Locked out of AirMac Pro problem or Firmware issue ??

I understand that Mac is yours, it remains in your possession, and it was not you who locked it. That suggests your Apple ID credentials were stolen.

The first order of business is to regain control of your Apple ID. Read If you think your Apple ID has been compromised - Apple Support.

Excerpt:

• Your device was locked or placed in Lost Mode by someone other than you.

That appears to be the case. If you agree, proceed as described under Gain control of your Apple ID.

Assuming you are successful, Step 5 (two-factor authentication) is essential in making sure no one but you can use your Apple ID. Never divulge those credentials to anyone. The fact you revealed your Apple ID in the screenshot you posted indicates you may have been inattentive to that need. Please review the suggestions that follow Make sure your Apple ID is secure.

Since that information ought to be considered personal I asked this site's Hosts to delete it.

Next: None of this will help you unlock your Mac. To do that, please refer to Activation Lock and Find My on Mac - Apple Support.

Excerpt:

With Activation Lock, your Apple ID and password are required before anyone can:

• Turn off Find My on your device
• Sign out of your device
• Erase and reactivate your device

Once you regain control of your Apple ID, try each one of those options.

If you need help please write back.

Hi Patrice, Apple doesn't permit direct communication between participants, but it wouldn't help anyway.

I agree what you're seeing is the firmware lock:

If your Mac doesn't start up all the way - Apple Support - Apple Support explains what it is and what to do about it:

If your Mac is using a firmware password, the lock icon appears when you try to start up from another disk or volume, such as an external drive or macOS Recovery. Enter the firmware password to continue.

I realize you don't have that password, so the following is probably what Apple told you to do:

If you forgot your firmware password

If you can't remember your firmware password, schedule an in-person service appointment with an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider. Bring your Mac to the appointment, and bring your original receipt or invoice as proof of purchase.

That's what you need to do to fix it, and it's also the reason I can't help even if we could contact each other directly. To fix it, Apple needs you, your Mac, and documentation that unequivocally identifies you as its owner.

Hi Patrice,

I know it might not seem so, but the fact you even know the person who gave you the Mac is very good news. Given your circumstances, the solution Apple proposed is the only one there is: have him follow the steps in How to remove Activation Lock - Apple Support.

Of course finding him so that you can communicate that request is likely to be your biggest challenge.

He was remiss in not following the instructions described in What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your Mac - Apple Support. Those instructions are not optional and must be followed, lest its new owner become frustrated as you have become.

In most cases people don't go through the trouble of enabling Activation Lock, and for them it's a relatively simple matter of completely erasing the Mac and setting it up as if it were new. Your case is more difficult because its previous owner took the step of enabling Activation Lock, which is accomplishing exactly what it's designed to accomplish — to completely prevent use of a Mac that becomes lost or stolen.

Go about finding him. Consider it a challenge. Best wishes!

Patrice, the bad news is that it's simply not possible for me to help even if I were to email you directly. The reason is that the security features Apple builds in to all their products is impenetrable. Externally accessing a locked Mac requires authorization, which is the reason your best hope for success is to find its previous owner and plead with him to remove it from iCloud. Or, perhaps ask if he retained its original receipts or invoices and can provide a bill of sale showing you as its new owner. Personal data security lies at the heart of Apple's business, and they strictly enforce those requirements.

Do they eventually not allow or lock the system after too many attempts?

No, not yet anyway. I would be surprised if Apple didn't eventually adopt the same security features iOS has though. For now you have nothing to lose by making repeated attempts.

And- does he have to go onto his Apple ID login page and remove my device?

Is it that simple?

Maybe. I cannot be certain because the ability to protect a Mac with a firmware password has existed for as long as I can recall, and it predated iCloud. So the answer depends on whether it was remotely locked back in September (which appears to be the case) or whether that Mac's firmware password had been set a long time ago and you're just now encountering it for the first time. I am hoping it was remotely locked, which implies it can also be remotely unlocked.

That addresses your questions (1) and (2).

As for (3), if it can be unlocked remotely, the password required is the one designated when it was remotely locked in September: When you remotely lock a Mac, it asks you to provide a password that would be used to unlock it. Mark a device as lost in Find My on Mac - Apple Support explains how that works. Perhaps the person who gave you that Mac did that without understanding its implications, but I'm speculating.

The good news (such as it is) is that you have a Time Machine backup. Even if it's old, it can be used to restore that Mac's contents to a replacement Mac. Lots of people disregard that fundamental defense.

No, he states he doesn't have the receipt when he bought the new laptop from an outside reseller on Amazon. According to Apple, he has to show his ID, his receipt in person at an Apple store.

It seems to me that's very encouraging. To my knowledge, Amazon retains invoices forever. That implies he should be able to examine his Amazon order history and come up with an invoice that would placate Apple. Presenting Apple with it and a bill of sale showing a "chain of custody" linking that legitimate purchase to your gift ought to be sufficient. The bill of sale should include his name and yours, and the Mac's serial number: Find the serial number of your Apple product - Apple Support.

Even if I were to get it, they said they won't help me.

I disagree with that. What else could Apple expect, other than an original invoice and as many bills of sale as required to demonstrate legitimate transfer of ownership? Sure, it would be nice if he complied with What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your Mac, which would have avoided all this, but everybody makes mistakes. I can't speak for Apple but it seems to me if you present them with all that evidence, they should at least consider your request to unlock it.

All you can do is ask though.

John, just a thought-could I have accidentally locked it by accident or activated the lost device? P

Perhaps, but you would have encountered a dialog similar to the following:

Then, if you clicked Lock, another dialog will appear. Depending on the model Mac it may ask you for a six digit numeric passcode or (if you did not log into iCloud with your Apple ID) it may ask you for the Apple ID associated with that Mac:

It's unlikely you would have done those things inadvertently.

The Firmware Password, if one had been set, may intervene even before encountering a challenge for that numeric code. All you can do is try passwords you or he may have set.

I'd start by trying some really bad passwords: https://bad.pw

(Sorry, but it sounds as though you needed some comic relief)

I understand it was a gift; the problem is the Mac was not properly prepared before it was given to you. Sadly, that's very common.

I think you're very close to getting Apple to fix it. The Amazon invoice establishes the fact its previous owner purchased it legitimately, and yes if he were to appear personally in an Apple Store he could proceed under the conditions Apple explains in How to remove Activation Lock - Apple Support.

The roadblock is that you don't have anything that definitively proves you are that Mac's owner. It seems to me Apple would accept a proper "chain of custody" which can consist of something as simple as a signed statement from him, providing a description of the Mac, its serial number, the date it was given to you, and a signature. You will need that, along with the Amazon invoice, to show you are its legitimate owner and not (for example) merely in possession of stolen goods.

Refer to Start a support request in that Apple Support document How to remove Activation Lock. Let me know how it goes.

Hi Patrice,

Just curious, what year and model is your Mac notebook?

If it has the T2 Security Chip, there is a way to remove the firmware password without knowing said password. However, this will erase all data on your Mac, and you'll still need to deal with Activation Lock afterwards.

To clear the firmware password, follow these steps - you will need another Mac for this: Revive or restore an Intel-based Mac using Apple Configurator 2 - Apple Support (CA)

NOTE: The firmware password will only be removed if you perform a restore operation. Reviving the firmware won't remove the password.

Good luck but if really a Firmware Password - that is beyond my abilities and knowledge except via Apple Genus Bar with Proof of Ownership

The picture looks much like this one and if it is this is a Firmware Lock