What to check before buying a used MacBook or laptop

You meet the seller at a coffee shop. The laptop looks fine at a glance. You open it and the screen has a faint wobble when you press the corner. That small wobble is often an easy miss that costs you later.

• Power it on and watch boot time and any odd screens

• Inspect the screen for bright spots, lines, and dim zones

• Plug in the charger and wiggle the plug to test the jack

• Test every USB/Thunderbolt/HDMI port with a device you have

• Type on the keyboard and test each key for stickiness or failure

• Run a quick webcam and microphone check during the meetup

• Ask to see the battery cycle count and charge health in settings

A short scene: how a check starts

You open the laptop at the table. The seller hands the charger and steps back. You plug it in, and nothing happens. That moment tells you more than photos do. A no-power laptop means more work or cost than the seller may admit.

Condition and screen checks

You must look closely. Hold the screen at different angles. Look for dark lines, vertical bands, or backlight bleed (glow at the edge). Bright spots and dead pixels are permanent and lower the price.

Check the hinge tightness. If the screen wobbles when you type, hinges may be loose or broken. Open and close the lid a few times. Listen for crunching or squeaks. Those often mean past drops or repairs.

Inspect the case edges. Dents, bent corners, or gap lines can mean internal damage. Ask if the laptop ever got wet. A clean cosmetic case does not guarantee a healthy machine, but lots of dings often cost you later.

Battery, power and thermal basics

Battery health matters. On most laptops you can see battery health or cycle count in the settings. Cycle count shows how many full charges the battery did. High counts mean shorter runtime.

With the charger plugged in, watch charging behavior. A healthy laptop should charge steadily. If the charge jumps, drops, or the machine dies when unplugged, the battery or power board needs repair.

Feel the bottom and vents after 10 minutes of use. If it gets very hot fast, fans could be failing or vents blocked by dust. Overheating causes slow performance and can damage parts.

Storage, software and firmware checks

You should ask the seller to log you into an account or to let you use a guest account. Boot into the operating system and open the system settings. Confirm the storage size and how much free space remains.

Run a quick disk health check if possible. On macOS, you can use Disk Utility to verify the disk. On other laptops, a simple file copy test can show if the drive is slow or noisy. Slow reads/writes hint at a failing drive.

Check firmware and OS version. Old firmware or a mismatched OS can hide issues. Ask if the device has a firmware password or is locked to an account. Activation locks (account locks) make a device unusable until cleared by the owner.

Micro-moment: You ask the seller to play a short video. The speakers rattle at low bass. They shrug and say it always did that. That tells you the audio hardware or speakers may be damaged and repairs are likely. A quick sound test saves you from surprise repair bills.

Ports, camera, keyboard and extras

Test every port. Bring a small USB stick, an HDMI cable, and a charger. Plug things in and out. Ports that only work sporadically can be costly to fix.

Open the webcam app and record a few seconds. Speak into the mic and play back the recording. Mics and cameras are easy to check but expensive to replace if soldering is needed.

Type a paragraph to test the keys. Sticky keys or missing letters often mean spills and require board cleaning or key replacement. If the trackpad is jumpy, test clicks and multi-finger gestures.

Price, negotiation and paperwork

Ask for the original receipt if available. Receipts and original box can add resale value. Ask about past repairs. A repaired board is not a dealbreaker, but it changes the price.

Bring your target price and a walk-away price. Start lower and raise only if everything checks out. Point out each fault calmly: worn keys, dim screen, short battery life. Use those items to lower the price.

If the laptop is advertised as "like new" but fails basic tests, walk away. For used electronics, a clear test and a fair price beat a nice photo.

If the console can’t be signed out and reset cleanly, treat it like a risk item and price it accordingly.

Today’s takeaway: Test power, screen, ports, battery health, and simple audio/video functions on site, and let real faults guide your offer.