Identify a Windows device by Borough Number or Service Tag
In order to uniquely identify a District Windows machine for reasons of assistance or repair, we rely on the device manufacturer's Service Tag, or on the District-assigned Borough Number. When you contact us at the Helpdesk about a Windows laptop or desktop, we'll usually need to identify the device with one or both of these identifiers.
The Normal, Preferred Case
In most cases, you can find both the device Service Tag (ST); and also the Borough Number (BN), aka Borough Tag, aka Asset Tag, located together in consistent locations on District computers. On Windows laptops, the tag is usually on the bottom of the device's case; on desktop machines, it is usually near the power button, although it may be on an adjacent side rather than the front panel. The Borough Tag is usually a silver and blue sticker with black or embossed numerals, and the Service Tag is usually labeled Service Tag on the manufacturer's ID sticker, something like these photos of BN 79-13416 / ST CJB2L33 (a laptop) and BN 79-12043 / ST 7F4P2W2 (a desktop):
Borough Tags can vary slightly, but it is usually pretty self-evident. Note that the Service Tag intermixes letters and numbers, and it is possible to confuse capital letter "O" with numeral "0" sometimes. (Just make your best guess and if need be we'll try both. :-)
Getting Information From the Find Me App
Sometimes, one or both stickers get removed from devices. In this case you should still be able to get information from the device itself, although you do need to be logged in to run the Find Me app, which is installed on all District Windows devices.
To launch Find Me, either use the Ctrl+Alt+I keystroke, or type the words "find me" into the Cortana search bar and launch the Find Me app from the search results. When the little app launches, expand the More Info button at bottom right. You should see the motherboard's Service Tag listed there.
What if My Numbers Don't Match?
Every now and then we will run across a device which has a different identifier on the case, than the one on the screen. This can happen because the device Service Tag comes from the internal motherboard, and if the device was repaired with a new motherboard without changing the exterior case, it will indeed get a new Service Tag. This doesn't happen often, but it does happen sometimes. In a case like this, call us at the Helpdesk and we'll get it sorted out.