How to wipe a t2 MacBook Pro?

[NervousFish2]

All,

The IT folks at work have put a macOS boot password on my brand new MacBook Pro, and installed a bunch junk. Now, folks with older machines at my job have successfully wiped their drives and reinstalled fresh OSs, and thereby got rid of all the junk that the IT Dept puts on the machines. I want to, too, but it looks like the t2 chip is a real barrier to this.

Looking at options, it seems neither a fresh installation via USB nor an external fresh clone boot, are options. How about an external wipe, via target disk mode? Or something else?

Has anyone encountered this? Honestly, the work stuff is a pain. I have to call them every time I want permission to install something, and they aren’t there after 5, or on weekends. Even simple things like changing the screensaver time settings require an admin password. It’s driving me mad!

Thanks,

Nick

 

[zmon]

IIRC, they have to remove it or you need to bring it to an Apple store with your receipt. The old methods don't really work anymore with the T2 chip.

 

[NervousFish2]

IIRC, they have to remove it or you need to bring it to an Apple store with your receipt. The old methods don't really work anymore with the T2 chip.

I was worried you'd say this. Sigh. Disappointing.

 

[misanthrophy]

If you know the boot password (I guess you mean firmwarw password) enter that and boot with CMD + R into recovery partition.

There under utilites on the top menu bar and select something like secure boot utility. Enter admin password. Check on the bottom boot from external drives.

Now you can erase the macintosh HD via disk utility and install it again in the same menu.

Or boot again with Option + CMD + R.

Or hold option key and choose the boot stick!

If you no longer know the firmware password, then you need the assostance of the Genius Bar...

 

[artnoi]

I own a T2 MBP and wiped Apple original installation (with iWork apps) already by simply following Apple official guide to reinstall macOS

1) Boot into Recovery
2) Wipe the disk using Disk Utility from the Recovery mode
3) Reinstall macOS from Recovery mode

Edit: IIRC you cant boot from any external or flash “live installation” drive because T2 only allows boots from internal or some specifically (possibly to hardware) cryptographically signed version of macOS/ Windows only.

 

[misanthrophy]

I own a T2 MBP and wiped Apple original installation (with iWork apps) already by simply following Apple official guide to reinstall macOS

1) Boot into Recovery
2) Wipe the disk using Disk Utility from the Recovery mode
3) Reinstall macOS from Recovery mode

Edit: IIRC you cant boot from any external or flash “live installation” drive because T2 only allows boots from internal or some specifically (possibly to hardware) cryptographically signed version of macOS/ Windows only.

For that reason you can choose alt + cmd + r for the latest available version to get it installed via internet!

 

[Fishrrman]

"IIRC you cant boot from any external or flash “live installation” drive because T2 only allows boots from internal or some specifically (possibly to hardware) cryptographically signed version of macOS/ Windows only."

Seems to me that t2 equipped Macs come with a "Security app" (don't know where this is located, as I don't have a t2 Mac) that will permit the user to disable such protection -- and then boot from an external drive which has a copy of the OS on it.

 

[artnoi]

"IIRC you cant boot from any external or flash “live installation” drive because T2 only allows boots from internal or some specifically (possibly to hardware) cryptographically signed version of macOS/ Windows only."

Seems to me that t2 equipped Macs come with a "Security app" (don't know where this is located, as I don't have a t2 Mac) that will permit the user to disable such protection -- and then boot from an external drive which has a copy of the OS on it.

Oh yes I forgot you can set security level in your secure boot setting. Follow this instruction then. Thanks folks! https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208330

 

[NervousFish2]

Oh yes I forgot you can set security level in your secure boot setting. Follow this instruction then. Thanks folks! https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208330

But what if your employer has set the password on the aforementioned security app?

 

[Fishrrman]

"But what if your employer has set the password on the aforementioned security app?"

Then you're going to have to go to your employer and ask them to enter the password...