Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_BIOS | Select-Object -Property SerialNumber

Question

TRYING Find SERIAL NUMBER

LOST LAPTOP AND NEED TO TRACK IT

Answer 1

Hello Ntando'enhle Pearl,

Sorry to hear about the lost laptop. Unfortunately, serial number on its own can't locate or track a device, and that PowerShell command only works when you're signed in on the machine itself, so it won't help now that it's gone.

The only real tracking option is Find My Device, and only if it was turned on before the laptop went missing:

• Go to the Microsoft devices page: https://account.microsoft.com/devices
• Sign in with the same Microsoft account that was on the laptop
• Pick the device and choose Find My Device to see its last known location (it has to be powered on and online to show up)

If the laptop was already removed from your device list, or Find My Device was never enabled, then unfortunately these tools won't be able to locate it.

Answer 2

If the laptop is already lost, the serial number command only helps if the device was previously accessible in Windows PowerShell.

To get a Windows device serial number locally, use:

Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_BIOS |
    Select-Object -ExpandProperty SerialNumber

A shorter form is:

(Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_BIOS -Property SerialNumber).SerialNumber

For a lost or stolen laptop, tracking only works if Find my device was turned on before it was lost, and the device is powered on and connected to the internet. If those conditions were met, sign in to the Microsoft devices page and use Find My Device for that device.

If the device was removed from the devices list, or if Find my device was not enabled beforehand, the location feature will not help recover it.

For Surface devices, the serial number can also be found in the Surface app under Device information if the device is still available.

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References:

• Chapter 7 - Working with WMI
• Find the serial number for your Surface device and accessories or Microsoft accessories
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