How to determine the age of a computer ?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Skybuck Flying
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S

Skybuck Flying

Hi,

This might seem a strange question:

How to determine the age of a computer ?

It would be cool if a programmer could find out how old a computer is. ( For
example processor age, or motherboard age )

Down to a few seconds :)

It should not be possible for software/users to change the age... it should
be something in the hardware :D

Bye,
Skybuck.
 
From: "Edward" (e-mail address removed)
I meant the date of the bios itself. Not the time the bios keeps.
Click to expand...

If the BIOS is updated, the date of the BIOS changes.
 
Edward said:
just check the BIOS date. It's not accurate but it's close enough.
Click to expand...

Its very easy to use a hex editor to change the text strings in a
BIOS.bin file then flash it and hey presto, you have a POST screen
saying the BIOS is of your own creation, showing your desired dates and
logos. I've done it, just for fun.
 
Skybuck said:
Hi,

This might seem a strange question:

How to determine the age of a computer ?

It would be cool if a programmer could find out how old a computer
is. ( For example processor age, or motherboard age )

Down to a few seconds :)

It should not be possible for software/users to change the age... it
should be something in the hardware :D

Bye,
Skybuck.
Click to expand...

First tell me what a computer is.
The hardware, os, software, etc .. all of which have different ages..
therefore a computer cannot have a definitive age..just an era.
Take your cpu type and look up a database of cpus and find the age of that
particular chip (stepping etc) thats probs the closes tyou'll get.. and
even that isn't foolproof (chage cpu for example)
 
Alien said:
Its very easy to use a hex editor to change the text strings in a
BIOS.bin file then flash it and hey presto, you have a POST screen
saying the BIOS is of your own creation, showing your desired dates and
logos. I've done it, just for fun.
Click to expand...

I'll bet you've also changed the error message you get when leaving
a non-system disk in the drive! I did. Just for fun.

Virg Wall
 
Alien said:
Out of curiosity, what does your error message say?
Click to expand...

Yo you dumb F£*$, you put the wrong disk in you idiot..hahaha you fool!!!
Get your act together ya eigit.
 
Alien said:
Out of curiosity, what does your error message say?
Click to expand...

It's been so long ago, I don't really remember, but it started with:
"You stupid jerk........"

Virg Wall
 
V said:
Wow! You must be a real idiot to think you could put that in place of
the original message!!!

I won't bother telling you why! No eigits need apply. ;-(

Virg Wall
Click to expand...

Are just really stupid?
 
db said:
LMAO
Click to expand...
I have done exactly this, only just a bit on one corner so as not to ruin
the mobo.
I counted the rings and hey
presto.....................................................................



It
was.........................................................................
......................................



knackered!
 
Skybuck Flying said:
Hi,

This might seem a strange question:

How to determine the age of a computer ?

It would be cool if a programmer could find out how old a computer is. ( For
example processor age, or motherboard age )

Down to a few seconds :)

It should not be possible for software/users to change the age... it should
be something in the hardware :D

Bye,
Skybuck.
Click to expand...


It's difficult to define the age of a computer, especially when parts
have been changed. You could go for the bios date and hope it's not
been updated.

You could, more adventurously, consider fetching 'key indicators' such
as bios date but also hdd size, ram size & type, video/sound chip and
various other hardware data and creating an 'equivalent age'.

So a BIOS date of 1998 but with a more recent 9gb HDD and 64mb RAM,
yet with a 1996 Matrox video card may indicate an 'equivalent age' of
'June 1998' depending on how you weigh the various factors.

It'd be a bit of fun rather than a seriously useful tool, but might
yield some hints (like - you could use a new video card) in the way
Sisoft Sandra does.

To do this in Delphi i'd suggest using some of the Win32 API calls
that allow for the inspection of hardware and carefully considering a
measurement scheme and weighing scheme to arrive at a realistic date.

Have fun!
 
Skybuck said:
Just out of curiosity...

Is there a windows 32 api function to get the bios date ?

Using asm is scary... :)
Click to expand...

Use the C snippet.


--
Ed Guy P.Eng,CDP,MIEE
Information Technology Consultant
Internet: (e-mail address removed)
http://www.guysoftware.com
"Check out HELLLP!, WinHelp author tool for WinWord 2.0 through 8.0,
PlanBee Project Management Planning System
and ParseRat, the File Parser, Converter and Reorganizer"
 
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