Mac serial number missing after main logic board replacement!?

An OF reset shouldn't resolve anything, but feel free to give it a shot anyway.

The serial number of your computer resides on the logic board itself. If the number wasn't transferred when your MLB was replaced, you're going to have to give Apple a call.

😟

Sorry - I can't help, Gabriel, but here's an associated tale.

My fp iMac had to have a new motherboard about 6 months after I purchased it brand new. That was a couple of years ago now. I had already taken out the AppleCare Plan.

Late last year I had occasion to phone for AppleCare help, and gave the Serial Number to the tech upon request. I found it exactly where you'd expect to find it - Blue Apple, About This Mac etc. Guessed what's coming next? He asked me to repeat it, and seemed a bit perplexed that it didn't coincide with the one he had on my record. He said the Serial Number I quoted belonged to a Mac registered in France! So I assume my replacement motherboard was a refurb from a case in France. Well, it's always worked fine so 'tant pis', I'm not bothered. Wonder where my original is now?

Hi Gabriel,

Yes, there is a way to show it again in "About This Mac".
--> (Posted: 28-Oct-2005) Missing serial number

If somebody could now point which file to modify, to show it also in System Profiler.
And the "Sales Order Number", if you find it, too ( thanks a lot in advance!).

I think Rod's tale shows why the technicians don't bother adding it themselves:
The only serial number you can trust is the one you registered the very first time you used your computer.
Any other number can be because of a mistake (French or not), a wrong sticker at the back of a machine, or a more doubtful "tale".

HTH
Axl

You kinda need to call Apple about the matter, not just modify a loginwindow.app string, since other apps don't poll loginwindow for the serial number data. Apple does not simply modify strings via NetInfo when they assign serial numbers to new logic boards. Trust me.

Apple may actually want to give you a new logic board with a reassigned serial number. (I've seen it happen before.)

Hello again Gabriel,

Good timing! You found it exactly at the same time when I posted my link!

(Registered: 30-Nov-2010 ?
Congratulations!..)

2010?!

He should use his time traveling ability to go back in time and remind Apple to transfer his serial number! :-D

" Apple does not simply modify strings via NetInfo when they assign serial numbers to new logic boards"

Well, obviously no, and Rod's "tale" says it clearly:
In his case the techs found the French serial number and copied it to the "About This Mac" window.
They should have looked for the original serial number, but then a sticker at the back of a machine, again can be wrong.

IMO, the only right SN is the one we registered the very first time.
But since techs are not themselves given (allowed) too much information, my feeling is that some of them do things in a different way, depending on how they understand it.

I think the only "right" SN is the very first registered one.

BTW do you have an idea, about the System Profiler ones? Thanks!

Let's subscribe to his threads, so that we know about future products without doing speculation!..
🙂

But since techs are not themselves given (allowed) too much information, my feeling is that some of them do things in a different way, depending on how they understand it.

AASPs and Specialists do not alter serial number information in any way whatsoever, including transfer or assignment of serial number to new components. They are not given the proper tools to do it, and thus aren't supposed to hop into NetInfo or a text editor and change language project strings.

The French serial number assigned erroneously to that fellow's board got there because it was a refurbished board whose original serial number had never been wiped or Apple themselves assigned the wrong number, not because an inattentive service tech did anything wrong.

Now, if some service tech DID decide to take it upon himself or herself to hack a serial number there, you still need to contact Apple, 'cause that isn't supposed to happen, and you still don't have a proper serial attached to the board.

Believe me on this one.

I believe you.

You mean Rod needs to contact Apple, do you?

Gabriel has no number at all, like it is usually done, precisely because of this Apple problem, and will likely be told a "don't worry about it, this is normal" (they wouldn't dare to tell him the usual "this is the first time I see this" on this one, I hope...)

Have you noticed, how easy it is to start an argument, each time when Apple is not clear about something?

"You" in the general sense. A variable. (Yeah, him.)

Whoops. Yeah, for units that don't go to Apple, the information will be absent. If a tech applies one, that's a newspaper-to-nose scenario, right there. Bad puppy. However, I've never, ever seen that happen: it's always an oversight on Apple's part. I guess, in the end, it's no biggie.

(I hope I didn't just send some first-tier rep a crappy Thanksgiving call.)

I really wish it were feasible to ship boards to AASPs and Specialists with the users' serial numbers. Would make lots of users sleep better at night. Logistical nightmare, though. 😟

After replacing the motherboard on my iMac G5, my serial number was missing as well. This is perfectly normal, the original serial number can be found on your bill of sale and on Rev A iMacs, on the bottom of the the stand. It is precisely because of the possibility of mix-ups that Apple do not assign another serial number. If you have Apple Care, they too will have your original number.
Miriam

Yes, I was in "portable repaired by Apple" mode this morning. Been a long night.

The only real reason boards shipped to AASPs and Specialists don't have serials is because it's a logical shipping problem. It also requires a restructure of how parts are shipped, tracked, and stored internally.