How to change MAC address in windows 7
Today, I installed a software which I activated on a different PC before but it gave an error of MAC address check failure. It was actually checking MAC address from license. Right after that, I started online search for a utility to change MAC address in windows 7. In XP, there were free utilities available on internet which changed MAC address but I couldn’t find such utility for windows 7.
Here is a method of changing MAC address in windows 7, Go to Control Panel>>Network and Sharing Center>>Change Adapter Settings. Then right click the adapter whose MAC address you want to change, go to its properties.
The properties window will pop up, click “configure”. Click “Advanced” tab and choose “Network Address”. Write the new MAC address in a box under Value.
Please note that some of the device drivers provide an option to change the MAC address but some don’t. I have 2 network adapters, one is D-Link DUB-E100 while the other one is Broadcom NetXtreme 57xx Gigabit Controller. The former one allows to change the MAC address directly but the later one doesn’t. To change the MAC of such an adapter which doesn’t have such option, you will be required to modify in registry.
Procedure for changing MAC address through registry:
Step 1: Go to Start>>Run and execute “regedit” to open up a registry editor.
Step 2: Navigate as follows:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE>>SYSTEM>>CurrentControlSet>>Control>>Class>>{4D36E972-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318]
As the above image shows, you will see a lot of options like 000, 001 etc under 4D36E972-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318. Here you will have to choose the option which matches your current MAC address. For example, my current MAC is 00-18-8B-BA-DD-55, I will choose 0018 since the first four HEX numbers of the MAC are 00-18. When 0018 is clicked, it will show some files on the right side as shown below.
Right click the “Network Address” and choose “Modify …”. In a new window which pops up, write a new MAC under Value data.
Click OK. Disable and then enable your adapter and check your new adapter MAC via ipconfig -all command to be run on a Command prompt. That’s all !
Write an email to the author of this post at adnan@techskipper.com
change mac address, mac address, windows 7
I don’t think this is quite right. The first 4 characters of my MAC are 001E. It doesn’t make since that the registry keys are 0000, 0001, 0002 etc… There has to be some other association between the registry key and the MAC address but then one stated here doesn’t quite make since.
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