[The Ender]

I was wondering if anyone knows of a fast and efficient way to get a computer's MAC ID without actually booting it up into Windows. We need the ID's for a DHCP server at work for setting up new computers, and it's a pain and hassle to have to load up Windows, retrieve the information, then wipe them. Thanks.

[Matth]

If it's a card, it should be listed on the card, motherboards may have it on a label.

You could try a Live CD Linux, like Knoppix or something, though I'm not sure how many adapters it would support, or how you would look at the information.

[PangingJr]

there should be some plugins for the Bart's PE CD for reading the MAC as well.

-Or-

nbmac.exe - http://www.kostis.net/freeware/nbmac-e.htm

note-- you may not be able to test this DOS tool in XP, running XP's cmd.exe as shell is not true DOS. so run it from a DOS boot disk and see if you can get the info you want.

also, you may want try this boot disk... 'Universal TCP/IP Network Bootdisk' Version 5.4
it could be the simplest and most effective tool available. inside the download package you'll find an instruction on how to build the boot disk.

[md5]

The MAC address is unique for each network card. If that PC has a PCI network card, you could always plug that card on another PC and find its MAC. If the netword card is part of your Motherboard then use the tools that Ctrl-Alt-Del suggested

[waterloo]

If you got router or firewall (Ipcop) it will always tell you mac address of the connected computers. my linksys does, and my ipcop does.