Does anyone know what the code -2100F means when the restore from internet fails? This is an attempt to fix a botched attempt (long story) to wipe a 2019 MacBook Pro and restore it to pre-initialization status (Big Sur) before trading it in.
MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 10.14
It means there is some type of network issue. Try connecting your laptop directly to the router using an Ethernet cable and a USB-C to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter for a faster more reliable connection and to bypass any possible WiFi issues. If you don't currently have an adapter, then try rebooting your router and waiting at least five minutes for the router to finish rebooting. Then try Internet Recovery Mode again.
If you have access to another Mac that can run Catalina or Big Sur, then you can create a bootable macOS USB installer:
It means there is some type of network issue. Try connecting your laptop directly to the router using an Ethernet cable and a USB-C to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter for a faster more reliable connection and to bypass any possible WiFi issues. If you don't currently have an adapter, then try rebooting your router and waiting at least five minutes for the router to finish rebooting. Then try Internet Recovery Mode again.
If you have access to another Mac that can run Catalina or Big Sur, then you can create a bootable macOS USB installer:
In Internet Recovery, these low negative thousands error messages indicate that your provided Wi-Fi Network is inadequate in some fashion, and cannot be used (for this purpose) in its current state.
Common problems include:
Hidden Network-name
required use of a proxy server to get Internet access
required use of a login page to get Internet access
Use of a login server or certificate to get Internet access
Use of PPPoE in the Mac to get Internet access (typically only applies to DSL)
Use of Fixed IP address rather than good old DHCP
Variance of the time by more than five minutes
Failure of Router to provide workable DNS server addresses, or providing 0.0.0.0 [may produce -2002f]
If you have an Ethernet port, you may in some cases be able to move your Mac close to the Router and connect to the Router using Ethernet.
The higher the number, the more obscure the problem.
If your battery was completely depleted, the Date&Time could have reverted to the default, which will not work. There is a terminal command to reset to current Internet Date&Time -- post back for assistance.
If your Mac starts up to error -1008F
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206989
Confirming that moving the laptop closer to my wifi router resolved my issue, thanks HWTech. :-)
Microsoft should really (IMO) add the meaning of various error codes in the Recovery process to FQA pages, or even translate them in text when the error occurs. Of course I say this with no clue as to whether it is for some reason impractical to implement, but nonetheless... :-)
I couldn't agree more, but Apple loves their secrets!
After all the troubles I have personally experienced with our organization's T2 Macs I highly recommend users to lower the default security settings to allow any macOS to boot and to allow booting from USB. The current system of authenticating to permit the Startup Security Utility to modify system settings is severely broken in its current implementation. It causes more harm to the user where the user is unable to restore their own Mac using a bootable macOS USB installer when they don't have a reliable Internet connection (or even when they do). I've been locked out of a T2 Mac because the SSD has been erased, but when I try to boot from USB I'm denied. Then when I boot into Internet Recovery Mode I'm unable to authenticate with the Startup Security Utility because there are no longer any active user accounts on the Mac. I've had to reinstall from a clone I've made using Target Disk Mode or waste valuable time & bandwidth to reinstall macOS over the Internet after which I had to perform another clean install to actually install the correct OS I wanted from a USB drive (I didn't want the newest OS or the oldest one, or the last used one). Lowering these security settings leave the Mac no more vulnerable than the non-T2 Macs.
Even when you remember to configure Startup Security to allow booting from USB before erasing the SSD you can still have issues authenticating especially if you have multiple user accounts on the system.
Thanks. I wondered about that, and already have an ethernet adapter on the way. I can't boot from the USB installer I created, as the current policy doesn't permit that, and I don't have the admin password. While I wait for the adapter to arrive, I'll try repeating the internet boot in the same room as the WiFi router... I'll get back to this conversation once I confirm resolution.
Does anyone know what the code -2100F means when the restore from internet fails?
