My son locked my mackbook

[BriGuy75]

I have a 2017 MB Pro I used for work. When I started my new job I was given a new machine and started using it. My son is in highschool so I lent him the macbook. I dont have a clue what he did, but he somehow he locked it. Its connected to his account and it shows the device is locked. To make things worse, his friend tried to help hom fix it a few weeks ago. Apprently he was sent an email with the key to unlock it, but cant find the key, just the email saying a key was sent to you. What can be done to fix this if anything? I went to a an apple store but they want proof of purchase which can only be found on an old work email, I need acess to the computer to locate the invoice. Has anyone encountered this before? Your help is appreciated

 

[TSE]

Call your company's IT department and sort this out. Less information you give them the better. This is why you don't use company tools for personal use.

Or bring it to a Genius Bar and see if they can fix it.

 

[BriGuy75]

Call your company's IT department and sort this out. Less information you give them the better. This is why you don't use company tools for personal use.

Or bring it to a Genius Bar and see if they can fix it.

apple wont touch it without the original receipt, which i can't get without the the macbook operating.

 

[TSE]

apple wont touch it without the original receipt, which i can't get without the the macbook operating.

Shoot, ok. And it's obvious why you don't want to get your company's IT department involved.

Hopefully someone can get you more useful information here. Otherwise, just admit your mistake and reach out to your IT department. I'm sure they have seen everything underneath the sun before.

 

[BriGuy75]

Shoot, ok. And it's obvious why you don't want to get your company's IT department involved.

Hopefully someone can get you more useful information here. Otherwise, just admit your mistake and reach out to your IT department. I'm sure they have seen everything underneath the sun before.

the Macbook in question wasn't issued from my current employer. But no a bad suggestion

 

[MBAir2010]

if you backed up the MacBook pro, just erase and reinstall that through CCC or Time machine
i need to do this tonight over anther matter.

 

[BriGuy75]

if you backed up the MacBook pro, just erase and reinstall that through CCC or Time machine
i need to do this tonight over anther matter.

thanks but it wasn't backed up..I know I know

 

[ctjack]

I didn't get what code should have been sent to you? Could you please post a picture of your lock screen?

My only guess, going by your message, is that your kid logged in to their iCloud account and someone hacked it and hit the "lock my device" button on icloud. Probably the code you should be receiving is a scammers asking you money to unlock the device.
Probably your kid and his friend sent the scammers money to "fix the issue" but they never unlocked it after receiving money.

 

[Jack Neill]

Locked as in account locked or apple ID activation locked? A 2017 has a T1 if I'm not mistaken, asking the group, can a T1 Mac be reset if its AID locked?

 

[ctjack]

T1 if I'm not mistaken, asking the group, can a T1 Mac be reset if its AID locked?

Nope as far as i know. The only option to know the login/password of that locking Apple ID.

 

[MBAir2010]

thanks but it wasn't backed up..I know I know

he knows, he knows......

/airplane movie reference,

we all screw up, even we we don't
and have to pay the piper
i lost my wifi, bluetooth and usb on a mac mini all fo reformatting an external drive.
which i took part, swapped the derive in a data cubbie, erased the drive clean.
then tomorrow i will reinstall from time machine and lost everything since sunday
which was a video of a cat.

try iCloud activation if that was not suggested
just try to log in...ahh, cant start the OS

 

[Jack Neill]

Nope as far as i know. The only option to know the login/password of that locking Apple ID.

I know thats the case with a T2 but wasn't sure if a T1 had that as well.

 

[MBAir2010]

Nope as far as i know. The only option to know the login/password of that locking Apple ID.

i had an option of logging into a Mac mini via iCloud with my account, i opted not to
maybe the OP did that?

 

[Jack Neill]

I would Cmd R it and try to wipe it if it was mine.

 

[BriGuy75]

The macbook was lockedout on his icloud account, he was sent the code to unlock it but didnt realize it and deleted it. I When he logs in to his icloud accoutn, it shows the macbook is locked, he hit the button that says notify me when found but nothinghas happened. Im thinking I might have to get someone to insatall a new SSD with IOS? Not sure. I went to an apple store today but with no receipt they couldnt help me. I can't get into a login prompt or anyhting, its an expensive paper weight at the moment

 

[ctjack]

I know thats the case with a T2 but wasn't sure if a T1 had that as well.

Apple says that activation lock is only a feature of T2 and Apple Silicone.

 

[Jack Neill]

Apple says that activation lock is only a feature of T2 and Apple Silicone.

If thats the case OP should be able try this, turn it off and hold option cmd & R, boot to recovery and wipe the disk and reinstall macOS. Ive never had a T1 Mac, with older Macs you could just wipe the drive and start over.

 

[Jack Neill]

The macbook was lockedout on his icloud account, he was sent the code to unlock it but didnt realize it and deleted it. I When he logs in to his icloud accoutn, it shows the macbook is locked, he hit the button that says notify me when found but nothinghas happened. Im thinking I might have to get someone to insatall a new SSD with IOS? Not sure. I went to an apple store today but with no receipt they couldnt help me. I can't get into a login prompt or anyhting, its an expensive paper weight at the moment

I think the 2017s have soldered flash storage so that won't help. Does it have a touchbar? How many TB ports 2 or 4? MacTracker states the 2 port non touchbar doesn't have a T1 anyways. I would try to get to recovery and see if reinstalling macOS is an option

 

[BriGuy75]

I think the 2017s have soldered flash storage so that won't help. Does it have a touchbar? How many TB ports 2 or 4? MacTracker states the 2 port non touchbar doesn't have a T1 anyways. I would try to get to recovery and see if reinstalling macOS is an option

4 ports and a touchbar

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

Can you post a photo of what you're seeing on the Mac?

 

[BriGuy75]

Can you post a photo of what you're seeing on the Mac?

sure

 

[Mcckoe]

If it is simply locked to your son’s account. You should be able to get apple to help you, without a receipt. Have your son with you when you contact apple, so they can go through the security measures to unlock it; in case they need additional information. Might take a few days for apple to verify the information, a similar thing happened to my daughter’s apple account. I think I had to wait like 10 days or something before i was able to log back in.

 

[BriGuy75]

These were all taken at different times today. We found an email sent to my son saying a new recovery key had been created, but we can’t find the key anywhere on his Apple iCloud account, even under recovery key. I tried cmd-r and I’m back to the page to login, with what I am assuming is his recovery key that doesn’t seem to exist. For Command R I hit the power button and immediately cmd-r. Not sure if that is the correct process.!

 

[Jack Neill]

Hold down cmd and r at the same time until it boots just don't press them, but that photo looks more like a firmware password than an account lock. If thats the case and you can't provide proof of ownership and it is in fact a 2017, you are seemingly out of luck according to this write up.

How to Remove Mac Firmware Password + New way if you have a 2018-2020 T2 Mac! (mrmacintosh.com)

 

[BriGuy75]

Hold down cmd and r at the same time until it boots just don't press them, but that photo looks more like a firmware password than an account lock. If thats the case and you can't provide proof of ownership and it is in fact a 2017, you are seemingly out of luck according to this write up.

How to Remove Mac Firmware Password + New way if you have a 2018-2020 T2 Mac! (mrmacintosh.com)

Well F! Could I not replace the hard drive?