Laptop serial number: How to find serial number of a Windows laptop/ PC and Mac

Whether you own a Windows or a Mac, knowing the serial number of the machine can benefit you in many ways. Especially in the cases where you have to contact your manufacturer to report an issue or also for keeping track of your inventory if you have many devices to manage. While the term ‘serial number’ can give you some technical vibes and may even lead you to assume that to find the serial number of your laptop, you have to take a complex technical path. Well, quite the contrary. Here’s a quick look at how you can find the serial number of your pc or laptop with quick, easy steps:

What is a laptop serial number?

A serial number is a unique identification number assigned by OEMs. Even though there is only the mentioning of numbers in the name, ‘serial number’ is usually a mix of numbers and characters. With it, manufacturers can identify a particular laptop when they need to provide technical support or to acknowledge any kind of warranty process. Not only that, a laptop serial number can help you locate your laptop even if it’s stolen.

How to find the serial number of a laptop/ PC (Windows)

There are different methods with which you can find the serial number of your Windows PC or laptop.

Find the Serial Number in Settings

The best way to find the serial number of your Windows PC or Laptop is by checking the Settings page. All you have to do is:

1. Open Settings. (You can either search or open the app from Start)
2. Click System and then select Above.
   
3. Under Windows specifications, you can see the serial number.
   

Command Prompt

In this method, we will be running a command in cmd to find the serial number of your Windows PC.

1. Open cmd prompt. (You can either search or use the Run program Windows+R to open it)
2. On the command prompt, type wmic bios get serialnumber, and press enter.
3. You can now see the serial number displayed under the command.

Note: You will be required to have a working Windows PC with you in order to run the commands. Else you can check other methods mentioned here.

Check BIOS

BIOS, or Basic Input/Output System, is a core processor software in your system. It comes preloaded with a motherboard other than the operating system. You can also use BIOS to check the serial number of your Windows Laptop or PC. For that:

1. Access the BIOS or UEFI firmware settings. (It will change according to your Laptop OEM)
2. Look for Serial Number somewhere. (Depending on your pc/laptop brand, the path will be different, but you can usually find it from Main or System)

Note: If you are unable to find the serial number using the wmic command method, then it won't be displayed even on this method.

Check if the serial number is embedded on the laptop/box

If your laptop is not booting or if you are having any issues while entering the command, then you can also check your laptop serial number embedded on it. Many laptops have serial numbers mentioned below it.

So turn your laptop over and look for S/N or Serial Number. You can see the serial number mentioned along with it. Other than that, the serial number is also mentioned on the box with which your laptop came. 

Find Windows laptop serial number from the battery compartment or on the CPU case 

If your Windows laptop has a removable battery, turns out you can view the Serial Number. For that, remove the battery and check if there is any sticker attached to the battery compartment. If yes, then chances are that you could find the serial number from it.

In the case of a desktop computer, it is not uncommon to find the Serial Number on a sticker attached to the computer case.

Other than that, you can also find Windows Laptop/Pc serial number from

• Purchase receipt: Check the soft or hard copy of the email receipt which you received while you purchased the system. If the purchase is registered with the manufacturer, you can find the serial number included in the registration document or on the warranty card. 
• Service centre: Even if you can’t discover your serial number, if you have the confirmation of your purchase, you can get the serial number from the manufacturer. Contact the brand’s service centre for that. 

How to find serial number of a Mac

To find the serial number of a Mac, you can check on your Mac, the packaging, or the bill. Other than that, you can also find the serial number in the following places.

About this Mac

You can find the serial number of your Mac by clicking the Apple logo on the top left corner and then selecting About this Mac. Here mostly at the bottom of the new window, you can see the serial number of your Mac.

System Information

To find the serial number of your Mac from System Information:

1. Press and hold the Option key on your keyboard and click the Apple logo.
2. Select System Information.
3. Here, click Hardware.
4. Now you can spot the serial number of your Mac from the list next to it. 

On appleid.apple.com

If you have logged in your AppleID on your Mac, then you can visit the appleid.apple.com page and:

1. Log in with your AppleID.
2. Under the devices section, look for your Mac.
3. Here, you can find the serial number of your device. 

FAQs

How to find serial number of a Dell laptop

Other than following the common methods, you can also find the serial number of your Dell Laptop from the Service Tag that’s located on the bottom panel of your Dell laptop.

How to find serial number of an HP laptop

You can find the serial number of an HP laptop by following all the common steps. Other than that, if you are running Ubuntu on your HP laptop, then you can find the serial number by opening the Linux terminal console using Ctrl+Alt+T. Then enter sudo dmidecode -s system-serial-number to see your HP laptop’s serial number.

How to find the serial number in a Lenovo laptop

You can go to the Lenovo Support website, and select Detect Product to install Lenovo Service Bridge. With this, you can see all the information about your laptop including the serial number.

Why do you need serial number of a laptop/ PC?

The serial number of a laptop can be used for various purposes such as claiming warranty and insurance issues. Other than that, the serial number also comes in handy when you need some kind of technical support. Other than that, by knowing the serial number you can also:

• Prove your laptop’s authenticity.
• Help the technical or customer support person to understand your laptop model.
• Help the technician identify the right parts for your laptop.