Locating Your Serial Number or Computer Name

Intended Audience

This article is intended for faculty, staff, and students looking to locate the serial number or computer name of a university-owned computer.

Requirements

To follow this article the user must be in front of a university-owned computer that requires a work ticket for repair or troubleshooting.

Locating the Serial Number

To better identify computers for work tickets, ITS may request the serial number or computer name from your University-owned computer. HP computers have a serial number with 10 alphanumeric characters. Apple computers have a serial number with 12 alphanumeric characters. If you are unable to provide the serial number, we will request the computer name and instructions for that can be found in the Locating the Computer Name section.

HP Desktops

For HP desktops, the serial number is located on a sticker on the top or side of the computer tower, as shown below:

HP Laptops

For HP laptops, the serial number is typically under the battery. However, on some thinner models without a removable battery, the serial number is located on the bottom middle near the hinge.

Dell Desktops

You can find the Dell desktop computer serial number(service tag) by looking for the label on the top, back or side of your computer tower. If your Dell computer is an all-in-one, then you can find the serial number on the lower back side of the all-in-one or on the all-in-one stand.

Dell Laptops

Dell laptops typically have the number on a label on the bottom of the computer, usually toward the middle. Older Dell laptop models may have the serial number(service tag) under the removable laptop battery on the bottom of the laptop.

Apple Devices

For any Mac, you can view the serial number from About This Mac:

1. Click the Apple button on the menu bar
2. Click About This Mac
3. The Serial Number field is at the bottom

If the Mac is not functional enough to boot into macOS, the serial number is also etched on the bottom of the stand for iMacs and on the bottom middle near the hinge for MacBooks. If the serial number isn't acceptable or is unreadable, ITS will accept a location description of the Mac instead.

IMPORTANT NOTE

The blue Property of University of Michigan tag is NOT the serial number. Unfortunately, for diagnostic and location purposes, this tag provides ITS with no usable information. The blue property tag looks like this:

Locating the Computer Name

As an acceptable alternative or if you are unable to provide the serial number, we will request the computer name. To find the computer name, please follow the steps for your operating system:

OS X or macOS

1. Click the Apple button on the menu bar
2. Click System Preferences
3. Click Sharing
4. The Computer Name field is at the top

Windows 10

1. Right-click on the Windows key.
2. Click on System.
3. Device name will be the first thing listed.

Troubleshooting

If you have any questions or experience any issues with this article, please visit or contact the ITS Helpdesk for assistance.

Location: 206 Murchie Science Building

Hours: go.umflint.edu/hours

Phone: (810) 762-3123

Email: flint.its.support@umich.edu