You have been using your computer/laptop for a long time, and it may malfunction or slow down at any time due to viruses, or maybe there is too much data stored in the drives. You have got it repaired a couple of times, but after a few months of repair, you get another problem. You wonder if your computer is too old now and should you buy a new one. Well, there are ways, you can tell how old your computer is. If you want to know how to tell, how old your computer is, then read this article in full.
How to tell how old your computer is?
We assume that just like everyone you are using a Windows Operating System. Many browsers, applications, and platforms work fittingly well with this Operating System.
Now, this system also keeps track of when the manufacturer installed a Window Operating System onto the computer the very first time. This is probably when you had purchased the computer, or when your friend or uncle did it.
Now if the operating system was installed without knowing if any other system was installed before the new installment then there is still a way to tell how old the computer is.
It’s time to know how old your computer is.
The steps to follow:
You should know the date of exactly when the Windows Operating System was installed.
- You will have to launch a command prompt on your computer
- In the window that appears, you have to type the command “system info” and press E
- After you had typed in that command, the window will display to you a list called “complete system information”. You will need to scroll down the list to find a title that states “original install date”. This is the date when the computer was purchased for the first time.
Note: this method does not work on every machine. For example, it might not work on a laptop. So, try another method to determine at least the approximate age of your machine.
How to know your computer’s age through BIOS information?
You can check the age of the computer by using the “BIOS Information”. To do this, you will have to open the command prompt window. Type in that “system info” prompt again to get the system information.
- Now you have to scroll down the list again until you come to BIOS Version
- On the right side of the BIOS Version, you will see the BIOS Version date
- You can determine the age of your computer from the BIOS Version date
- Not only can you determine how long the computer has been in use, but you can know the manufacturing date as well.
Another way to know how old your computer is via hardware information
- In most cases, the manufacturers paste their stickers with dates somewhere on the laptops or desktops manufactured by them.
- In the case there is no sticker pasted or the sticker does not contain the date the machine was produced, then search for a serial number on the laptop or desktop. This serial number might be written somewhere on the outside or inside of the computer. Once the serial number is obtained, then you can contact the manufacturer and get the required information regarding the computer. Usually, a manufacturer has a database with serial numbers of all the computers they have ever produced, and getting the particulars on any computer is no problem.
Yet another way to know how old your computer is by searching the internet. This is a quick search option that requires you to know exactly the model of your laptop or desktop. By using the same “system info” command, you could also search the system manufacturer and system model. By using this method, you can get the model number. Now, use the internet to go to the official website of the producer and get all the information regarding the date the computer was manufactured.
Conclusion
Anyone who has had his or her computer for a long time would like to know how old their computer really is, or they usually want to know when it was manufactured. Usually, desktops and laptops just do not have any dates of production marked on them.