Intake Workflow
Standardize intake and hardware assessment for MacBooks in unknown states while minimizing setup time.
Work top to bottom. If you're unsure where you are, go to Power On and Read the Screen and read the screen.
The Intake Sheet
Everything in this guide exists to fill these columns. Each one links to the command that produces it.
| Column | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| Name | Family — MacBook Pro / MacBook Air / MacBook |
| Serial | ioreg -l | grep -i IOPlatformSerialNumber |
| Identifier | sysctl -n hw.model |
| Model | A-number — chassis engraving, or Identifier lookup |
| Battery | ioreg -rc AppleSmartBattery — health % and cycle count |
| Year | Derived from the Identifier |
| RAM | sysctl -n hw.memsize |
| HD | diskutil info disk0 |
| CPU | sysctl -n machdep.cpu.brand_string |
| Physical Issues | Visual inspection — Step 1 |
| Functional Issues | Power-on checks and Apple Diagnostics — Step 1 |
| Firmware Locked | firmwarepasswd -check (Intel only) |
| OS Reset | Disk Utility → Erase — Step 9 |
| Processed At | Manual — date/time you finished |
| Ingested By | Manual — your name |
Get the Identifier first
Name, Model, and Year all derive from the Identifier. Run sysctl -n hw.model, paste
the result into the model lookup Identifier filter, and three columns fill themselves.
Steps at a Glance
- Physical Inspection — cosmetic condition, visual model clues, power-on checks. → Physical Issues, Functional Issues
- Power On and Read the Screen — five possible screens, each routing somewhere different.
- Firmware Password — only if you hit a padlock. Intel only. → Firmware Locked
- Enter Recovery — Cmd+R on Intel, power-hold on Apple Silicon.
- Select the Disk and Volume — pick a volume, or find out there isn't one.
- Run the Intake Commands — Terminal. → Name, Serial, Identifier, Model, Year, RAM, HD, CPU
- Battery Health —
ioregin Recovery,system_profilerwhen booted. → Battery - Activation Lock and MDM — the two things that make a unit unsellable.
- Disk Utility — verify capacity, check SMART, erase. → OS Reset
- Finish the Sheet — fill gaps, flag blockers.
Reference
- Column Index — every command, keyed to the sheet column it fills
- Apple Silicon vs Intel — the differences that affect intake
- Model lookup — derive Name, Model, and Year from an Identifier