.

This is on the same sort of lines...

Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 7:10 pm
by Lilwadnerd
Basically, im a bit of a nooby when it comes to computers, and one of my work friends who no longer works for his old company, has forgotten the password to his laptop (OS Windows 2000 Professional) and as he does not have the admin password either, he cant reset it. So i trawled through the wide world of web to find the ISO to boot up the password, but most of them require you to know some BIOS and all i know is how to reset the time and know that when it says ** YOU CANNOT SET A PRIMARY OR ADMINISTRATIVE PSSWORD BECAUSE THIS SYSTEM HAS NO SERVICE TAG ** on the last page, that it isnt good. I checked and lo and behold, there is no service tag, this is probably the reason the ISO demo i burned onto a disk with the right program did not work. The BIOS version is A15 and the system is a Dell Latitude CPx JG50GT. Can anyone help?

**EDIT: I did tell the system (in BIOS) to boot from CD when i attempted to use the disk based program.

Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 12:00 pm
by edwin
Ummm are you talking about the windows password or the laptop system password here? Two entirely different things.

Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 11:30 pm
by Lilwadnerd
See, you learn new things every day.

We need to get into windows,and the program i tried didn't work. He wants to access some of the other files he has on there and restore the system to a state in which he can actually USE the damn thing.

Also, he has no receipt and the laptop is probably way past warrenty anyway.

Cheers

Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 1:04 pm
by edwin
Find a windows 2000 and a working license key (should be stickered on the laptop somewhere) and do a reinstall, then at the point where it says it has found a previous installation, answer yes to the question if you want to repair that one. That should give you access to the windows installation again.

Best of luck.