My Serial Number is not valid

[twotonekarma]

My serial number contains a character (i.e. not a number) in the first section.

That is, it should look something like this:  12-a1234

But instead looks like this:  A1-B2345

This means that I cannot check my warranty status.  I belive I bought a 3-year warranty but I am not sure when it expires, or indeed whether it was 3 additional years or 3 years including the initial 12 month basic.

My fan is annoyingly loud (I think the bearings have gone), and my headphone/microphone pick up distortion.  Also my battery seems to be on the blink.

Can anyone help?

[lead_org Microsoft MVP Contributor]

it could contain A1-B2345 that is quite common.

Maybe you should call up Lenovo warranty service in UK:

UNITED KINGDOM 08705-500-900

[twotonekarma]

My bad, I purchased my laptop in the USA as I was moving to New York.  That's where I am now.

[lead_org Microsoft MVP Contributor]

1-800-426-7378

[erik SuperMod]

if you're referring to the example shown on the warranty lookup page (23-AB123), just take it as an example.   i'm sure your system will work on that page.   if it doesn't, please call support as lead_org suggested.

as a sidebar, thinkpad serial numbers can have a letter/letter, letter/number, or number/number combination as the first two characters.   looking at a few of my systems, i have serial numbers starting with 99, MJ, L3, LV, R8, and R9 to name a few.   these are simply manufacturing plant designators.   just don't ask which one is which.

(edit: typo)

[twotonekarma]

Thanks for the information.  I tried my serial number on the site and it rejected it as invalid.  I will have to give Lenovo a call, as suggested.  Kinda dreading it as I have not had much luck at all with their support team (took about 5 hours of calls to verify a problem just after I received the laptop).  Shame they don't have online chat support.

[erik SuperMod · Accepted solution]

make sure you aren't mistaking a number for a letter or vice versa.   one of my systems ended in "T0Z" and i always typed the letter 'o' when i should have typed a zero.

update: after checking your serial number here, your W500 is in warranty until 2011-09-15.