Firmware lock unintentionally activated and Apple is unable to help me unlock my Mac Mini.

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Level 1

75 points

Firmware lock unintentionally activated and Apple is unable to help me unlock my Mac Mini.

I bought a used 2014 Mac Mini from an authorized 3rd party dealer. Somehow the system lock was activated and I was asked for a 6 digit pin. Tried anything I would used for such a pin and it then locked me out completely after a few tries. Now it says "Wrong passcode. Try again after 60 minutes." But after 60 minutes I am not given any means to enter a passcode. I tried booting it in disk recovery mode and I get a black screen with a white padlock. Under is a box where I can enter something but nothing works. I took it to the store where I bought it and they said that the firmware lock had to have been set after I bought the machine because they would not have been able to refurbish the machine and install the new OS if that lock was set. I suspect the lock was set by the original owner but they say not possible and sent me to the local Apple certified dealer (not a Apple store) with my proof of purchase. That store said that Apple rejected my proof of purchase and that I needed the original proof of purchase. So before I go back and argue with the store where I bought it, I need to know

1) How is this lock activated? Could I have someone activated it when I upgraded to Catalina? (I think I did that upgrade, however I can see this machine in my iCloud account and it says that it has Mojave, so I am not sure as this is one of several machines I manage for my non-profit.)

2) Is the claim of the first store correct that they could not have refurbished the drive if it had the system lock on it?

Mac mini, macOS 10.12

Posted on Jan 16, 2020 7:14 PM

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Answer 1

Dan Bryant1 Author

Level 1

75 points

Jan 17, 2020 5:14 PM in response to Dan Bryant1

I solved one part of this. When the screen says "Wrong passcode. Try again." and there are no boxes to enter any digits, activate voice commands (command-F5) and then the first box will appear. I left to do something else and was gone for some time. The computer went to sleep. When I woke it up, I could see all the boxes again so at least I now can enter a code.

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Answer 2

Dan Bryant1 Author

Level 1

75 points

Jan 17, 2020 9:00 AM in response to Dan Bryant1

Just discovered another explanation. I tried locking a different computer remotely using FindMy. I then entered the wrong system pin into that computer 5 times and got the message saying it was disabled and to try again after 1 minute. I entered the wrong pin again and then it said try again in 5 minutes. Then I booted in recovery mode and got the same black screen with the white padlock. So since this computer won't boot on the internal drive, I am thinking that I have been locked out remotely. (Someone hacked my iCloud account?) Apple should be able to unlock it but they won't recognize my proof of purchase, so I'll try one more time with the business where I bought it and ask them to argue the case with Apple.

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Answer 3

HWTech

Level 9

69,104 points

Jan 16, 2020 9:14 PM in response to Dan Bryant1

If the vendor you purchased the refurbished computer from really did perform a clean install of macOS, then there would have been no EFI Firmware lock from the previous owner.

As for setting the EFI Firmware password you must use a utility found only in Recovery Mode.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204455

One of my co-workers a few years ago was working on an Apple laptop and was surprised to find the laptop suddenly had an EFI firmware password. Previously he had been able to boot from external media. Since the laptop was in for repair it's possible the hardware issue we were investigating managed to flip a bit in the firmware to make the laptop believe it was firmware locked.

The EFI Firmware is set independently of the user account and Filevault passwords.

Apple has very strict guidelines of what they consider is valid proof of purchase to ensure the person requesting the unlocking of the computer is the legitimate legal owner because the EFI Firmware lock is a security feature. The security feature isn't worth much if anyone can claim ownership of the computer and get it unlocked.

People must be extremely careful these days when purchasing any used electronic equipment. This is just one example of what can go wrong.

You should be able to continue using the computer normally since the EFI Firmware does not affect booting to the internal drive. You just won't be able to boot from other media or Recovery Mode. I'm sorry I don't have better news for you.

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Answer 4

den.thed

Level 10

91,324 points

Jan 17, 2020 10:50 AM in response to Dan Bryant1

Dan Bryant1 wrote:

so I'll try one more time with the business where I bought it and ask them to argue the case with Apple.

or return that Mac for a full refund and buy a Mac somewhere else.

FWIW this is what Apple say's to do before selling or giving away a Mac.

see > What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your Mac - Apple Support

Obviously that process was not properly followed by the seller (an authorized 3rd party dealer) and they should have never sold or stuck you with an improperly prepared Mac.

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Answer 5

HWTech

Level 9

69,104 points

Jan 24, 2020 6:31 PM in response to Dan Bryant1

If you initially see option number 2, then here is an Apple article about "FindMy" (see the section near the bottom regarding how to unlock the computer):

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204756

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Answer 6

Jan 20, 2020 7:16 AM in response to Dan Bryant1

It is sounding more like your Mac has been Activation Locked via the iCloud account. This is possible to automatically activate.

About Activation Lock on your Mac - Apple Support

If you have a Mac that meets the following criteria then Activation Lock will automatically be enabled. To unlock it you need to enter the same iCloud credentials.

Have a Mac that has a T2 security chip, e.g. Mac mini 2018
Have Catalina installed
Have the Mac logged in to iCloud

(Contrary to Apple's article if you have SecureBoot disabled it still will enable Activation Lock.)

For a Mac mini only 2018 models have a T2 chip.

The other possibility is that the 'Find my Mac' feature has been used to lock the Mac. However this I believe can be bypassed by resetting the PRAM which is not possible with Activation Lock.

See https://tidbits.com/2016/07/22/disable-find-my-mac-by-resetting-nvram/

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Answer 7

Jan 24, 2020 11:50 AM in response to Dan Bryant1

Oops my mistake I missed or mis-read the model year. Obviously yours does not have a T2 chip. To reset the PRAM you need a wired keyboard preferably an Apple one and not a generic PC one.

Perhaps the Open Firmware password has also been set and is preventing you being able to do this. This is different to an iCloud - Find my Mac lock.

How to set a firmware password on your Mac - Apple Support

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Answer 8

Dan Bryant1 Author

Level 1

75 points

Jan 17, 2020 8:39 AM in response to HWTech

Well that makes no sense because I can't use the computer at all. It will not boot on the internally drive, just gives me this message about the wrong code and to try again after 60 minutes. I totally get why Apple has those guidelines, except that I have proof of purchase from an authorized dealer so that part of their guidelines does not make sense.

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Answer 9

Dan Bryant1 Author

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75 points

Jan 24, 2020 11:42 AM in response to John Lockwood

I am mystified. This is a 2014 Mini so does not have a T2 chip. Hence, according to that article, I should be able to reset the NVRAM. When I hold down those 4 key (Command-Option-P-R) at reboot, it still goes to the same screen saying that my computer has been disabled, try again in 60 minutes. So can Activation Lock still be set if you don't have the T2 chip?

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Answer 10

Dan Bryant1 Author

Level 1

75 points

Jan 24, 2020 3:42 PM in response to John Lockwood

Yes, I am using an Apple keyboard. When I have reset the PRAM on any other computer, the computer will chime and then reboot and chime again until I let go of the keys. On this one it only chimes the first time and continues to startup. So either holding those 4 keys isn't doing anything or the firmware password is preventing it from restarting and resetting the PRAM. When you do successfully resent the PRAM, does that also wipe out the wifi info? Because this is not doing that. It stays on the wifi that I set before I tried to reset the PRAM. If the issue is the firmware password, this is what Apple says:

Your Mac asks for the firmware password only when attempting to start up from a storage device other than the one selected in Startup Disk preferences, or when starting up from macOS Recovery.

But I am not booting from a storage device or any external device so why isn't it booting from the internal drive? And if it is locked via Find My Mac, then resetting the PRAM should fix the problem. So this doesn't make any sense to me!

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Answer 11

Dan Bryant1 Author

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75 points

Jan 24, 2020 6:48 PM in response to HWTech

That article is no help because FindMy says the computer is offline even though it isn’t. So it makes me think that either I was hacked and the Apple ID for this computer was changed or because I didn’t set up FindMy (not 100% sure) that the original owner locked it. I asked the business that sold it to me to contact the original owner and they said they buy used computers by the lot and don’t have that info.

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Answer 12

Dan Bryant1 Author

Level 1

75 points

Jan 16, 2020 7:17 PM in response to Dan Bryant1

One more question--is the passcode for the firmware lock the same as the system pin, which appears to be 6 numbers?

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Answer 13

Dan Bryant1 Author

Level 1

75 points

Jan 24, 2020 6:09 PM in response to Dan Bryant1

I can make the six text boxes appear by activating voice commands (command - F5) but it often takes a few hours for the boxes to appear.

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Answer 14

HWTech

Level 9

69,104 points

Jan 24, 2020 4:44 PM in response to Dan Bryant1

Dan Bryant1 wrote:

Yes, I am using an Apple keyboard. When I have reset the PRAM on any other computer, the computer will chime and then reboot and chime again until I let go of the keys. On this one it only chimes the first time and continues to startup. So either holding those 4 keys isn't doing anything or the firmware password is preventing it from restarting and resetting the PRAM.

Some Macs no longer will allow more than one activation of the PRAM reset although if your laptop chimes it should normally allow multiple resets. A firmware lock will prevent a PRAM reset. I don't know about any other types of system locks.

But I am not booting from a storage device or any external device so why isn't it booting from the internal drive? And if it is locked via Find My Mac, then resetting the PRAM should fix the problem. So this doesn't make any sense to me!

Which one of the following screens are you seeing?

1) EFI Firmware Lock

2) Remote system lock with FindMy

If one of these screens is not what you are seeing, then please provide a picture.

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Answer 15

HWTech

Level 9

69,104 points

Jan 24, 2020 7:34 PM in response to Dan Bryant1

As mentioned in the FindMy article if you cannot unlock the computer, then you need to take it to an Apple Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider with the original proof of purchase. Since you bought this computer used, then you unlikely have the proper proof of ownership Apple requires to unlock the computer.

I'm sorry to say you now have a brick. This is one of the dangers of buying used electronics today.

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Firmware lock unintentionally activated and Apple is unable to help me unlock my Mac Mini.

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