Dell D820 without Service tag..I need to regenerate one!

Sage · Joined: Sep 08, 2008 Posts: 3

I bought a Refurbished Dell D820 Laptop. It works fine but there is no Service Tag on the computer. There is also no Service tag listed in the Bios. I ran the Service Tag diagnostic from the Dell website and it came back empty. How do I generate a new service tag so I can password protect the laptop and get upgrades from the dell website?

Thanks,

Sage

Baby_Tux · Joined: Mar 06, 2007 Posts: 924

Evidently I'm ignorant to what D'hell does because all I can say is; "HUH, what does a service tag have to do with password protecting a NB"?

Can you enlighten me on this? Because you SHOULD (depending on which method you are referring to) be able to set it under security in the BIOS settings or under the USERS in the M$ OS.

And as far as upgrades, a serial number would be the biggest thing I could think of that you would need, unless this takes its place. - MOST of the time, just general info like, make & model, is all that is EVER needed.

Sage · Joined: Sep 08, 2008 Posts: 3

I was told that without a service tag in the bios, I would not be able to password protect the computer through the admin settings. I have been fighting with Dell support, the people from India, for days. They tell me they need a Service tag to be able to help me. I tell them I do not have one and they tell me I need one for them to help me. I need to regenerate a Service tag, somehow through a cd or something on a reboot. I only get one chance I was told too to get it right or it would lock me out. I just want to get a new service tag for this machine so I can use it online. Does anybody know how to regenerate a service tag after a computer has been refurbished and the service tag was removed from the bios? (7 Digit)

The computer works fine right now but there is no service tag listed in the bios if you hit F2. I ran a dell diagnostic to retrieve the tag and it came up empty.

Thanks,

Sage

Baby_Tux · Joined: Mar 06, 2007 Posts: 924

I did some googling & now understand what the service tag has to do with passwords.
For those that don't know, it WON'T let the BIOS password to be set in CMOS for security of a stolen NB so someone can't try to bypass & get in. The password is such that you can't erase it in the normal fashion like removing the battery. You have to call support & get a "dackdoor" password. (hope I got that right)

There are those on some sites that claim that they can give you a new one but I'd be leary of such. Also, since this IS a security issue & I have no way of knowing that this is INDEED your NB I MUST refuse to help any further than to tell you if you ARE legit then get back with support (or whomever you got it from) & give them H*** until they cure your problem. The way I understand it is that THEY are the one that generate these thing anyway. The companies that I'M familiar with use such for WARRANTY verification & as one would a serial number. (it has to match what THEY have on file anyway to be any good to them)

BTW: IMO this is just more D'hell tech BS that keeps me from ever owning one & explains why very few people own D'hell NBs.

silmaril8n · Joined: Jan 29, 2004 Posts: 1743 Location: Phoenix, AZ

I think you're best bet at this point would be to try to resolve the Service Tag issue with either a) the company/group you purchased the computer from, or b) directly with Dell.

Sage · Joined: Sep 08, 2008 Posts: 3

The Guy I bought it from said it came from Medtronic here in the Twin Cities! I tried to contact him and now he is not returning my emails!

Baby_Tux · Joined: Mar 06, 2007 Posts: 924

Sorry to tell you this, but you MAY end up being SOL (**** out of luck) if you can't get help from Medtronic or dell support, then. As I see it THEY are the only one that can help. - a bit more FYI I found; when you redo the machine, (I. E. upgrade) there is a program that comes with it that redoes the tag, so whomever did the refurbish should have this. (Medtronic?)

drwho07 · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 1546 Location: Central FL, USA

I try very hard, to avoid anything concerning a Dell, beyond doing a Tune-Up.
It's always been my understanding that when a Dell is built, it's given a distinctive Service Tag number which is then entered into Dell's computer system with all the technical data about that particular unit.

Then when you call for service and give them the tag number, they can pull that info up on their computer screen and know more about your computer than you do. That service tag is stuck to the back of a tower or bottom of a NB with very strong adhesive. It should be there long after the computer has died of old age....about one year. Rolling Eyes

Unless, of course, some Dolt has removed it. Evil or Very Mad

I have a Dell XPS400 desktop that Dell wrote off as broken and not worth even trying to fix. A friend gave me the computer after Dell had sent him a new one.
EDIT: Now that new Dell has failed exactly like the original one. Won't power on at all.

WELL, to make a very long story a much shorter one, the XPS400 was NOT really broken. It had a RAID setup on it using two Maxtor 160 gig SATA2 drives, that was totally hozaxed! (fouled up beyond belief!)

EDIT: I now know that both the motherboard and the PSU in those computers are subject to premature failures. The internet is Loaded with complaints about them
The PC in question finally gave up the Ghost and has been summarily scrapped out and the case, mobo and PSU sent to the LandFill.

It took me weeks of fussing with the bios to get it to give up the RAID thing and be happy just running one OS drive and one backup drive.
Vista Ultimate loaded on that PC without a whimper and ran quite nicely. Rolling Eyes

I've added more ram (Dell only installed 512m for XP) and a floppy drive and a DVD burner (Dell had installed an El-Cheapo' Combo Drive).
I wished that I could have gotten a NON-Raid bios, for that PC, but a slight upgrade was all that there was to be found.
That didn't fix the problems with the motherboard.

Never in this lifetime, would I ever spend my hard earned money to buy a Dell, but if someone wants to give me one, I'll either make it run, or scrap it out for whatever parts I can salvage. Wink

Parts is parts! Hee Hee!

Y'all have a great day now, Y'hear?
The Doctor Cool

EDIT: The above mentioned Dell has completely quit working and has indeed
been "Scrapped Out".

mrdelly · Joined: Oct 01, 2008 Posts: 1

You can give your D820 a new service tag with some software from dell, you'll be able to enter your own code, should also work more than once. PM if you require any further info.

goretsky

Hello,

If there is no serial number or other identifying information on the computer for you to provide to Dell, you could try contacting the original owner and asking them for assistance (be sure to have your receipt available to show them as proof of purchase). If they can provide you with a copy of the order paperwork, you should then be able to show that to Dell.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

acdfuller · Joined: Feb 25, 2007 Posts: 1

Hi

Have you tried running Belarc report - this looks into your computer & should return all details about the system including Service tag. the program can be downloaded from http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

Hope this works

Tony

drwho07 · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 1546 Location: Central FL, USA

It's been almost a month since the last post to this thread and
I'm wondering if the Service Tag problem has been resolved
and if so, HOW ???

Doc Cool