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can I upgrade the harddrive on a machine with a firmware password?
- Thread starter beachball doom
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- boot firmware lock
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It's a newer mac and the pram isn't an option, sadly
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That's what I was afraid of. My actual question is. If I do that to turn off firmware password will I be able to safely toggle back and forth?
You can reset the NVRAM but it won't make a difference as the password is in the firmware. Saving the password in NVRAM would defeat the purpose of locking out unauthorized users. The disadvantage is forgetting the password.
So assuming I get the firmware password removed I should be able to boot from both, correct? External when. I need and internal, even though they are different systems? But when i use older os i won't see the newer harddrive, which is fine
I got the chip removed eighteen months ago and never had a problem since. I suggest you look for a tech shop who can remove the firmware chip, I believe it's a relatively simple job for someone with the right tools.
The firmware chip can't be removed without being replaced as it's necessary for the MacBook to function. It can be reprogrammed too
He used a heat gun. It's one of the few practical ways to remove surface-mount chips.
The video shows him starting the removal process, but it doesn't show the full process. It's not easy, in the sense that a beginner can do it without training or practice. You need to know what you're doing, or you will likely cause damage.
The video showed him briefly holding a heat gun over the chip he removed from the first motherboard. It does not show how he "attached" that chip to the motherboard that came from inside the Mac.
But yes, one needs to know what they are doing.
Yes, you will be able to toggle back and forth.
I had a mid-2013 MacBook Air with an EFI password that I purchased from a friend of mine. She put on a password and forgot what it was. I had a Mac repair shop remove the password by attaching a programmer to the EFI slot on the logic board. After running the program, I could switch between booting from internal and external drives.
The retina MacBooks also have an EFI slot.
The video uses a non-retina logic board for the demo. I would not recommend removing any chips from the logic board to bypass a fimware password.
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You now have a bricked computer. The best you can do is to continue using it from the external drive.
Or, do as @Audit13 suggested.
If your Macbook Pro is 2012 or older, you will have to have the EFI chip replaced - did that to mine and has no password, retains the same password. Professional company had to remove the 8 pin SMT chip and replace it with one they programmed.
If your Macbook is the newer models but pre T2, you can have a simple DIY plug in a EFI card.
If your Macbook is the newer models but pre T2, you can have a simple DIY plug in a EFI card.
tvmaceditor wrote:
"So assuming I get the firmware password removed I should be able to boot from both, correct? External when. I need and internal, even though they are different systems?"
Sorry if I'm the bearer of bad news, but you're in a very bad spot.
You bought a second-hand MacBook from someone who put a firmware password onto it (or says he did, perhaps he stole it from someplace or someone), and "can't remember it" to remove it.
Apple WILL NOT RESET your MBP unless you present to them a copy of the original sales receipt, which I doubt the guy you bought it from has. You can ask, but they will refuse as a matter of course. Don't expect this to change.
There MIGHT be some 3rd-party shop that will do this, or you could look on ebay for "solutions". Can't really say much more about this.
Again... if someone buys a MacBook and THEN discovers (after buying it) that it has a firmware password, sometimes the best thing to do is just "put it into the closet", and go out and buy ANOTHER MacBook from a reputable source that you KNOW is ok...
That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.
"So assuming I get the firmware password removed I should be able to boot from both, correct? External when. I need and internal, even though they are different systems?"
Sorry if I'm the bearer of bad news, but you're in a very bad spot.
You bought a second-hand MacBook from someone who put a firmware password onto it (or says he did, perhaps he stole it from someplace or someone), and "can't remember it" to remove it.
Apple WILL NOT RESET your MBP unless you present to them a copy of the original sales receipt, which I doubt the guy you bought it from has. You can ask, but they will refuse as a matter of course. Don't expect this to change.
There MIGHT be some 3rd-party shop that will do this, or you could look on ebay for "solutions". Can't really say much more about this.
Again... if someone buys a MacBook and THEN discovers (after buying it) that it has a firmware password, sometimes the best thing to do is just "put it into the closet", and go out and buy ANOTHER MacBook from a reputable source that you KNOW is ok...
That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.
There is no need to get help from Apple. It will be faster and easier in the current environment to have a Mac repair shop remove the password. A competent shop can remove the password in about 30 minutes.
Yes, the older pre 2012 MBP will need the 8pin EFI chip replaced. Had it done on my 2011 MBP to remove the password.
The company will reprogram a new chip with your serial number of some other number you may want...
I have somewhat of a similar issue. My MacBook Pro A1278 13.3" Mid 2012 i7 2.9 GHz recently locked. I have a complete back up clone copy (Carbon Copy Cloner) of the system done every night to an external hdd. Several months ago my internal hard drive was accidentally erased and reformatted (actually SSD). Thankfully my backup (hdd) was an exact clone bootable copy, so I was able to clone my clone back to my internal SSD. At that time I also did an upgrade to the OS. As I said, this was several months ago and everything was running perfectly until earlier this week when somehow my system started up to a 4-digit firmware passcode screen, which after several failed entries ended up at the pad lock screen. I have no idea why as I had never enabled this feature, and wasn't in the process of starting, changing or upgrading anything.
Aside from visiting a Mac repair shop in order to remove the apparent passcode, my question is can I bypass the firmware lock by installing the external clone hdd internally? I tried start up externally with no luck, only to end up at the screen with a folder and ? icon. I have tested the clone backup on another Mac and it starts and runs externally just fine.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Craig
Aside from visiting a Mac repair shop in order to remove the apparent passcode, my question is can I bypass the firmware lock by installing the external clone hdd internally? I tried start up externally with no luck, only to end up at the screen with a folder and ? icon. I have tested the clone backup on another Mac and it starts and runs externally just fine.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Craig
If you can boot from an external drive by holding down the option key to select the drive, the MacBook shouldn't have a firmware password.
Tried a nvram reset?
Thank you for the quick reply. As I stated, the successful external Option key boot from the clone was a test on a different Mac (same yr/model). My external Option key boot attempt from the clone on the "locked" Mac was unsuccessful, ending up at the folder/? screen.
Would installing the working clone internally on the "locked" Mac bypass the firmware password? Is there any possibility of "locking" the clone by installing it?
Would installing the working clone internally on the "locked" Mac bypass the firmware password? Is there any possibility of "locking" the clone by installing it?
Installing the cloned drive is unlikely to work. The EFI locking is probably based on different factors including the drive model #, serial #, OS, etc. If it was not based on these factors, it would render EFI locking much less effective because it could be bypassed by changing the drive and is one reason the option key does not allow you to select an alternative boot drive.
You could try cloning the external drive to the internal and try to boot; however, this may also not work but would be worth a try.
To permanently remove the password, you would need to visit a repair shop and have it removed using an EFI programmer.
Thank you.
I'm at a total loss as to how or why this EFI lock has happened. How could a password be entered or "lock" activated overnight? There have been no replacements, changes or updates since the hard drive incident back in January and the system has been working fine since, including full shut downs, start ups, sleep, etc. Are the EFI bios chips prone to failure? If so, does Apple have any sort of protocol with regard to EFI bios chip failure? I do not use "Find My Mac" or "FileVault", nor have I ever entered any sort of "passcode". I am very meticulous about recording and storing (remotely) all passwords associated with my or my family's computers, programs, apps, etc. Are these the only enablers of the EFI lock feature? Is there a "anti" EFI lock feature where one could enter a password (passcode) to disable this feature from possibly activating?
I'll try cloning the external drive to the internal drive in lieu of installing the external drive internally.
I'm at a total loss as to how or why this EFI lock has happened. How could a password be entered or "lock" activated overnight? There have been no replacements, changes or updates since the hard drive incident back in January and the system has been working fine since, including full shut downs, start ups, sleep, etc. Are the EFI bios chips prone to failure? If so, does Apple have any sort of protocol with regard to EFI bios chip failure? I do not use "Find My Mac" or "FileVault", nor have I ever entered any sort of "passcode". I am very meticulous about recording and storing (remotely) all passwords associated with my or my family's computers, programs, apps, etc. Are these the only enablers of the EFI lock feature? Is there a "anti" EFI lock feature where one could enter a password (passcode) to disable this feature from possibly activating?
I'll try cloning the external drive to the internal drive in lieu of installing the external drive internally.