How are Dell's default computer names (DESKTOP-XXXXXX) generated?

How are Dell's default computer names (DESKTOP-XXXXXXX) generated?

I had always assumed that the computer names were the service tag numbers since they are also 7 characters but that doesn't appear to be the case since this computer that I'm looking at has a computer name of DESKTOP-UU1KCDG but the service tag number is 7588XE2.

Does anyone know how the default computer names are generated (i.e. from what information as I can't seem to find any reference to that computer name within any other sort of numbers)?

Jack

Posted 2017-06-30T12:45:07.903

Reputation: 41

3These default names are common to all Windows post-7 computers, they are not exclusive to Dell. I've had the same type of names on a Win 10 ASUS, a Win 7 Samsung and even a Win 7 VM in Hyper-V. – Nathan.Eilisha Shiraini – 2017-06-30T12:47:44.563

Answers

Does anyone know how the default computer names are generated?

The Computer Name is randomly generated, using the following rules:

ComputerName specifies the computer name used to access the computer from the network.

Specifies the computer name used to access the computer from the network. If ComputerName is missing, you must enter a computer name during Windows Welcome.

If you do not specify a value for ComputerName, you must enter a computer name during Windows Welcome.

If ComputerName is set to an asterisk (*) or is an empty string, a random computer name will be generated.

If you set this value to an asterisk (*), a random computer name is generated.

This random name has at most eight characters from the RegisteredOwner and/or RegisteredOrganization strings plus random characters.

Computer_name is a string with a maximum length of 15 characters.

Source ComputerName

DavidPostill

Posted 2017-06-30T12:45:07.903

Reputation: 118 938

Is it actually random (as in it's not generated using anything other than a string of letters and numbers - they don't mean anything/aren't calculated from anything)? – Jack – 2017-07-10T13:48:56.817

@Jack I've no idea. Only Microsoft can answer this. – DavidPostill – 2017-07-10T13:50:17.457

Ok, and anyway to regenerate? i.e. if a computer was DESKTOP-XXXXXXX and then someone changed it to Johns-PC, can we check/regenerate what it use to be? :) – Jack – 2017-07-10T15:10:41.707

@Jack Not if it is random ... – DavidPostill – 2017-07-10T15:44:19.077

Unless specified by the OEMs (original equipment manufacturer), the ComputerName is randomly generated OOBE (Out-of-the-Box).

If ComputerName is not specified, a random computer name is generated.

[...] Windows creates a random 15-character name using up to 7 characters from FullName and Organization, then a dash, then more random characters.

This means: Once you change (customize) the name, the original, randomly generated name cannot be regenerated. You would have to write down the original name and change it back to that manually. Otherwise, another name will be randomly generated.

The updated version of the article referenced above:

(Source) ComputerName

Tucker Karpoff

Posted 2017-06-30T12:45:07.903

Reputation: 26

1Welcome to Super User. This basically just adds a comment to part of the information in the other answer. The intention is that each answer provide a substantively different solution than what has already been contributed. With a little more rep, you will be able to post comments with supplementary information. – fixer1234 – 2019-01-01T05:44:35.990