Assign your own serial number to a custom built PC?

Catsrules · January 4, 2019

We have a few custom built computers at work. Most of our computers are from an OEM so they come with computer serial number. However these custom computers don't as they are custom built. Is it possible to add serial numbers to these computers so computer inventory software can pick up the numbers and we can better keep track of these computers?

We have a few different builds of computers but they all have ASUS motherboards I was hopping ASUS would have some type of software that could flash these numbers into the BIOS but I haven't been able to find anything like that.

Thanks.

TetraSky · January 4, 2019

If all you want is to add these systems to the inventory, you could always just use bar/QR codes that you stick to the side of the case... or on each components, which is assigned to a specific identifier in the inventory system.

Why make this more complicated than it needs to be by trying to find a way to add a serial number to the BIOS?

Catsrules · January 4, 2019

52 minutes ago, TetraSky said:

If all you want is to add these systems to the inventory, you could always just use bar/QR codes that you stick to the side of the case... or on each components, which is assigned to a specific identifier in the inventory system.

Why make this more complicated than it needs to be by trying to find a way to add a serial number to the BIOS?

Yes and that is what we have done, but it isn't a nice as a SN that is burned in. With a burned in SN that SN is added automatically when a computer is added to the network. Computer management software like Spiceworks can automatically grab it and add it. .

What makes this very powerfull is you can now format the computer and add it to the network again and it will automatically add that number again to the inventory. Where as if I were to reformat then readd a computer without a burned in SN number it just appears as a blank number and I would have to manualy enter in the SN number.
A burned in SN number makes computer management and inventory 1000 times better IMO.