Any Way to EASILY Obtain Software Serial Numbers?

[Criminy]

My supervisor wants me to compile a list of serial numbers for every version of every software program on every machine in my department. A tedious but necessary task.

Is there a simple way to obtain this information? I've been able to see the S/N for InDesign CS while the program is opening, but the other versions don't display the S/N upon opening. At least I haven't seen it; I just see long lists of names.

Any suggestions are appreciated!

 

[Cory Smith]

I've never found one..the serial number you see while launching the CS programs is NOT the full serial number..for that you need to look at your CD"s or books.

I think it drops 4 numbers from the splash screen

 

[Criminy]

Thanks for the tip, Corey! I would have tripped on that one.

I found a few interesting things through Google with regard to serial number storage, but haven't seen anything that automatically finds and stores the numbers. Luckily, I've got most if not all of the original disks and manuals from the software from each of our eight stations. The hard part is figuring out which machine got what. There are some without station IDs, so it should be interesting pairing each disk with each machine!

I'm going to continue to look, and I'll post what I find here in case anyone else finds themselves with a similarly thankless assignment.

 

[gordo]

for that you need to look at your CD"s or books.

Or the packages/boxes the software came in. And sometimes on the purchase receipt if it was ordered online.

best, gordon

my print blog here: Quality In Print current topic: The Wayback view - a visit to Sun Chemical Ink 1951 video post

 

[kaiserwilhelm]

I downloaded something from the web a year or so ago that went and got my Quark and possibly my Adobe. I tried it for a day or so and decided I would just do it myself. I only have 6 macs to keep track of.
Might google "shareware os x serial number tracker" or something along those lines.

 

[prepressguru]

I had the same problem a few years ago. I just bit the bullet and recorded all the serial numbers in Excel. Then started a routine for myself. Every time I purchased new software I entered it into Excel. This way I can copy and paste when doing installs. Works like a charm. It also helps if you register the software, this way the provider has a record, which typically you can access online. I've also consolidated the license's into site license's to cut down the amount of data.

Good luck

 

[ScottyDoo]

Is this for Mac or PC?

There are numerous keyfinders for Windows, such as this one. It only has so many that it detects, and only up to certain versions. It discovered my CS2 serial, but it didn't detect CS3.

Product Key Finder | Personal website of Dave Hope

 

[Criminy]

Thanks for all the input, fellas. I truly appreciate it. I only recently started working here in February, and inherited a real mess. Finding and pairing the S/Ns with their corresponding machines is just one of many "cleanups" my supervisor assigned me for when work slows down.

We only have Macs here, but thanks for the link to the software! I noticed a couple of programs in my searches that were only intended for PCs, but it seems like slim pickins for Macs.

I'm not afraid of getting my hands dirty with this job. I would just like to know how to unearth the S/Ns! Once verified for each machine, I'd be happy to log each one in a master file for reference.

 

[John Smith]

Belarc Advisor (Belarc - System Management For The Internet Age) is a great tool for telling all there is to know about what a machine has installed & all the serial numbers used for each program and is incredibly easy to use. While the report it generates has much more than just installed programs and serial numbers, that section is very convenient for handling computer upgrades & maintenance.

 

[prepressguru]

Hey Crimmy - just a FYI if you got to the help menu in CS3 and select system info the serial number will be there. Its not the complete number but at lease you can verify which system has what license.

Good Luck

 

[Criminy]

Thanks, John for the link to Belarc. I checked it out, but unfortunately, I cannot use it as I only have Macs and no PCs. Sounds like a great application, though!

Prepressguru, thanks for that tip. I think that should be very helpful, as often the only question is what machine got what disk. I will probably be able to match the disks to their respective recipients. Thanks again!

 

[Criminy]

Follow up for Prepressguru: I cannot navigate to the window you describe! I click on HELP in InDesign CS3, but there is no "System Info" in the list, nor can I find it in the InDesign Help dialog.

 

[prepressguru]

Hi Chimmy, this is very interesting, Illustrator and Photoshop have the system info but Indesgin does not. Hmm whats going on Adobe? Well I guess 2 out of 3 isn't bad. Sorry to mislead you but the serials would be the same for all 3 applications.