Startup Security Utility - No administrator was found.

tried again with this result:

2018-11-05 22:34:54.068 sysadminctl[2710:87553] setSecureTokenAuthorizationEnabled error Error Domain=com.apple.OpenDirectory Code=5101 "Authentication server refused operation because the current credentials are not authorized for the requested operation." UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=Authentication server refused operation because the current credentials are not authorized for the requested operation., NSLocalizedFailureReason=Authentication server refused operation because the current credentials are not authorized for the requested operation.}

Strange. This happened to me only, when I did sysadminctl interactive -secureTokenOn <user name> -password <user password> *before* I completely removed the old APFS container.

Did you try to add sudo before the command, something like

sudo sysadminctl interactive -secureTokenOn <user name> -password <user password>

?

Yes I did as I also did remove “interactive” as looks obsolete in some sites but nothing changes.

I’m now doing a fresh install and will import through Migration Assistant as I don’t have time to waste in tests.

Thanks anyway, Mirko_

I am having this issue of no admin acct in recovery, and only used TM backup during setup of my imac pro. No CCC etc. But the terminal command to get a token doesn't work and I have no interest in reinstalling just to get into startup security utility. Is there any other way that doesn't involve a new install procedure?

in terminal it says:

Secure token is DISABLED for user "me". Any way to enable secure token for me?

What is the exact error message you are getting when you run

sudo sysadminctl interactive -secureTokenOn <user name> -password <user password>

(and of course replace the terms in < > by the correct values)?

Don't remember the exact message I received for that terminal command above, but The solution is to toggle filevault on and then back off. Then the secure ticket or whatever it is called is created and the log in recovery environment into security utility works. I now have turned off everything in there as well. The problem was, often upon boot up the imac pro shuts itself down and powers off half way through a cold startup. (The next boot goes on normally) The error report that comes up on the next normal boot shows "bridge os" as the problem. I am certain that whatever issues that people had with the T2 chip early on, have not entirely been fixed since this is a brand new imac pro and the latest mojavi. I don't need the secure stuff and am hoping that disabling the stuff if recovery helps to keep these bridge os panics down to a minimum. If the issue is with the chip and not software or firmware updates, then I guess we are stuck with it.

This is one of the three solution that can work but not necessarily. In fact it didn’t work with me.

I had the also the third suggested by mr. Bombich (the first should be in this post if I’not wrong) but unfirtunately the email is lost. I’ll check if I can recover it and post it here. In any case if you contact mr. Bombich he’ll reply you for the three solution. In my experience neither will be ever used. Better a fresh install and migration from CCC (admin included).

Cheers. Simon

I bought a new Mac Mini late December 2018 in late November, and it worked fine for a few weeks.

When the Mojave 10.14.2 Update took place in early December, I attempted to perform the update, but was left with a machine that had trouble booting, eventually reporting no bootable disk.

Attempting to recover/reinstall Mojave, I learned that neither would work, and that my start up was blocked because no administrator could be found in the start up disk security software utility. Local Apple “Genius bar“ experts were clueless. My machine is now in the process of being repaired.

Does anybody know how to prevent this problem from occurring?

It appears that logging in to the terminal command can provide some relief in some circumstances, But for those of us who have encountered an unbootable disk and no way to externally boot, and no way to reinstall Mojave, and no way to recover using Time Machine, the results are a catastrophe with no obvious way to prevent reoccurrence.

Clearly bridgeOS, the T2 chip, in the latest batch of Apple firmware/software/hardware are involved, since this problem does not occur except on the three Apple products which contain the T2 “feature“. Had I known I was buying such a headache, I would definitely have never purchased the new mini, a MacBook Pro, or an iMac Pro, the three new products involved in this issue.

Would it help for example, to create multiple administrators on the start up disk, so they had a single missing administrator token would be less likely to render the start up disk is useless?

Would a disk with multiple partitions, each of which had a start up system, perhaps allow emergency start up in another partition who’s token and administrator are still present even though some other partition is corrupted ?

Any other ideas? This is a terrible, unreliable environment for getting work performed in a reliable and safe manner. Clearly there must be some other solutions until Apple figures out how to fix this serious problem properly.

Thanks for any info,

Larry

Very nice, I replied to myself in the post above but was for you. Sorry Simon

Hi Simon - Zerodisk is absolutely not necessary. I'd advise not to put this strain onto your SSD. Best, Mirko

I’ll perform a zerodisk only on the first and last 100 sectors.

Tnx Simon

What happened? What was the result of the procedure?

I’m not with my Mac. I’ll reply you tomorrow although wat’s really boring me is the inability to do a clean install via Internet Recovery. Tomorrow I’ll try via ethernet from different routers.

Thanks

2018-11-05 22:22:29.998 sysadminctl[2496:68532] Operation is not permitted without secure token unlock.

Hi Mirko_. I can't say anything as I did a clean install and imported datas with CCC. Now the admin's secure token is ON.