I've been mucking about with 22 of the M1 MacBook Airs for K-8 education and in this process I have needed to wipe quite a few of them, which requires entering into DFU mode and hooking them up to a Mac running Apple Configurator 2. I only have MacBook Airs to test currently, but in theory this should be identical on M1 MacBook Pros. The process is different on Minis.
But Apple's instructions on entering DFU mode are not entirely accurate, or at least not easy to follow:
0) Get the Apple Configurator 2 Mac setup and get the Mac you need to restore plugged into it. Put is somewhere you can monitor the Apple Configurator 2 screen while working on your target Mac.
1) Power off the target Mac and wait a few seconds after the screen powers fully off
2) Get your fingers in place over the power button, the right shift key, and the left option and control keys
3) Press and hold the Power button and wait only about 1/3 to 1/2 second, THEN press and hold the three keyboard keys - continue holding all the keys and the power button. The timing on this is extremely tight.
4) You should see the Apple logo and the system should look like it is starting to boot, then it will 'restart' after a few seconds. If not, you didn't get the timing quite correct and you will have to try again, and again. Eventually you'll get the timing correct (do it 10 times and you'll probably be able to catch it every time from then on properly).
5) Once it reboots wait only about a second or two and release the keys on the keyboard but keep holding down the power button until the Mac shows up in the Apple Configurator 2 screen. Now you can finally release the power button.
Restore the Mac using Apple Configurator 2. Note, I've seen many instructions suggesting you need to "Revive" the device. The one time I tried this it did not work. I think it possibly updated the Firmware but not reinstall the OS, so I'm not sure exactly what going on there. If anyone else wants to chime in? However, using the "Restore" function both updates the firmware and reinstalls the OS, so I suggest trying that option. It's worked for me on all my system, no need to "Revive" first and then go through the process a second time.
Hope that helps a little. Trying to follow Apple's "10 seconds" rule really does not work; the trick is the timing of the initial power-button and key-pressing and then the release of the keyboard keys after the laptop reboots.
But Apple's instructions on entering DFU mode are not entirely accurate, or at least not easy to follow:
0) Get the Apple Configurator 2 Mac setup and get the Mac you need to restore plugged into it. Put is somewhere you can monitor the Apple Configurator 2 screen while working on your target Mac.
1) Power off the target Mac and wait a few seconds after the screen powers fully off
2) Get your fingers in place over the power button, the right shift key, and the left option and control keys
3) Press and hold the Power button and wait only about 1/3 to 1/2 second, THEN press and hold the three keyboard keys - continue holding all the keys and the power button. The timing on this is extremely tight.
4) You should see the Apple logo and the system should look like it is starting to boot, then it will 'restart' after a few seconds. If not, you didn't get the timing quite correct and you will have to try again, and again. Eventually you'll get the timing correct (do it 10 times and you'll probably be able to catch it every time from then on properly).
5) Once it reboots wait only about a second or two and release the keys on the keyboard but keep holding down the power button until the Mac shows up in the Apple Configurator 2 screen. Now you can finally release the power button.
Restore the Mac using Apple Configurator 2. Note, I've seen many instructions suggesting you need to "Revive" the device. The one time I tried this it did not work. I think it possibly updated the Firmware but not reinstall the OS, so I'm not sure exactly what going on there. If anyone else wants to chime in? However, using the "Restore" function both updates the firmware and reinstalls the OS, so I suggest trying that option. It's worked for me on all my system, no need to "Revive" first and then go through the process a second time.
Hope that helps a little. Trying to follow Apple's "10 seconds" rule really does not work; the trick is the timing of the initial power-button and key-pressing and then the release of the keyboard keys after the laptop reboots.
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