Steps to check before buying an old Mac

Buying an old computer in general and a used Mac in particular is always risky than buying a new one. However, sometimes the old machine will save you a considerable amount of money.

1. Buy a refurbished old Mac

You will usually have two options when buying a used device: buying a used device directly from the owner or buying a refurbished device from a store. Not only Macs, refurbished computers are generally better than "original" machines because they are checked, replaced by technicians, certified in good repair, and even guaranteed. by the store selling it. So it's always safer to buy a refurbished Mac than buying directly from previous users, although the cost may be a little higher.

2. Check the machine model

Check and make sure that the computer you're about to buy isn't 'coming out' too long ago, not more than three years ago, as Apple tends to support its device for about six years.

A very old Mac will have less chance of getting support from Apple and you won't be able to install operating system updates and security modifications.

Also, keep in mind that Apple computers no longer use Intel microprocessors but replace them with genuine ones. As a result, Macs that still use Intel chips will quickly become 'out of date' and no longer be supported.

3. Find out machine information

If you are buying a device from a private seller, you may need their help to view machine details before making a decision.

The easiest way to see all the important specifications at once including the machine name, serial number, RAM, OS version, year of manufacture, origin . is to ask the seller to take a screenshot. "About This Mac" image in the Apple menu.

This is also a way to help you see if the Mac you're about to buy is too old and how long the support is left.

4. Make sure there is no firmware password

The firmware password is the one that prevents booting your Mac from USB or entering Recovery mode, which can greatly assist you in troubleshooting or recovering from the problem.

To make sure the previous owner did not set this type of password, start the computer and hold down the Option key. If asked to enter a password, have the owner turn it off before you buy back the computer.

5. Check operation

If you have the time to test your machine before you buy it, try some simple things to make sure it's still working:

Try starting the machine with both battery and direct power to the MacBook.
Check all USB ports are working properly or not.
Open a test program and test the keyboard functionality.
Test the screen by running a program like LCDTech's dead-pixel checker.
With a MacBook, check its battery by plugging it in and booting it up with battery, or go to the Option key hold menu and select System Information, then select Power and Battery Health Info.

Steps to check before buying an old Mac Picture 1

6. Restore factory settings

Finally, when you buy a used Mac computer, you cannot be sure what is on its hard drive. To ensure that malware does not damage your newly purchased computer, perform a factory reset:

Method 1: Click the Apple logo at the top left, select Restart, hold Command + R until you see the Apple logo or spinning sphere.
Method 2: use the key combination Option + Command + R.

Samuel Daniel

Update 03 March 2021

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