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  1. #16
    Join Date
    Feb 2000
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    If you're running Windows 9x/Me:
    1. Click Start|Run, type in command and press [Enter].
    2. At the DOS prompt, (any DOS prompt), type the following and press [Enter]:

      DEBUG
    3. At DEBUG's hyphen prompt, ("-"), type the following two commands, pressing [Enter] after each:

      D FFFF:5 L 8
      Q

      The date you see on the right is the date in your BIOS chip. For example:
      Code:
      -D FFFF:5 L 8
      FFFF:0000                 30 36 2F-31 31 2F 30 32                 06/11/02
      -Q
    4. Type exit and press [Enter] to close the DOS window.
    Vernon Frazee, Microsoft MVP (Windows - Shell/User)

    Defenses Up!
    Tip: When prompted for a password, give an incorrect one first. A phishing site will accept it; a legitimate one won't.


    Inside Spyware: A Guide to Finding, Removing and Preventing Online Pests


    If you don't keep up with security fixes, your computer|network won't be yours for long.

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    NW of Houston
    Posts
    2,855
    Hi VF,

    Great tip. Just tried in on a W2K machine and it seems to work here too, already after the first DEBUG command "D FFFF:5 L 8".

    ASUS K55N with W8.1 (64bit) and plenty of other legacy systems :-)

  3. #18
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    Thanks. Didn't remember if W2K had DEBUG or not.

    Just tried it on XP Pro and it works fine there too.
    Vernon Frazee, Microsoft MVP (Windows - Shell/User)

    Defenses Up!
    Tip: When prompted for a password, give an incorrect one first. A phishing site will accept it; a legitimate one won't.


    Inside Spyware: A Guide to Finding, Removing and Preventing Online Pests


    If you don't keep up with security fixes, your computer|network won't be yours for long.

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Oct 1999
    Location
    Huntington Beach, CA, USA
    Posts
    3,137
    You could look at the directory date of the Windows directory. If the system time was correct, that would show the date Windows was installed on that computer.

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    Dennis
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  5. #20
    Join Date
    Dec 1998
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    Town on Bergen, WI
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    218
    Vernon,

    Is there a website out there that has other little know "tricks" like the one above or were they just thing you learned long ago when there was only DOS available?
    ASUS A7N8X dlx | 2100XP | 512 PC3200 | MSI G4MX440-8X 128Mb | WD 60Gb & 160 Gb | 400W Allied PS | Logitech Cordless Duo KBD & Mouse | Hitachi 2X DVD & TDK 440 4X DVD +/-R Writer. No floppy, refuse to live with a relic from the '80s. Multiboot XP Pro, Win98SE, Topologlinux.

  6. #21
    Join Date
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    Learned a number of 'em back in the good 'ol DOS days.

    As far as finding web pages with this type of info, try Google using the string:
    • "D FFFF:5 L 8"
    (including the quotes).
    Vernon Frazee, Microsoft MVP (Windows - Shell/User)

    Defenses Up!
    Tip: When prompted for a password, give an incorrect one first. A phishing site will accept it; a legitimate one won't.


    Inside Spyware: A Guide to Finding, Removing and Preventing Online Pests


    If you don't keep up with security fixes, your computer|network won't be yours for long.

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