Folder with question mark

[MCode]

Hello Guys,

Everything was working fine until I decided to erase my hdd and install a fresh new MacOS
So I went to recovery (Which was working fine) and erased my hdd and as soon as I rebooted the device I got a folder in a question mark so I tried to open recovery and I surprisingly there's a firmware password from the old owner (I bought it 3 years ago!)

Now what I can do to install a new OS, I can't login to recovery or boot options but the device is working fine but there's no OS currently !!

Can I get the HDD out of my macbook and install a MacOS or anything else in a different computer and then get it back to my macbook so it will be able to boot an operating system ?

Any ideas ? My macbook is Pro (late 2014) i5, 128gb and 8gb of ram

 

[Audit13]

If you have proof of purchase, you can take it to an apple store to get it removed. You may have to wait for the password reset.

You could also take it to a repair shop that can remove the firmware password.

The EFI password will prevent the machine from booting from any device unless the password is removed or you enter the correct password.

 

[MCode]

I know this, My main problem is that there's no OS in my HDD, How I can install any OS in this HDD in external computer.
I want anything bootable!

 

[Audit13]

The screen has a padlock symbol? If yes, nothing will be bootable until you get pass the EFI password screen.

 

[DeltaMac]

If you have a firmware (EFI) password, then that will prevent you from booting from ANY other bootable drive. That's one of the purposes of that EFI password.
So, to move on, you have to clear that password.
Apple is your only choice for help, and you have to be able to prove that you own your MBPro.
Any chance that you can contact the original owner (and discover that password)? That might make things much simpler.

 

[MCode]

Guys, I was working with this password during the past 3 years and my HDD is the primary booting device! I just want to re-install the OS from another source than the recovery mode as I currently don't have any OS in my HDD because I erased it today.

So when I power on my MBP it doesn't ask me about the firmware password it only says that there's nothing bootable in the device.

 

[Audit13]

Power of the machine, press the power button, hold down the option key. Do you get the padlock screen?

You can not reinstall if there is an efi password even if you have not changed boot the drive AFAIK.

 

[MCode]

Power of the machine, press the power button, hold down the option key. Do you get the padlock screen?

You can not reinstall if there is an efi password even if you have not changed boot the drive AFAIK.

I know I know, Please read my last part of my last reply
I'm asking is there ANY way to install an OS in my HDD and get it back to the MBP again ? For example if I connected it in external computer and installed an OS and then connected the HDD back to the MBP ?

 

[Audit13]

Did you try booting the machine while holding down the option Key?

I don't see any mention of seeing the padlock screen.

If you never see the padlock screen, it is unlikely it has an efi password.

 

[MCode]

Did you try booting the machine while holding down the option Key?

I don't see any mention of seeing the padlock screen.

If you never see the padlock screen, it is unlikely it has an efi password.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE READ MY POST !!!

 

[DeltaMac]

Now you have confused me a bit.
You did say that you aren't asked about a password (your post #6), yet you also say that it shows you a firmware password.
Just to be clear, the firmware (EFI) password will show you a blank box, with a padlock on the left end of the box, and no other text.
If you see something else (such as asking for an AppleID password, and shows you other text, such as the AppleID email address, then that is NOT a firmware password.
If it IS a padlock with the blank box on the screen, then you cannot do anything else to reinstall your system. You have to clear that firmware password -- and you can't do that on your own, only Apple can clear a forgotten EFI password.

 

[Audit13]

I did read your first post. I've come across people that confused an efi password for an iCloud password and just wanted to confirm, that's all.

Since you are sure the MacBook has an efi password, you cannot reinstall the os from a bootable device, putting the drive into another MacBook, or internet recovery.

 

[MCode]

I did read your first post. I've come across people that confused an efi password for an iCloud password and just wanted to confirm, that's all.

Since you are sure the MacBook has an efi password, you cannot reinstall the os from a bootable device, putting the drive into another MacBook, or internet recovery.

Thank you so much
So my idea will work ? if I installed the OS in another device will that work ?
Also one last question, The EFI password is 4 digits or a text password ? Please note that I'm the new EFI (late 2014)

 

[DeltaMac]

If it is an EFI password, then it could be anything.

How do you know that it is looking for a firmware (EFI) password?

Remember, it will be a blank box, with a padlock on the left end. If it has OTHER text with an email address, or AppleID account, or some other text, it is NOT asking for a firmware password.
It would REALLY help if you could post a screen shot, or photo of that password screen. (?)

And if you are sure it is a firmware password, then removing or replacing the hard drive won't help. You have to clear the password (and you can't do that without help from Apple.)

Another possibility is that you have a file vault password. You may be able to completely erase the drive, including removing the recovery system, by booting to Internet Recovery, and erasing the internal drive with Disk utility. Internet Recovery will allow you to download and install whatever system is available through that system. Try that by booting while holding Option-Command-R.
You will boot seeing a spinning globe, rather than the Apple icon. Erase the drive with Disk Utility, Quit Disk Utility, then reinstall macOS, more info here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201314

 

[Audit13]

Thank you so much
So my idea will work ? if I installed the OS in another device will that work ?
Also one last question, The EFI password is 4 digits or a text password ? Please note that I'm the new EFI (late 2014)

You cannot boot the machine from any drive unless you have the efi password. Don't bother using another machine to install an os onto the drive and expect it to boot your MacBook.

 

[tubeexperience]

You are going to have to pay a repair shop to remove the password.

The EFI is going to have to be flashed.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:

Take it to an Apple Store or an authorized Apple service provider.

I suggest that you have them RESET and then REMOVE the firmware password.
You see the trouble it has gotten you into.
You don't need it.

 

[Audit13]

The Apple store won't do anything without proof of purchase AFAIK.

 

[LCPepper]

Thank you so much
So my idea will work ? if I installed the OS in another device will that work ?
Also one last question, The EFI password is 4 digits or a text password ? Please note that I'm the new EFI (late 2014)

You cannot boot the machine from any drive unless you have the efi password. Don't bother using another machine to install an os onto the drive and expect it to boot your MacBook.

@MCode actually I'm fairly certain your idea will work. The EFI password checks the serial number/identifier of the HDD, so checks 'physically' that it's the original boot device.

It seems like people have got quite confused about what's going on, but I'm 100% getting where you're coming from with all this. So, I think if you took it out and installed MacOS on it and got the drive bootable and then put it back in your Mac, you might be in luck... It's just whether the 'Start up disk' selected in MacOS could throw things into array, but then considering if you have FileVault enabled, the EFI wouldn't be able to read any settings or anything on the hard drive till after the decryption screen. So it COULD be looking at partition numbers etc, but I can't find anything conclusive.

Either way, installing MacOS doesn't take that long, so it might worth a quick bash at that over the Apple method at first, leave it installing while you have dinner!

Here's some more information if that doesn't work:

http://osxdaily.com/2015/01/28/forgot-mac-firmware-password-what-now/

https://computers.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-and-why-to-use-a-firmware-password--cms-21409

https://news.softpedia.com/news/the...e-passwords-without-apple-s-help-505661.shtml


It's got a list of Macs Apple ONLY can help, there other methods if you have removable RAM apparetnly. I know my friend @Gawjuz had an EFI password on his work computer that his boss had forgotten, and Apple removed that without hassle for him. Something about pulling a hash file and emailing it to some Apple place, who then sent back another file which unlocks it.

Let me know how you get on, it'll be interesting to see what happens, tell me if you need any more help, I can try!

(edit: added another link)

 

[Audit13]

I have a Macbook Air with an EFI password. I could not select any bootable device other than the internal SSD which was not encrypted unless I entered my EFI password.

As a test, I removed the SSD from my EFI-protected Air, used a Macbook Pro to wipe and reinstall the OS. I re-installed the original SSD into the EFI-protected Air but the SSD would not boot until I entered my EFI password. Once I entered my EFI password, the Air booted and continued to boot without asking for the password unless I wanted to change the start up disk.

 

[LCPepper]

I have a Macbook Air with an EFI password. I could not select any bootable device other than the internal SSD which was not encrypted unless I entered my EFI password.

As a test, I removed the SSD from my EFI-protected Air, used a Macbook Pro to wipe and reinstall the OS. I re-installed the original SSD into the EFI-protected Air but the SSD would not boot until I entered my EFI password. Once I entered my EFI password, the Air booted and continued to boot without asking for the password unless I wanted to change the start up disk.

Hmm, this suggests there is something at a software level, or at least a partition level going on in terms of checks.

Let me have a cogitate!

 

[Audit13]

Hmm, this suggests there is something at a software level, or at least a partition level going on in terms of checks.

Let me have a cogitate!

It may be a combination of hardware and software but I really don't know.

Since I was experimenting with my own Air, I did not change the OS version, file system, or partition information when I reinstalled the OS using my Macbook Pro. Doing this still required the efi password to boot the Air.

 

[LCPepper]

Thank you so much
So my idea will work ? if I installed the OS in another device will that work ?
Also one last question, The EFI password is 4 digits or a text password ? Please note that I'm the new EFI (late 2014)

It may be a combination of hardware and software but I really don't know.

Since I was experimenting with my own Air, I did not change the OS version, file system, or partition information when I reinstalled the OS using my Macbook Pro. Doing this still required the efi password to boot the Air.

Right I've done some more research and did a test on my unused MacBook Air that lives in my cupboard; and unfortunately I have to say that this idea will not work. There's definitely more going on in terms of the EFI password than I had given it credit for, my bad!

The only option is to take it to Apple; do you have anything indicating/recording the purchase? Where/how did you buy it?

EDIT:

@Audit13 I wonder if the OP hasn't done a full format and could pull off the entire contents of the EFI partition and keep them in tact, and then just install MacOS to the now empty partition, whether that could work in this instance?

So it's not a full format, and all the EFI data and partition structure would be the same? Depends on how enthusiastic the formatting was. I might try test this tonight out of curiosity!
[doublepost=1531312968][/doublepost]Also what about injecting refind into it via another machine? Again, assuming the original EFI partition is there and that that doesn't play havoc with the EFI password anyway. That would show up an external drive if connected after boot, and will direct the computer to boot from there?

Going to try that too haha.

 

[Audit13]

The Macbook EFI (extensible firmware interface) is not stored on the drive afaik, it is stored in the logic board's non-volatile memory. This makes sense to me because a MacBook's efi doesn't change after changing its SSD.