Finding Your Mac’s Serial Number
When things go wrong with your Mac’s hardware, one of the first things to do before making any calls, is to determine your Mac’s serial number. There are several ways to get this but the fastest way, assuming your Mac can still boot up, is to use Mac OS X to tell you what the serial number is.
Using Mac OS X To Determine Your Mac’s Serial Number
For Mac desktops and portables running Mac OS X this is a simple 2 step process:
- Click on the Apple Menu at the top left hand corner of your Mac’s screen and;
- Select and click “About This Mac” from the drop down menu that is displayed
Clicking on the area marked with a red rectangle in Diagram 1.1 toggles the display to show you your Mac’s:
- Current Build version of your Mac OS X operating system;
- Your Mac’s serial number;
- The current version of your Mac’s OS X operating system
Please Note: Some earlier Mac OS X-compatible computers do not have their serial numbers stored in a way that allows this feature to work. Lack of this feature on your computer does not indicate any software or hardware failure.
Finding Physical Serial Number Marking On Your Mac
Should your Mac no longer have the ability to boot, you can fall back on the physical serial number marking on your Mac. The location of this serial number is different depending on the model of your Mac.
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At the bottom of your iMac |
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At the baseplate of your iMac |
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At the bottom of your iMac’s screen |
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At the baseplate of your eMac |
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Remove the battery, the Serial Number is adhered to the wall lining of the battery bay |
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Located at the rear panel of your PowerMac desktop below the power supply unit outlet |
