imac 2017 downgrade from ventura to monterey

[MrScratchHook]

Hello community, i have an imac 2017 duo core 2.7 21 inch. i installed ventura back in November but i really dont like it, AT ALL. Tried to install monterey but it says i cant install older operating system on a newer system, so im trying to use a usb installer to go back to monterey. Everytime i restart with command R it goes to a locked screen(pic attached) i enter my password and it does nothing, i restart holding option and i get the same result..

things ive tried:
logged out of icloud.
logged out of apple store.
removed mac tracker.
thumbed through all the settings incase i missed anything.
searched google with zero results on my issue.

im at a loss at this point, and ive done these steps numerous times on my mac pro without any issues(obviously not on ventura) so im guessing its a ventura thing as im the only administrator on this imac...thank you for any help you can assist with, before i take it to a mac store and have them do it for me...

 

[DeltaMac]

That screen means that you need to enter your firmware password. It prevents booting to other drives, so you need to enter that password.
It's not your login/account password, and also not your AppleID password. It's also not related to your upgrade to Ventura - although you might have set that password at the time you upgraded. Setting the password is something that you would do from the Utilities menu when you are booted to your Mac's Recovery system (Again, not related to your upgrade to Ventura)
Here's some more info about that:

Set a firmware password on your Mac - Apple Support

When you set a firmware password, users who don't have the password can't start up from any disk other than the designated startup disk.

support.apple.com

Notice the graphic showing the same "padlock with password box" that you posted above.
The article also tells you what you need to do, if you forget your firmware password:
in a few words, you will need to take your iMac to an Apple Store, where they can clear that firmware password. The store will require you to prove that you own this iMac, with a store sales receipt for your purchase.

 

[MrScratchHook]

That screen means that you need to enter your firmware password. It prevents booting to other drives, so you need to enter that password.
It's not your login/account password, and also not your AppleID password. It's also not related to your upgrade to Ventura - although you might have set that password at the time you upgraded. Setting the password is something that you would do from the Utilities menu when you are booted to your Mac's Recovery system (Again, not related to your upgrade to Ventura)
Here's some more info about that:

Set a firmware password on your Mac - Apple Support

When you set a firmware password, users who don't have the password can't start up from any disk other than the designated startup disk.

support.apple.com

Notice the graphic showing the same "padlock with password box" that you posted above.
The article also tells you what you need to do, if you forget your firmware password:
in a few words, you will need to take your iMac to an Apple Store, where they can clear that firmware password. The store will require you to prove that you own this iMac, with a store sales receipt for your purchase.

thank you...i figured this out not to long ago(this morning) i bought this imac about 3 months ago off ebay so ill reach out to apple today. never knew this was a thing, ive used recovered/utitiity commands dozens of time on my mac pro, this wasnt an issue. again thank you

 

[DeltaMac]

OK, sounds like your eBay seller left you a "gift"
I suppose that you did not need to wipe the drive when you first started using this iMac, so you would not have found out until you needed to erase the drive to return to Monterey. And, your other Macs would not have an issue, if you never set the firmware password -- but, then you would know the password.

You might even try contacting the eBay seller about this.

BTW, the firmware password is NOT on the hard drive, and replacing that hard drive will NOT change the status of the firmware password. Only the password that was used to set that mode, or Apple clearing that firmware password.
Apple sometimes is quite stuffy about ownership. Hopefully, they will accept your eBay purchase as "legitimate" ownership.

 

[MrScratchHook]

OK, sounds like your eBay seller left you a "gift"
I suppose that you did not need to wipe the drive when you first started using this iMac, so you would not have found out until you needed to erase the drive to return to Monterey. And, your other Macs would not have an issue, if you never set the firmware password -- but, then you would know the password.

You might even try contacting the eBay seller about this.

BTW, the firmware password is NOT on the hard drive, and replacing that hard drive will NOT change the status of the firmware password. Only the password that was used to set that mode, or Apple clearing that firmware password.
Apple sometimes is quite stuffy about ownership. Hopefully, they will accept your eBay purchase as "legitimate" ownership.

Soooo, turns out i contacted former owner and he gave me the firmware password and i entered it successfully. i then proceeded to install monterey but the system alerted me that i couldnt downgrade this volume, so i jumped into utility, formatted the ssd and continued with monterey install. All is well in imac land now. Now i just have to figure out how to turn that firmware crap off. I appreciate your help on my issue, this is just another notch on my mac education belt. Thank you.

 

[DeltaMac]

Great!. Sometimes a former owner can be a real PITA, if you can even find them.
It's simple now to turn the password off.
Boot to your recovery system (Restart, holding Cmd+r) (You will, of course, be asked for firmware password, and now you know what it is.)
When you get to the menu screen, click on the Utilities menu (in the top menubar), and choose Startup Security Utility.
Click "Turn Off Firmware Password"
Quit the Utility, then Restart.
And, the firmware password is now off.

 

[MrScratchHook]

Great!. Sometimes a former owner can be a real PITA, if you can even find them.
It's simple now to turn the password off.
Boot to your recovery system (Restart, holding Cmd+r) (You will, of course, be asked for firmware password, and now you know what it is.)
When you get to the menu screen, click on the Utilities menu (in the top menubar), and choose Startup Security Utility.
Click "Turn Off Firmware Password"
Quit the Utility, then Restart.
And, the firmware password is now off.

Great!. Sometimes a former owner can be a real PITA, if you can even find them.
It's simple now to turn the password off.
Boot to your recovery system (Restart, holding Cmd+r) (You will, of course, be asked for firmware password, and now you know what it is.)
When you get to the menu screen, click on the Utilities menu (in the top menubar), and choose Startup Security Utility.
Click "Turn Off Firmware Password"
Quit the Utility, then Restart.
And, the firmware password is now off.

yesss i def didnt think I'd hear from him early sunday morning off an ebay message🤣 and hes on the west coast so it had to be like 5am for him, figured he'd get back to me monday sometime, but yeah got super lucky with that. ok, ill do what your saying this week sometime, no rush since ive completed my objective installing monterey..thank you for all your help..i appreciate you.

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

Just for your information, if you can't ask an Apple Store to help with the firmware password.
A skillful repair shop can remove the firmware password for you.
There are several videos on Youtube about the password removing job.
The process in short:
- Desolder the firmware chip
- Read the firmware file
- Edit the firmware file and remove the password part. (Search ANSI strings starting with '$svs' and delete from that until the first blank block. i.e replacing existing value with FF)
- Write back the modified firmware file to the firmware chip.
- Solder back the firmware chip.

 

[MrScratchHook]

Just for your information, if you can't ask an Apple Store to help with the firmware password.
A skillful repair shop can remove the firmware password for you.
There are several videos on Youtube about the password removing job.
The process in short:
- Desolder the firmware chip
- Read the firmware file
- Edit the firmware file and remove the password part. (Search ANSI strings starting with '$svs' and delete from that until the first blank block. i.e replacing existing value with FF)
- Write back the modified firmware file to the firmware chip.
- Solder back the firmware chip.

thank you i appreciate your help...

 

[Solomani]

That screen means that you need to enter your firmware password. It prevents booting to other drives, so you need to enter that password.
It's not your login/account password, and also not your AppleID password. It's also not related to your upgrade to Ventura - although you might have set that password at the time you upgraded. Setting the password is something that you would do from the Utilities menu when you are booted to your Mac's Recovery system (Again, not related to your upgrade to Ventura)
Here's some more info about that:

Set a firmware password on your Mac - Apple Support

When you set a firmware password, users who don't have the password can't start up from any disk other than the designated startup disk.

support.apple.com

Notice the graphic showing the same "padlock with password box" that you posted above.
The article also tells you what you need to do, if you forget your firmware password:
in a few words, you will need to take your iMac to an Apple Store, where they can clear that firmware password. The store will require you to prove that you own this iMac, with a store sales receipt for your purchase.

Interesting info.

Btw, just wanted to clarify.... if I (as the original iMac owner) never bothered to "set" a firmware password, does that mean that the bootup firmware lock never happens?

 

[DeltaMac]

(Never? "Never" is such a strong word!)
No, it would be an intentional plan, your choice, to set a password, and not some random result of a macOS system upgrade, i.e., accidentally allowing file vault to turn on. You would need to boot to the recovery system to turn on the firmware password. I suppose there is another method to turn the firmware password on, without booting to recovery, but I have not heard about it.
A "bad actor", who installs ransomware on your computer, and wants you to pay money to unlock your own computer, as is often in the news these days, would likely enable that firmware password as a part of that scheme (in addition to encrypting any drive attached to your Mac) - and you then would be blocked from the files on your drive, locked out by your own Mac.

Maybe the best answer to your question: If you are the only user, the firmware password is always available to you, not enabled, unless you choose, or get tricked into enabling that firmware password. If someone else takes over your computer, then all bets are off.

 

[MrScratchHook]

Interesting info.

Btw, just wanted to clarify.... if I (as the original iMac owner) never bothered to "set" a firmware password, does that mean that the bootup firmware lock never happens?

if a tree fall in the woods but no one sees it did it ever really happen? lol....if you never set it then it wont be there. this is an intentional thing from what i can see.

 

[Fishrrman]

You are very lucky (that the original owner gave you the password).
Apple WOULD NOT have removed it for you.

My advice is to never, NEVER, NEVER set a firmware password unless you have a compelling reason to do so. It could render the computer all-but unusable if forgotten.

 

[MrScratchHook]

You are very lucky (that the original owner gave you the password).
Apple WOULD NOT have removed it for you.

My advice is to never, NEVER, NEVER set a firmware password unless you have a compelling reason to do so. It could render the computer all-but unusable if forgotten.

lucky is right. extremely lucky. funny thing i dont need firmware password to update macos to newer but need it to downgrade.WTF is that about. password to go backward but not forward. very stupid if you ask me.