If I don't have MacOS (only windows installed), how do I tell what "gen" my macbook pro is?

[mrkrinkle]

If I don't have MacOS (only windows installed), how do I tell what "gen" my macbook pro is? And I don't know the year.?

I have a macbook pro, circa 2012, I think, not sure. I installed windows 8.1 pro on it; registered/activated. (No macos at all, just windows 8.1), it works, but I don't have the drivers for some parts- the camera, function keys, and most importantly there's no audio at all.

Every driver package I try doesn't work- "This version of Boot Camp is not intended for this computer model."

I've tried packages:

5.1.640
5.0.5033
5.1.5640
5.1.5769

Also- can someone tell me how to at least find out what "gen" it is? I mean can I do that by model number and/or s/n, and if so, where do I get those numbers and where to look them up? Again, I don't have MacOS installed.

thank you,

 

[honestone]

Turn your MacBook Pro over. Near the top where the screen "attached" to the body, you'll see some small writing. It will say, on the first line, "Model "so and so"" For example, on my mid 2013 13" MacBook Air, it says "Model A1466 EMC 2632" I can then enter all of that into google, and some "hits" will show up, from which I can tell which "gen" you have. I just did it, and one of the "hits", www.everymac.com, has the exact, correct information about my MacBook Air.

 

[mrkrinkle]

Turn your MacBook Pro over. Near the top where the screen "attached" to the body, you'll see some small writing. It will say, on the first line, "Model "so and so"" For example, on my mid 2013 13" MacBook Air, it says "Model A1466 EMC 2632" I can then enter all of that into google, and some "hits" will show up, from which I can tell which "gen" you have. I just did it, and one of the "hits", www.everymac.com, has the exact, correct information about my MacBook Air.

Thanks, mine says A1286, but there's no EMC number. I looked up the A1286 number but there are so many covering so many years:

http://www.everymac.com/ultimate-mac-lookup/?search_keywords=a1286

Oh wait, is it the FCC numbers? I have:

QDS-BRCM1038

4324A-BRCM103

QDS-BRCM1037

4324a-BRCM1037

 

[honestone]

Don't know bout FCC numbers. Do you still havre the original Apple box that the machine came in? The serial number (and most likely EMC number, along with specs) would be on the box.

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

Did you ever have the bottom case of your MacBook Pro replaced? If so, the replacement bottom case doesn't have the serial number imprint on it. If it is the original bottom case, then the serial number should be listed at the very end of the imprinting after the FCC info, or under the icons.

c

 

[honestone]

Hello and welcome.

Did you ever have the bottom case of your MacBook Pro replaced? If so, the replacement bottom case doesn't have the serial number imprint on it. If it is the original bottom case, then the serial number should be listed at the very end of the imprinting after the FCC info, or under the icons.

c

Hmm, thanks Cory! I just noticed that on my MacBook Air. It's at the very end of the second line (original bottom case).

 

[mrkrinkle]

Hello and welcome.

Did you ever have the bottom case of your MacBook Pro replaced? If so, the replacement bottom case doesn't have the serial number imprint on it. If it is the original bottom case, then the serial number should be listed at the very end of the imprinting after the FCC info, or under the icons.

c

Nope, at the end of the second line it just has the copyright statement. Arrrg! Yea, this wasn't originally mine, so maybe it was refurbished.

It's a shame- all I need is for the audio to work, I could live without the camera. Actually- you know what- the driver seems fine because when I set the volume in windows it has the bars going up and down as if it's playing the sound. It's as if windows thinks it's making noise but it's not. Also- if I plug in the headphones, it changes the icon to headphones. Odd, right? And when I turn it on, it does the "BOONNG!" so the speakers are physically fine.

It's as if the drivers and hardware are fine. So why no sound? Odd....

 

[honestone]

Hmm, so you see nothing there that says "Serial"? Again, maybe a MacBook Air is different. Also, when one purchases a refurbished machine, the refurbishment could have been a makeover of the outside, inside parts, or both. I myself have never purchased a refurbished machine, as I am concerned about inheriting other's problems (same goes for used/"certified" cars).

 

[mrkrinkle]

Hmm, so you see nothing there that says "Serial"? Again, maybe a MacBook Air is different. Also, when one purchases a refurbished machine, the refurbishment could have been a makeover of the outside, inside parts, or both. I myself have never purchased a refurbished machine, as I am concerned about inheriting other's problems (same goes for used/"certified" cars).

Sure but even if it's refurbished- how would the speakers work and the drivers work at the same time, but still no sound.... I mean what kind of hardware refurbishing can possible be clever enough (or stupid enough) to make that possibly happen. (Btw I was running Mountain Lion on this mac before and the audio was fine.) Refurbished or not, this doesn't make sense, I don't think we can point at the refurbishing as the problem.

Thanks for sticking with this.

 

[honestone]

You actually am trying to use a "modified" Mac as an exclusive Windows machine. I am not sure how successful anyone has been by doing that. While it's somewhat true that certain "parts" are "identical" (Intel processors), not sure about other stuff on the Mac.

 

[iMav]

If you can grab the ethernet MAC(hardware) address, that would help in identifying the exact model. (you can do this from the command line in Windows with the "ipconfig" command)