How to tell the difference between a firmware password and the passcode set remotely by FindMy

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How to tell the difference between a firmware password and the passcode set remotely by FindMy

I have posted a couple of related questions trying to solve the mystery of a locked Mac Mini. I bought a used Mini for my bookkeeper in December. After Christmas she went to turn it on and got a message asking for a system unlock PIN with 6 boxes to enter the PIN. She asked me for the PIN and I had no idea what she was talking about as it wasn’t something I had set. After several attempts at guessing the PIN, it then gave a message that it was disabled and to try again after a minute, then 5 and then 60. I took it to the retailer where I bought it and they asked if we had set a firmware password. Again I had no idea what they were talking about. After much research, I have learned the difference between the 2. So here are my questions:

1). From what I have read, it appears to me that the screen asking for the PIN only occurs when the computer has been locked using FindMy. Is that correct? On the other hand, I discovered that when you boot in recovery mode with a computer that has been locked with FindMy, you get the black screen with the white padlock which is the same screen you get with the Firmware password. Hence my belief that I am dealing with the lock from FindMy, not the Firmware password and would just like to confirm my suspicion.

2). If I am correct about the above, is it possible that the previous owner could have locked this computer? However, when I set this computer up, I set it up with an Apple ID. When I first looked at FindMy to find the unlock PIN, it said no devices were found. Lately it does show up in the list of devices but says it is offline, even though I have it connected both by Ethernet and WiFi to our network. So could I have associated this computer with an AppleID if it was registered under someone else’s name? If I couldn’t have registered it, then the previous owner could not have locked it with FindMy. On the other hand, if this was registered under my AppleID, why can I not see it in my list of devices now? That would suggest to me that it is no longer associated with my ID. How do I determine which is correct?

3). If I can figure out how this computer got locked, then maybe I can figure out how to unlock it. And don’t tell me to take it to Apple with the proof of purchase because I tried that and they wouldn’t recognize the receipt I have for the purchase as valid, which is a whole other issue that ticks me off! BTW, if it makes a difference, when I set this up with my AppleID, it was under Mojave. It is possible I may have upgraded it to Catalina, just don’t recall. Is there some feature in Catalina that could cause this. Might there be a lock that was activated because the computer wasn’t used for several days over the holiday?

Mac mini, macOS 10.12

Posted on Jan 18, 2020 10:00 PM

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Answer 1

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Tesserax

Level 10

148,907 points

Jan 19, 2020 11:49 AM in response to Dan Bryant1

Ok, it looks like you started another post with the same issue as this one:

Mac Mini says: Wrong passcode. Try again. - Apple Community

Although this post is not worded exactly the same, it basically is the same issue as the other one and makes it hard for folks here to help you.

Regardless, to directly answer your post's topic question, the following screen images are what you would be presented for the different "lock" screens:

For a firmware password:

For a Find My "Activation" lock screen:

That "six digit" unlock pin is for the latter scenario. This mini was locked by the original owner or someone who had access to the Apple ID that was used with this device. That "original" owner could be the actual original owner who did not properly remove their Apple ID before they sold or gave away the device, the retailer, or potentially someone else who would have access to the Apple ID associated with it.

The bottom line? Unless you can find who locked the device to provide you with the pin, it will be useless to you. It would be considered as lost or stolen, as far as, Apple is concerned ... and they, nor anyone here will be able to assist you with this.

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Answer 2

Kappy

Level 10

361,753 points

Jan 19, 2020 11:30 AM in response to Dan Bryant1

The only person who can help you with a Firmware Password lock or a Find My device lock is the previous owner. Since this is not the vendor from whom you bought the computer, you will need to go back to the person who sold it to your vendor. If you cannot find that person, then give the machine back to the vendor and get your money returned. Without the needed password or passcode the machine is useless.

I suggest you get your money back and buy a new or refurbished machine from Apple.

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Answer 3

Tesserax

Level 10

148,907 points

Jan 24, 2020 6:15 PM in response to Dan Bryant1

Dan Bryant1 wrote:

I thought that I had registered this with FindMy, though it does not appear in my account now. If I had done that, would it have still been possible for the original owner to lock it? The fact that it does not appear in the list of my devices makes me think that somehow the Apple ID that I created for it has been changed.

In theory, if the original owner properly prepared this Mac for resale, they you have disabled Find My and the device would not be activation locked. If not, then it doesn't matter what you do via your Apple ID to change this.

However, anything is possible including that your Apple ID has been compromised ... and, should that be the case, you need to follow the directions in the following article: If you think your Apple ID has been compromised - Apple Support

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Answer 4

Dan Bryant1 Author

Level 1

67 points

Jan 24, 2020 11:50 AM in response to Tesserax

The black screen with the white lock appears when I boot in recovery mode. The second screen is what I get otherwise, except there is no message at the bottom saying that it has been locked with Find My Mac. So here is my next question. I thought that I had registered this with FindMy, though it does not appear in my account now. If I had done that, would it have still been possible for the original owner to lock it? The fact that it does not appear in the list of my devices makes me think that somehow the Apple ID that I created for it has been changed.

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How to tell the difference between a firmware password and the passcode set remotely by FindMy

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