System/About Lists Entirely Wrong Computer

Windows 11 25H2

I was idly wondering about the specifications, so I opened System/About of my new computer. where I was misinformed near the top of the page that I have a Dell XPS 8960 . That is the model of computer that I junked recently, and replaced with a Dell ECT1250.

What other wrong entries may be lurking in the ECT1250?

you bought a dell? Log into Dell on the 1 you bought, and put in the "service tag" - if you get that far - download the specs.

Not Myself said:

What other wrong entries may be lurking in the ECT1250?

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I don't know.
I assume you cloned the Dell XPS 8960 to the ECT1250 as a quick method of setting up the new computer.


Denis

remover said:

you bought a dell? Log into Dell on the 1 you bought, and put in the "service tag" - if you get that far - download the specs.

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I have never seen a request for the service tag except when Dell asks for it in an email. You cannot find your service tag, it is not there. .(Someone will probably correct me n that.) You cannot find the specs in an invoice, at least for my current computer. You can, however if you click on Orders, where there is the very same range of entries that used to be in your invoice.

I wonder if their filing systems are equally discombobulated.

should be under your laptop or- in the back of the desktop..... look for it, & don't put it on the forum.

After you find it, write it down - go to dell.com/ Create Your Account, sign in, + password, Look for Support - somewhere it will say (Enter your service code) post back, someone will reply

Yep, sounds like it was cloned.

@Not Myself

You can also check the other options below to see if they show the correct model.

Not Myself said:

Windows 11 25H2

I was idly wondering about the specifications, so I opened System/About of my new computer. where I was misinformed near the top of the page that I have a Dell XPS 8960 . That is the model of computer that I junked recently, and replaced with a Dell ECT1250.

What other wrong entries may be lurking in the ECT1250?

Click to expand...

Do you still have the box? Look on the outside of it for a service tag number.

Not Myself said:

I have never seen a request for the service tag except when Dell asks for it in an email

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If you go to
Dell Drivers & downloads
then put in your Service tag, it will list all the relevant drivers for your specific computer & you'll see other info available in the same website section.
Make a bookmark of that webpage after you put in the Service tag so you can get straight back there in the future to check for updates.

I do not know why anybody started mentioning the Dell Service tag but I thought it would help avoid confusion if I explained what you can use it for in their support site.

And I agree that, unless you bought a refurb computer from a third party, the Dell Service tag will be found on a label on the bottom of a laptop [as well as in the Bios].
You'll probably also find a label with a Dell Express service code. This is merely a numeric rendering of the Dell Service tag


Denis

Try3 said:

I assume you cloned the Dell XPS 8960 to the ECT1250 as a quick method of setting up the new computer.

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No, he restored an old Macrium image of his old computer to his new machine...or at least he said his computer tech did. I have been unable to keep up.

We've previously established @Not Myself uses a MS Account. So it's likely the linked PC info from MS Account is out of date, and nothing wrong with the current System Settings. Windows doesn't cache any HW info, that's always dynamically scanned at boot time. It will remember any cached driver settings if you've restored a backup image from an old PC.

glasskuter said:

No, he restored an old Macrium image of his old computer to his new machine...or at least he said his computer tech did. I have been unable to keep up.

Lost Folders

I have no idea where to post this; move it as needed. I have an odd problem that I have been unable to solve: In the process of installing a new computer, I found that I could not use my Macrium rescue program to restore the new machine. I had to call on my technician, who went through many...

www.elevenforum.com

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That is correct: As my Dell XPS8960 crashed so badly less than an hour after it was returned FedEx overnight from a repair, I decided that it had expired, so I got rid of it. I ordered a new Dell desktop, and when I had the time, I installed it and asked my technician to recover as much of my Macrium backup file as he could.

He told me that there would be errors as the codes in the backup would not necessarily match those in the new computer. I watched as he figured out how to do the restore, which I would have had no way of knowing how to do that. For a few days, I was pleased to see that the new computer was fixing errors.

I am slowly opening programs, and when only the data was there, downloading and installing them. As far as I know, the only serious problem remaining is that there is a ProtonVPN entry in Windows/Network and Internet where WiFi should be. I have asked ProtonVPN about this; they responded with something that I do notl understand.

After a long and very fine Dell support call, I was told that after the tech made many changes, the problem had to be in software, which is not covered by the warranty. He sent me an email with a link to create a contract with the relevant area at Dell. I clicked on that and got to the very last step, which is a verification from my bank about the payment I had made. That is done using the bank's program on my phone. Just to continue my problems, that program does not work, and its replacement in Google Play Store has shown "Pending" for 24 or so hours. I wonder how long that has actually been in that state, and I have no way of finding out when it will finally be ready to be installed on my phone, alas.

Not Myself said:

and asked my technician to recover as much of my Macrium backup file as he could.

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Your new machine had a clean new installation of windows. The smart thing to have done was restore only your personal files from the image and reinstall the apps. But I believe your computer tech restored the image in its entirety since that's what you told him. As it is, any junk or corruption that was in your old machine is now in your new one.

There is little point restoring only the data from the backup if he has too many applications to reinstall. It is far easier to restore everything and install the drivers for the new hardware. Apart from the Service Tag you can find all specs of your computer using a utility like Speccy or Aida64. In Aida64 you can see the serial number (aka Service Tag) in the DMI, motherboard section, if I remember correctly.

Alternatively you can download the Dell Updater (or whatever is called) to automatically download all drivers for you.

spapakons said:

here is little point restoring only the data from the backup if he has too many applications to reinstall.

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I guess it depends on how one looks at it. As I said, IMO if I paid hundreds or thousands of dollars for a brand new machine I would want to make darn sure it did not inherit years of junk files, outdated and unused apps, or any corruption from the old one. I would not want a bunch of drivers in my driver store that did not even apply to my new hardware. Clean installing software is a small price for me to pay to make sure none of that happens as there's always a chance it can come back to bite you in the butt. Me, I've never understood shortcutting.

Well for a typical work computer with Office and 4-5 more applications, yes I would also reinstall them to make sure they are flawless. But for a typical home computer with tens of applications and games it would take more than a couple of days, even a week with limited free time, and I would prefer a faster and easier solution.

glasskuter said:

But I believe your computer tech restored the image in its entirety since that's what you told him

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And any tech worth his/her salt would have advised against this, maybe even refused to. I'd be looking for a new tech.

idgat said:

And any tech worth his/her salt would have advised against this, maybe even refused to. I'd be looking for a new tech.

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Not necessarily. If the client has a lot of programs to reinstall and configure and that means extra hour, probably unpaid because the client is a friend or you didn't agree beforehand for extra cost, then the Technician will take the shortcut and just restore the old backup. I would do the same if the alternative was to work for 3+ hours and be paid only for one. I am no idiot.

PS: There is no point trying to explain to the client why reinstalling is better but would take extra time. He will either choose the restore anyway to finish in less time or would insist to reinstall everything for the same charge no matter how longer it would take. Like I said, I wouldn't say a word and just do the restore. That doesn't mean me or any other colleague are not a good Technician, just not stupid one. Besides, some clients would even argue that they called the Technician in order to try and save their old system, not do the "easy way" of reinstalling everything. That they would do it themselves for free. You can't predict how everyone thinks. I can recall cases of clients that called me for a "quick maintenance" or "installing upgrades" but when I arrived at their home they had a whole list of things to do and of course they demanded not to charge more, even if it would take much more time. Needless to say they are no longer my clients.

idgat said:

And any tech worth his/her salt would have advised against this

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The tech did. The thread starter stated "He told me that there would be errors as the codes in the backup would not necessarily match those in the new computer. I watched as he figured out how to do the restore, which I would have had no way of knowing how to do that. For a few days, I was pleased to see that the new computer was fixing errors."

What he meant by "fixing errors" I do not know. No new computer should have any errors to "fix". I'm also curious where he was "seeing" these errors being fixed.

He replaced a 13th gen core i7 machine with a core ultra 7, neither of which are low end devices.. I hate to see anyone spend that much money in 2 years and have issues in his new computer that shouldn't be there and is now not warrantied by Dell because he said "After a long and very fine Dell support call, I was told that after the tech made many changes, the problem had to be in software, which is not covered by the warranty."

All his issues since he got the new machine could well have been avoided had he started cleanly. I'd be backing up my personal files, make note of my apps, exporting my browser bookmarks, resetting that baby to factory default condition, and starting over from scratch. At the very least he could possibly get his warranty back.