Set Bootcamp SMBIOS information on a iMacs or macBooks

[mojoxp]

I've got a fleet of iMacs here that I'm preparing to deploy in a lab scenario. We're looking for a way to set the SMBIOS information on iMacs, specifically I need to set the UUID information, but I'd also like to set the Asset Tag as well.

The imaging tools that we use to install windows (SCCM 2007) use the SMBIOS UUID as the "unique" id for the computer, because in theory it should be unique accross all machines.

The problem is that Apple, in their infinite wisdom, seems to have left this field the same across all machines. ( 8E275844-178F-44A8-ACEB-A7D7E5178C62 to be exact). This is causing problems for us with our system.

I found the offset in the SMBIOS section of the EFI firmware, but I haven't figured out a way to modify it. Anyone have any idea where to start to modify this value?

 

[jamesrh]

Unfortunately I don't have a solution, but I do have the same problem, trying to do the same thing. Have you made any progress with this?

 

[jamesrh]

It looks like IORegistryExplorer, included with the developer tools, might be able to modify this data. Where did you find that data in the firmware? I can't see the string directly represented anywhere in what IORegistryExplorer shows, but it may be a starting point...

 

[nzgeek]

SMBIOS UUID and SCCM

I am using SCCM to image our labs (around 400 iMacs and a few PCs). For a while I have had issues with task sequences not being found. I figured it was an issue with identifying the computer somehow but I recently realised it was because SCCM identifies the computer by it's SMBIOS UUID. Around 80% of our lab computers have one of two "Unique" identifiers.

I have found a lot of people who have had similar issues but so far no solutions.

I have found a few suggestions that I hack the SCCM database, changing some query structures and a few suggestions that I should regularly reset the UUIDs in the database so that the MAC is used instead. These aren't really solutions, just workarounds. I don't think either workaround would be supported by Microsoft and niether is a solution to the actual problem, regardless of if the problem is seem as being Microsoft using this variable or Apple not setting it properly.

Does anyone know a way I can actually fix this so our iMacs can be imaged and managed? Any help would be much appreciated!