2011 MBP with GPU failure, how to remove EFI password ?

[paulCC]

Hello, I am pretty sure I got the infamous GPU problem on my 2011 Early MBP. The machine hangs during boot.

I am now able to boot into the machine, since I removed all ATI* and AMD* driver files from /System/Preferences. I take it as a sure hint that the GPU failure is the issue.....

Before I take the machine into service, I'd like to remove the EFI password I put in. But in order to do that, I need to boot into Recovery, where the EFI Utility resides. And I do not know how ( if it is even possible ? ) to modify the Recovery Partition to remove the offending ATI/AMD drivers.

Can the EFI utility be run outside of the Recovery Partition ? I Googled it, but found no place to download it...

Thanks for any info.

Paul.

 

[DeltaMac]

Here's how to do that:
All you need is access to your Recovery HD, so:
Boot your MacBook Pro.
Mount the hidden Recovery HD.

This article shows you how to do that: http://osxdaily.com/2011/09/23/view-mount-hidden-partitions-in-mac-os-x/

Open the Utilities folder on that Recovery HD, and double-click the Firmware Password Utility.
And, turn off the firmware password - and, that's it!

 

[yjchua95]

Here's how to do that:
All you need is access to your Recovery HD, so:
Boot your MacBook Pro.
Mount the hidden Recovery HD.

This article shows you how to do that: http://osxdaily.com/2011/09/23/view-mount-hidden-partitions-in-mac-os-x/

Open the Utilities folder on that Recovery HD, and double-click the Firmware Password Utility.
And, turn off the firmware password - and, that's it!

There's an easier way. After the startup chime, hold down Option, type the password, select Recovery, boot from it , select Utilities → Firmware Password Utility.

No need to bother with mounting the hidden Recovery partition from OS X itself

 

[paulCC]

cannot boot the Recovery with the GPU dead....

There's an easier way. After the startup chime, hold down Option, type the password, select Recovery, boot from it , select Utilities → Firmware Password Utility.

No need to bother with mounting the hidden Recovery partition from OS X itself

Thanks for replying.

The issue is that with the dead GPU, and the Recovery containing the AMD drivers and using the GPU, the Recovery boot fails. I got the regular system boot to work by removing the AMD drivers, so the MBP runs on the integrated GPU, which works.

Anyway, I was able to mount the Recovery partition after enabling the DiskUtility debug mode, see the package with the utilities, invoke the EFI password utility and reset it. The machine is now in a repair shop.

Thanks, Paul.

----------

Here's how to do that:
All you need is access to your Recovery HD, so:
Boot your MacBook Pro.
Mount the hidden Recovery HD.

This article shows you how to do that: http://osxdaily.com/2011/09/23/view-mount-hidden-partitions-in-mac-os-x/

Open the Utilities folder on that Recovery HD, and double-click the Firmware Password Utility.
And, turn off the firmware password - and, that's it!

Thanks, that is how I got it to work, with the Debug mode in DiskUtility, mounting the Recovery partition, finding the - hidden - volume with the sw, opening that, finding and invoking the EFI utility.

As much as I am unhappy with Apple about the GPU fiasco with the 2011 Early MBP, I am still happy with the flexibility of the Macbook to make bootable backups ( CCC ) , target mode, booting from USB, all of which made full recovery of my data and fast migration to a backup machine possible.

Paul.