If you’re troubleshooting issues with your Mac, it can be helpful to know the version and build of the macOS operating system you have installed on your Mac, how much space is left on the hard drive, or even if your machine’s warranty has run out. Here’s how to find all of that, and more, with just a few clicks of the mouse.
To get started, first click the Apple () symbol in the upper left corner of your Mac’s Desktop. In the menu that appears, click the “About This Mac…” menu option.
The “About” dialog box will appear. We’re going to use the tabs at the top of the window to quickly learn more about your computer.
But first, let’s view the version of macOS you have installed on your machine, and what the version’s build number is. This can come in handy in a number of troubleshooting instances.
On the “About” dialog box, you’ll see the “Version” number listed. Click the version number with your mouse, and the Build Number will appear, as seen below:
If you have multiple displays attached to your computer, or if you’re troubleshooting graphics glitches, it will be helpful to know what graphics card(s) you have inside your Mac. Here’s how.
While viewing the “About” dialog box, click the “Displays” tab. You’ll see the information about your machine’s built-in display, (in the case of MacBooks and iMacs), and any external display you may have connected to your machine.
While viewing the “About” dialog box, click the “Storage” tab. This will display all of the drives you currently have installed in, or attached to, your Mac. As you can see below, I have a 120 GB hard drive in my MacBook Pro, but I also have an external USB drive I use for Time Machine backups, and an SD card I keep plugged into my MacBook’s SD card slot for storage of downloaded files and such.
While viewing the “About” dialog box, click the “Support” tab. You’ll be presented with links to open the local help on your computer, view a user manual online, and visit the Mac Support website. In addition, you can view an online listing of the specs for your particular machine, access Hardware support, and other important information about your Mac.
While viewing the “About” dialog box, click the “Service” tab. Here, you can access links to your service and support status, your service and repair options, and a link to learn more about AppleCare coverage.
With just a few clicks of the mouse, you can easily learn helpful information about your Apple computer. In a future post, we’ll explore how with just a few more clicks, you can view information about almost every component found inside your machine.
For more tips and tricks on how to make better use of your Mac, iOS device, Apple Watch, or Apple TV, be sure to visit the “How To” section of our website.
