- How to determine the age of a computer ?
- Posted by Skybuck Flying on July 8th, 2003
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 
Bye,
Skybuck.
- Posted by Edward on July 8th, 2003
just check the BIOS date. It's not accurate but it's close enough.
"Skybuck Flying" <nospam@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:been30$pof$1@news4.tilbu1.nb.home.nl...
- Posted by Skybuck Flying on July 8th, 2003
"Edward" <jago_lfn@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:SiBOa.31$K67.27@fe04.atl2.webusenet.com...
The bios date can be changed ?!
- Posted by Edward on July 8th, 2003
I meant the date of the bios itself. Not the time the bios keeps.
"Skybuck Flying" <nospam@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:beepbc$qi5$1@news4.tilbu1.nb.home.nl...
- Posted by ChrisJ9876 on July 8th, 2003
If the BIOS is updated, the date of the BIOS changes.
- Posted by Alien Zord on July 8th, 2003
"Edward" <jago_lfn@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:SiBOa.31$K67.27@fe04.atl2.webusenet.com...
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.
- Posted by db on July 8th, 2003
Skybuck Flying wrote:
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)
- Posted by V W Wall on July 8th, 2003
Alien Zord wrote:
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
--
A foolish consistency is the
hobgoblin of little minds,........
Ralph Waldo Emerson
(Microsoft programmer's manual.)
- Posted by Lane Lewis on July 8th, 2003
why
- Posted by db on July 8th, 2003
Alien Zord wrote:
Yo you dumb F£*$, you put the wrong disk in you idiot..hahaha you fool!!!
Get your act together ya eigit.
- Posted by V W Wall on July 8th, 2003
Alien Zord wrote:
It's been so long ago, I don't really remember, but it started with:
"You stupid jerk........"
Virg Wall
- Posted by db on July 8th, 2003
V W Wall wrote:
Are just really stupid?
- Posted by db on July 8th, 2003
philo wrote:
LMAO
- Posted by Skybuck Flying on July 9th, 2003
"Edward" <jago_lfn@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:GbCOa.3560$Sn5.8@fe05.atl2.webusenet.com...
Hmm interesting... I never heard of such a thing.
- Posted by Ed Guy on July 9th, 2003
Skybuck Flying wrote:
See http://www.anderbergfamily.net/ant/biosdate/
--
Ed Guy P.Eng,CDP,MIEE
Information Technology Consultant
Internet: ed@guysoftware.com
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"
- Posted by Newt on July 9th, 2003
"db" <nospam@be-atch.com> wrote in message
news:3f0b4238$0$966$cc9e4d1f@news.dial.pipex.com.. .
the mobo.
I counted the rings and hey
presto............................................ .........................
It
was............................................... ..........................
......................................
knackered!
- Posted by gswork on July 9th, 2003
"Skybuck Flying" <nospam@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<been30$pof$1@news4.tilbu1.nb.home.nl>...
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!
- Posted by Ed Guy on July 9th, 2003
Skybuck Flying wrote:
Use the C snippet.
--
Ed Guy P.Eng,CDP,MIEE
Information Technology Consultant
Internet: ed@guysoftware.com
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"
