What to do if your Mac is stolen. Who lost a MacBook Air or how Find My iPhone(iPad, Mac) works in iCloud (MobileMe)
Number, model, ID of MacBook!? What is this!?
Let's find out! In order to correctly determine the part that is suitable for your MacBook models you need to know the model number or model ID.
The model number looks like this - MF839RU/A, and everything written before “RU/” does not change and is the same in all countries, RU these symbols may vary depending on the country.
Please note when searching:Because not all laptops purchased and repaired have a similar marking; to search for MF839RU/A, enter MF839 on the website.
Model identifier - it has a name and numbers that look like MacBookPro12,1, where MacBookPro is a line, and the numbers are 12,1 modification or version (here the interpretation is based on taste and color). If everything is clear with the ruler, read below about how to find out the Model ID...
Where to get the model number or model ID - MacBook, MacBook Pro or MacBook Air?
The simplest thing is that If you still have the box or receipt, it should indicate the Model Number or configuration information.
With their help, you can easily find the part you are interested in through general search on the site, but still read the article so as not to type everything in a row in the search)...
Let's take it in order, then we'll look at:
Determining your MacBook model by serial number
How and where to find the Serial Number
What information is required to find and order parts for your MacBook?!
MACBOOK MODELS TABLE
How to identify MacBook models by serial number
On most Mac OS X computers, you can find the serial number in the About This Mac window. If you know your computer's serial number, you can determine your product model in several ways.
Option 1: Enter your serial number on the Verify Service Eligibility and Support page. The corresponding model will be displayed on the screen as shown below.
Option 2: Enter the serial number on the Specifications page. (Click "Browse by Product" to display the search field.) The screen that opens will display the corresponding model, as shown below:
If you still have the boxes or receipt, they should include the Model Number or configuration information.
How and where to find your MakBook Serial Number
The serial number can be found in several places:
- on the computer case ()
If the About This Mac window looks like this, double-click the version number under OS X to find your computer's serial number.
If the window looks like this, click More Details.
On the Hardware tab, both the Serial Number and Model ID are displayed.
What data is required to search and order parts for your MacBook
The information found will help you search on the site.
Your Mac is missing. Malefactors, sclerosis or harsh fate played a cruel joke. What to do?
In the first part of this article, I propose to discuss the most effective behavioral scenarios for saving your laptop or at least valuable, and perhaps confidential information. Then we will consider the procedure that can and should be done BEFORE the disaster happens.
We'll help protect your Mac and make the process of returning it much easier if it's lost. Forewarned is forearmed.
My MacBook was stolen
First: don't be nervous. If the problem can be solved, then why worry? And if you can’t decide, what’s the point of being nervous?
Apple made sure that the MacBook could either be found and returned, or blocked and not worry about your valuable information getting into the hands of attackers.
Sign in to iCloud (or run Find My iPhone on your iOS device) with your Apple ID. If the search function has been activated (we will talk about this in the second part of the article), we will be able to see its location on the map that opens on the screen.
To do this, you just need to select the missing laptop from the list above. By the way, all devices connected to your Apple ID are visible there, as well as those devices that were associated with you in “ Family Sharing" In total there can be up to 100 devices.
The following options are available for your missing Mac.
1. Play sound
An annoying and loud sound will be clearly audible, even if the volume in the system was lowered before.
Unfortunately, if the screen is closed and your Mac is in sleep mode, no audio will play. Only if the screen is raised and connected to famous network, your Mac will make itself known. That's why "Play sound"– this is the number one function more for mobile devices, such as iPhone. In this case, it can save you a lot of time and nerves.
2. Blocking
If the laptop still disappears, you can block it Mac password to prevent attackers from gaining access to your information. The MacBook will not be able to boot even with external storage, and the message you wrote about the reward, requests, pleas, threats will appear on the screen
It's important to come up with strong password so that it is difficult to pick up. Don't forget in your message indicate how to contact you.
3. Erase Mac
Yes exactly. Sometimes information more expensive than a computer. It could be financial information company, personal data or other data that no one else should have access to.
We all remember the recent scandal about the leak of personal racy photos. Please be aware that after all information is deleted, your Mac it will be impossible to detect via Find My iPhone.
Note: Even if the Mac is not online (turned off or out of range Wi-Fi actions), all of the above will immediately take effect as soon as it is turned on and connected to the network.
4. Contact the police
I don’t know how effective the police work will be in the place where you live, but even in Madagascar they once found a MacBook stolen from Russian blogger Ilya Varlamov.
If all else fails...
5. Write to Tim Cook personally.
6. Experience Zen buy new MacBook and restore information from a backup copy. Everyone does it backups, is not it? 😉
When will you buy it? new laptop or think about the prospect of losing this one, ask the question: have you done everything to protect your MacBook from theft? By spending a few minutes setting up security-related functions, you can make your life a lot easier and save on validol.
In the second part of the article we will look at:
- How to set up a system to make the kidnapper's life bitter and uninteresting.
- Which third-party programs can help protect your Mac.
- What else can you do to ensure that your Mac pleases only those who need it?
Thank you and see you tomorrow
On the eve of the New Year, many miracles and oddities happen.
So a unique story happened in our Apple service center: on December 28, 2011 at 15:40 an “interesting” client came with a request to reset the user’s password for logging into MacOS X. 
During the process of deleting the password, the client said that he allegedly bought a used MacBook Air 2010 at Karavaev Dacha for 2000 UAH. This story made us a little worried...
How to find a stolen laptop?
The BashMac service center will help you find your lost/stolen MacBook or iMac. Indicate in the comments to this article the serial number of the missing poppy and your contacts, maybe you will be lucky and they will bring it to us.
After we logged in and decided to connect the laptop to the Internet, our guesses were confirmed.
The system displayed a message that the laptop was lost and asked to contact the owner via the specified phone number. This message was on the screen for a couple of seconds, during which it was impossible to write down or remember the number contact phone number. The MacBook rebooted and displayed the following picture: 
Good afternoon!!!
We called a security officer, after which the client “kindly” agreed to provide his documents (technical passport and driver’s license). Strange as it may seem, the client was the Dacia driver with the checkered crown mentioned in the message on the blocked Mac :-)
I forgot my laptop in a Dacia Logon taxi, please return it for a fee
4000 UAH The laptop is locked and is now wanted, there is important information on it for me.
The first reaction was a desire to call the police, but to be on the safe side, it was decided to hand over the laptop with important information to the real owner from hand to hand. After an hour-long explanation of the possible legal consequences of his “behavior,” the unfortunate driver was given a receipt stating that the laptop would remain in storage until the circumstances were clarified. 
The locked laptop was given Internet access to be able to contact the real owner of the device using the Find My iPhone application. Periodically, all kinds of messages appeared on the screen: from emoticons to: 
Please return the laptop for money, and next time I
And the main insanity of this fable: at least in one message the owner indicated his contact phone number!
I will come for him myself without money!!!
P.S. Pushkinskaya 34...
The laptop is locked at the hardware level (it is not possible to boot from another medium).
If the real owner of the laptop does not show up soon, we will be forced to remove solid state drive in order to find the owner's contact information...
On this page we will keep you updated on the continuation of this funny and instructive story.
We are waiting for comments on this situation, and for the true owner of the device to visit us for the solemn and long-awaited presentation of a New Year's gift! ;-)
How to find a stolen laptop (MacBook, iPad, iPhone, iPod)?
Find My iPhone (in Russian localization Find iPhone) is a special function built into iOS firmware 4.2 and higher, running on iPhone, iPod touch or iPad and broadcasting information about its location. If the device is lost, the user can go to the service and find out the location of the iOS device, send a message to it, play a sound, block it with a PIN code, or completely erase all information. These functions are available both online and in a dedicated application. 
We all deep down hope that a laptop can be stolen from anyone, but not from us. And we also cannot simply lose it or forget it somewhere. But as practice shows, cases of theft and loss of laptops are not so rare. And it is not always the fact of the loss of a device that causes the main concern, but the loss of information stored on it. For example, a project that I was involved in Last year, sources, important documents, etc. Therefore, today we will talk about how, firstly, to protect your data as much as possible, and secondly, to increase the chances of returning your precious data.
Friends, there is quite a lot of information on the Internet about setting up Find My iPhone (search functions Apple technology), there is even a manual on the official website. But I admit honestly, when I myself first tried to figure out the settings, I was completely confused. Of course, this was a long time ago, and I was just beginning to learn the basics of using Apple Mac, but perhaps there are such newcomers among you now. Therefore, in this post, I will try to describe in as much detail as possible all the settings procedures, as well as talk about actions after the loss of a MacBook.
So, first, instructions for setting up Find My iPhone. If you've already enabled this feature before and are now searching for your missing MacBook, then skip this information and move on. For anyone else who is thinking about protecting their Mac, these step-by-step steps will be helpful.
Step 1. First of all, set the user to login to your Mac. To do this, go to Settings - Users and Groups;
Step 2. Create iCloud account, or enter it if it has already been created;
Step 3. In the list that opens iCloud features, check the box next to “Find Mac”;
Step 4. If you don't have geolocation (location service) enabled on your MacBook, you need to enable it. To do this, go to Settings-Security and Privacy. There will be a hint about this in iCloud itself;
At this point, the inclusion of the Find My iPhohe function is essentially complete, but there is one the most important nuance, about which no one writes.
Step 5. Be sure to create account Guest, or any other without administrator rights! This is necessary so that after the MacBook is stolen or lost, an attacker or someone who finds the laptop can log in and connect to the Internet. Only in this case, the system will be able to send a command to block, destroy data, or send a message requesting the return of the laptop.
What to do if your MacBook is stolen or lost
Step 1. From any computer or phone, go and log in to icloud.com; 
Step 2. Click the “Find iPhone” icon, wait until the device is detected and click on the dot to open the menu. Run the command to lock the MacBook, erase data, send a message asking to return the laptop, or information that it is stolen and is wanted by the owner. Be sure to include contact information in your message. Important! Even if on this moment The device is not active (without an Internet connection), still follow the above steps. The changes will take effect after the laptop is connected to the network for the first time;
Step 3. Send your MacBook's serial number and notify it as stolen to repair shops and service providers. apple centers. Be sure to reset this information to the BashMac service. Important! Even if you were unable to lock your computer, still send its serial number to [email protected]. It will be added to a special database, and if anyone asks to unblock or repair this Mac, experts identify it as stolen.
All Apple computers have a similar design. Many models of the same series cannot be distinguished by external features. This is taken advantage of by scammers who inflate the year of manufacture or technical specifications in order to sell the Mac at a higher price. I have been working as a repairman for many years. Apple computers, I have encountered cases of such fraud. Anyone who is interested in how not to be deceived when buying a used Mac, I invite you to the cat.
Apple computer identification
The MacBook model identification system is not simple; it consists of several parameters. Let me explain using my Mac as an example.- Series: MacBook Pro
- Model name: MacBook Pro Retina 15-inch
- Model year: mid 2012
- Model Number: A1398
- Model ID: MacBookPro10,1
- Model number: MC976LL/A
A1398 is a MacBook Pro Retina 15-inch, produced from 2012 to 2016, having 5 different models with different configurations.
The year of manufacture of the model determines the technical characteristics, and therefore the price for a used Mac. The year of manufacture can be viewed in the system; it is associated with the model identifier.
Another parameter that determines the price is the equipment:
- amount of RAM,
- storage capacity (ssd/hdd),
- processor type and frequency,
- graphic arts.
Serial number
The serial number is unique for each Apple devices. The serial number uniquely identifies any Mac. It contains encrypted:- assembly factory
- year and week of assembly
- model and equipment
→ A similar situation has already been described in.
The serial number is written in the “About this Mac” system. You probably already understood from the screenshot at the beginning of the post that you can’t always trust him.
Serial number forgery
The serial number is written in the EEPROM memory chip, in the code EFI firmware. It is stored there in explicit form, as a set of characters and is not encrypted in any way.You can disassemble a MacBook, unsolder the chip, insert it into the programmer and rewrite the number to a more “advanced”, top-end one. The number can be replaced with a set of almost any characters and they will be displayed in the “About this Mac” system.
This is what I did:
The result of this experiment was the screenshot in the title of the post.
I do not exclude that it is possible to rewrite the serial number in EFI programmatically. There is a service utility Apple Blank Board Serializer, which registers the serial number if it is empty. The repair boards that Apple sends come with a blank serial number. But then, after replacement, a serial number is registered for a specific case. But this utility does not allow you to change the serial number.
Opinion: I admit that it is possible to modify this utility so that it allows you to change the registered serial number.
The computer I conducted the experiment on is an interesting example. It was a MacBook Pro 13 late 2011 in the top MD314 configuration with an i7 processor. The processor was faulty and I replaced it, soldered what was available - i5 2.3 GHz from MacBook Pro 13 early 2011 in the low-end configuration. It turned out to be a forced “downgrade”.
This is the information that will appear if we run Apple Hardware Test on it.
And if we “punch” the serial number, we will see that there should be an i7 2.8 GHz processor.
Screenshot taken from the resource www.appleserialnumberinfo.com/Desktop/index.php
By the way, a good site for determining the technical characteristics and factory configuration by the serial number of the Mac.
The result of my repair was ready-made option for fraud. The junior model has the same number as the top model. Fraudsters simply do the opposite; they sew the serial number from the top version into the initially low-end configuration. Or they completely change the firmware.
Besides serial number, the EFI firmware specifies the model and year of manufacture (MacBook Pro 13-inch, Late 2011), i.e. they can also be modified. The situation is more complicated with the model identifier (MacBookPro8,1), it is registered in the firmware of the SMC multicontroller. This chip is much more difficult to work with.
Changing the serial number in the EFI firmware using a programmer is a hardcore method. Not everyone can do this. You will need soldering equipment, a programmer and a person who knows how to use it. Simpler manipulations are much more common. This is a modification of the Mac OS system.
Substitution of information in the Mac OS system
All computer characteristics are specified in the “About this Mac” system. But this information, unfortunately, cannot always be trusted. There are programs and hacks that can change this information. There have already been posts about this:I did not understand and was not interested in how this is done, but I have seen cases of such fraud several times. I have this screenshot from my practice.
A specialist will immediately notice the non-compliance with 2014 and Intel graphics HD 4000 (integrated graphics in processors Intel core i, third generation " Ivy Bridge", appeared in 2012).
In fact, it was a MacBook Air 11 mid 2012. Only the year of manufacture was changed. But this was enough to deceive the buyer by about 10 kilos of rubles (the market difference between these two models). You could understand the deception by punching the serial number or comparing the characteristics of these two models.
I have also seen more expensive deception. A 2012 MacBook Pro Retina 15 in the lowest configuration was purchased as a 14-year-old in the top-end configuration. Everything in the system was changed (year of manufacture, processor frequency, memory size, storage capacity, serial number). The overpayment was about 50 thousand.
How to avoid being deceived when purchasing?
Now let's move on to the main thing - how to deal with all this. The serial number cannot be trusted, and the information in the “About this Mac” system cannot be trusted either.How then to live?
In similar posts to which I linked above, the authors, in addition to punching the serial number, recommend running the Apple Hardware Test utility.
Checking through the hardware profile in the Apple Hardware Test utility is reliable, but not universal method. Let me explain: Apple Hardware Test is a built-in utility that is installed on all new Macs. HDD. To start it, you need to press and hold the D button when turning it on. But if the disk has been changed or formatted, then it will only launch on models from 2011 that support loading via Wi-FI. To run over the network on some models you need to press ALT+D. Well, you will need a network connection.
On Macs since 2014, this utility has become useless for checking. It has been simplified; there is no longer an “equipment profile” tab. The utility will only show the test result and serial number from the EFI firmware. And this number, as we remember, can be changed.
A simple universal way to check
All Mac identification parameters can be changed in one way or another. You cannot replace only the hardware characteristics themselves (processor frequency, RAM capacity, disk capacity, graphics), because this information is taken from the hardware itself. Therefore, a simple universal way to reveal the deception is to boot from an external drive (flash drive or disk) with installed Mac system OS and compare hardware characteristics.A feature of the Mac OS operating system is its unification for all Mac models. If you remove the hard drive from the MacBook and connect it as an external drive to any other Mac, it will be able to boot from it. There is only one condition - system compatibility. New model will not boot from a very old version.
There is also an option to rearrange operating system, but installation over the network is a lengthy process, and installation disk will have to do as boot disk.
Make a boot disk/flash drive with installed by the system very simple. To do this, you need to connect the disk to the MacBook and rearrange the system on it, just select the connected disk as the installation path.
On all Macs since 2011, you can rearrange the system via Wi-Fi or make an installation disk. I won’t tell you how the system is rearranged or how a boot disk is made. There is a lot of this information on the Internet and on the Apple website, and you can find posts here.
There is also an interesting option, this is instead external drive use any other Mac. To do this, you only need a thunderbolt-to-thunderbolt cable. If you press and hold the T button when turning it on, the Mac will switch to external disk mode and you can boot from it as if from regular disk. And you can install various test programs on a Mac.
To identify a Mac based on its hardware characteristics, I recommend using the program Mactracker.
This is probably all I wanted to tell you about the risks of fraud associated with changing the serial number or modifying the system. But don't forget that there are other risks. When buying second hand, you do not receive any guarantees of technical serviceability.
If the topic is interesting, I can write about it in the next post.