Whether you're buying a used laptop, are checking for warranty purposes or simply want to know the date your setup was born, there are a number of ways you can check the manufacture date of your PC or Mac. While the method varies from brand to brand, there are several general steps you can take to find the birth date of your laptop.
Finding PC MFD
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Step 1
Search the body of your laptop for a sticker posted by the manufacturer that contains information about your system and the build of your computer. This information can typically be found on the bottom of the laptop. While it doesn't always say the MFD (manufacture date) of your computer, there's a chance it might.
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Step 2
Check the BIOS MFD of your computer to get a rough idea of when it was made. This is done by turning on your computer and entering the BIOS menu immediately. Getting into the BIOS menu will vary from PC to PC, but can always be done upon startup. This usually consists of hitting a key such as F2 or F10 on the first screen that appears when you boot your computer. Start your computer, look for this screen, note the key you must press using paper and a pen, and then restart your computer again so you can enter the menu. The date will appear on the first screen.
Step 3
Contact the manufacturer of your computer by phone or e-mail and provide the serial number of the laptop. While the manufacturer won't be able to give you an exact MFD, it will be able to provide you with a rough estimate of when your computer was made based on how long that model was in production.
Finding Mac MFD
Step 1
Click the Apple icon on the desktop and select "About This Mac."
Step 2
Double-click the version number that appears for your Mac upon opening the menu to bring up the Mac serial number.
Step 3
Determine the year your Mac was made by looking at the first digit in the serial number, which represents the last digit of the year the computer was manufactured. The next two digits represent the week of the year in which the computer was built.