Re: Looking for a possible AppleScript solution to check serial numbe rs...
Re: Looking for a possible AppleScript solution to check serial numbe rs...
- Subject: Re: Looking for a possible AppleScript solution to check serial numbe rs...
- From: email@hidden (Michael Sullivan)
- Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2001 12:29:03 -0500
- Organization: Business Card Express
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I've inherited a large user base where the serial numbers for software were
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not kept track of as closely as I would like. I'm interested in an
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AppleScript solution to obtain serial numbers from installed applications
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then dump them into a database. These would all be OS 8.6 - OS 9.x machines.
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My big question is "Where would I extract the serial number from?"
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After that, it wouldn't be too much work to set up.
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Is this even possible with AppleScript? Or in conjunction with another
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language or from another angle?
The question is whether your apps have a script command that will give
you the information, or if they keep the serial numbers in a file that's
readable. That's going to depend on the apps in question, but I can
tell you that most of the apps I'm aware of do not do either. Some
don't even put the serial number anywhere you can find in the user
interface either. Presumably as a security measure. Then you're just
screwed if you need to reinstall it and can't find the serial number
anywhere.
One start may be to call the companies who make the software. If all
the serial nos. are registered, they should have a record. Adobe and
Quark were both willing to tell me all the numbers I had registered with
them for all of their software, once I was able to convince them that I
was who I said I was (I had to be able to give them all our company
information, and a couple of our serials accurately).
Only problem I've heard is that some companies <microsoft> won't do
this, and will even go so far as to start a piracy investigation if you
ask them questions like this and then can't come up with good answers to
their counter questions. Of course in such an investigation, any serial
number used on your workstations that you haven't registered is presumed
stolen unless you can show a box & disk, or a receipt with the number,
which is probably why you are interested in getting a handle on those
numbers in the first place.
Good luck! You may be forced to do a manual inventory. I know how big
a PITA that is, because I let myself be all seat of the pants at
administration until a couple years ago. We only have a dozen or so
machines, but it took me a weeks worth of work or more to find and
catalog all of our hardware and software serial nos. and vendor info
(plus organizing manuals and disks, etc.). Well that included designing
the database, which was probably half the time.
I can't begin to imagine the amount of work involved for someone running
a hundred or a thousand workstations.
Michael
--
Michael Sullivan
Business Card Express of CT Thermographers to the Trade
Cheshire, CT email@hidden