Dell Client Configuration Toolkit (CCTK) is the only way to do this other than the Dos method.
Why do you want to change the Asset Tag?
You can use WMI to get information about each unit.
locally you can open an administrative command prompt
wmic csproduct get vendor,name,identifyingnumber
If VNC or remote desktop connection to the remote-host is not available, execute the following from the local-host to get the service tag of the remote-host.
wmic /user:administrator /node:remote-host bios get serialnumber
You will be prompted for the password for account administrator.
NOTE :: type the command exactly like it appears above only replacing the remote-host part with the workstations name you're querying. If you want to use a user account other than administrator, replace 'administrator' with the account you wish to use.
CCTK ended up not being so bad. As it turns out, I don't have to specify a whole bunch of stuff, just the things I want to change. I just now have to make an EXE for every Dell PC we have. OMCI should do this as well, but that's more ambitious than I care to be at the moment. We may implement that after we finish our SCCM roll out.
Why would I want to change the asset tag? Well, by default it is blank and I'd like to track physical assets. All PCs are getting a difficult-to-remove label that is tracked by our inventory system.
The service tag aka Serial Number is Unique and the WMI command I listed can do that piped into a file > via login script without having to install anything. Adding an Asset Tag doesn't hurt anything but its not really necessary.
If you type this into a Dos box you will see what I mean
Takes a bit more knowledge to get these to work in 64 bit versions of windows.
Let’s say you’ve written a little 32-bit script that calls a Windows command such as nbtstat. When you try to run the script in x64 Windows, you get an annoying “File not found” error – even though you can see the command sitting in the \Windows\system32 folder.
What’s going on here?
x64 version of Windows have two system folders: \Windows\system32 and \Windows\SysWOW64.
The 32-bit commands are in the SysWOW64 folder, and the 64-bit commands are stored in the system32 directory. x64 Windows looks in system32 by default when you call a command line function, since it tries to call the 64-bit version.Fortunately, there is an easy way to solve this little problem…
The reason that calling your command line function with the full path doesn’t work is because Windows has a built-in “auto-redirect” to the SysWOW64 (32-bit stuff) folder. Since your script is 32-bit, the redirect kicks in.
A service tag may be unique, but it isn't the same format between Dell, HP, Lenovo, Lexmark, etc. An asset tag is.
All of those devices have serial numbers, but none of the labels are in the same location, appear the same, etc.
The service tag also doesn't indicate who owns that piece of hardware. Our asset tag labels do.
One of our systems already pulls anything useful out of WMI. When I add the asset tag, it propagates into the system. Yes, it pulls the service tag too.
From your posts, I will assume that you do not have experience with enterprise level IT.
It also isn't a DOS box anymore, but a command prompt. DOS has been gone for a while.
mhammett-ICS
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39 Posts
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June 10th, 2013 17:00
No, I'm trying to set the asset tag.
osprey4
4 Operator
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34.2K Posts
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June 10th, 2013 17:00
Are you trying to change the service tag in the BIOS?
speedstep
9 Legend
•
47K Posts
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June 11th, 2013 10:00
Dell Client Configuration Toolkit (CCTK) is the only way to do this other than the Dos method.
Why do you want to change the Asset Tag?
You can use WMI to get information about each unit.
locally you can open an administrative command prompt
wmic csproduct get vendor,name,identifyingnumber
If VNC or remote desktop connection to the remote-host is not available, execute the following from the local-host to get the service tag of the remote-host.
wmic /user:administrator /node:remote-host bios get serialnumber
You will be prompted for the password for account administrator.
NOTE :: type the command exactly like it appears above only replacing the remote-host part with the workstations name you're querying. If you want to use a user account other than administrator, replace 'administrator' with the account you wish to use.
mhammett-ICS
1 Rookie
•
39 Posts
0
June 11th, 2013 10:00
CCTK ended up not being so bad. As it turns out, I don't have to specify a whole bunch of stuff, just the things I want to change. I just now have to make an EXE for every Dell PC we have. OMCI should do this as well, but that's more ambitious than I care to be at the moment. We may implement that after we finish our SCCM roll out.
Why would I want to change the asset tag? Well, by default it is blank and I'd like to track physical assets. All PCs are getting a difficult-to-remove label that is tracked by our inventory system.
speedstep
9 Legend
•
47K Posts
0
June 11th, 2013 11:00
The service tag aka Serial Number is Unique and the WMI command I listed can do that piped into a file > via login script without having to install anything. Adding an Asset Tag doesn't hurt anything but its not really necessary.
If you type this into a Dos box you will see what I mean
wmic csproduct get vendor,name,identifyingnumber
speedstep
9 Legend
•
47K Posts
0
June 11th, 2013 11:00
Dos makes a roaring comeback Windows Server® Server Core. I have many years experience with enterprise level IT.
PowerShell and Server Core are the new "DOS".
That along with Many Dos Commands that work even today.
The main reason to use Server Core is security and not using services that are not needed.
The net.exe command is an external command that is available
in the below Microsoft operating systems.
Windows 95
Windows 98
Windows NT
Windows ME
Windows 2000
Windows XP
Windows Vista
Windows 7
NET [ ACCOUNTS | COMPUTER | CONFIG | CONTINUE | FILE | GROUP | HELP | HELPMSG | LOCALGROUP | NAME | PAUSE | PRINT | SEND | SESSION | SHARE | START | STATISTICS | STOP | TIME | USE | USER | VIEW ]
As well as others like Ping and Tracert etc.
ipconfig /renew *
arp -d *
nbtstat -R
nbtstat -RR
ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /registerdns
Takes a bit more knowledge to get these to work in 64 bit versions of windows.
Let’s say you’ve written a little 32-bit script that calls a Windows command such as nbtstat.
When you try to run the script in x64 Windows, you get an annoying
“File not found” error – even though you can see the command sitting in the \Windows\system32 folder.
What’s going on here?
x64 version of Windows have two system folders: \Windows\system32 and \Windows\SysWOW64.
The 32-bit commands are in the SysWOW64 folder, and the 64-bit commands are stored in the system32 directory. x64 Windows looks in system32 by default when you call a command line function, since it tries to call the 64-bit version. Fortunately, there is an easy way to solve this little problem…
The reason that calling your command line function with the full path doesn’t work is because
Windows has a built-in “auto-redirect” to the SysWOW64 (32-bit stuff) folder.
Since your script is 32-bit, the redirect kicks in.
mhammett-ICS
1 Rookie
•
39 Posts
0
June 11th, 2013 11:00
A service tag may be unique, but it isn't the same format between Dell, HP, Lenovo, Lexmark, etc. An asset tag is.
All of those devices have serial numbers, but none of the labels are in the same location, appear the same, etc.
The service tag also doesn't indicate who owns that piece of hardware. Our asset tag labels do.
One of our systems already pulls anything useful out of WMI. When I add the asset tag, it propagates into the system. Yes, it pulls the service tag too.
From your posts, I will assume that you do not have experience with enterprise level IT.
It also isn't a DOS box anymore, but a command prompt. DOS has been gone for a while.