When buying or selling PCs, it is important to know the date of manufacture. Computer manufacturers create the components for PCs at different times, so generally the ship date for the assembled PC is considered the manufacture date. Unfortunately, no standardized way of finding the manufacture date on a PC exists, but you can narrow down the time frame in which a PC was likely manufactured.
Step 1
Find the install date of the PC's operating system. This method only works when the PC has not been reformatted and still has the original operating system. The PC's original operating system was likely installed before the computer was shipped, so the OS install date tells you what year your computer was manufactured. Click "Run" in the start menu, then type "cmd" into the open field to pull up the command prompt. Type "systeminfo" into the command prompt to pull up information about your PC. Finally, refer to the "Original Install Date" to find when your operating system was installed.
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Step 2
Find the PC's serial number. Look for a manufacturer's sticker on the back of your PC. If the sticker is missing or worn, the serial number is sometimes etched into the case of the PC. If all else fails, the serial number is located on your PC's motherboard. The serial number may include the manufacturing date of your PC. If the serial number doesn't contain a clear date, write down the serial number, and call the customer service department for the company that built your computer. The serial number allows the customer service representative to track down the exact date and location of manufacture.
Step 3
Find the install date of your PC's BIOS. A PC's BIOS is a set of instructions that helps the computer operate successfully. The BIOS is installed during the manufacturing process, so finding the install date narrows down the PC's manufacturing date. To access the BIOS menu, restart your computer and look for instructions on which key accesses the BIOS. Typically, the F2 or F10 key brings up your BIOS menu, although this varies depending on the manufacturer. Browse the BIOS menus until you find the "BIOS MFD" or "BIOS Install Date." The date in these fields provides a rough estimate of when your computer was manufactured.
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