iMmaculate iMac Late 2011 21.5"... With a HUGE problem!

[aroneox]

Spoilers: Firmware Lock issue incoming!

Been on the hunt for a good machine to run Photoshop CS4 under Mavericks 10.9, and also one that will do a decent job at Windows XP gaming. A single owner, incredibly well cared for Late 2011 iMac 21.5" popped up on Marketplace for $40 and decided it was the perfect machine for my needs.

Met up at a grocery store parking lot with this very nice, elderly (in his 70s) German immigrant original owner. Everything checked out, and included the original box, manual, keyboard, boxed Mighty Mouse, and boxed copies of 10.5 Leopard, 10.6 Snow Leopard, and iWork 09.

We talked for a bit about this iMac, his new (2020) Macbook M1, and graphic design and web design work. Said our goodbyes and I headed home to test it out.

Initial boot up was great. Everything checked out. 12Gb ram was a nice surprise for a machine of this vintage. 10.7 Lion was installed.

With everything looking good to go, I plugged in my Mavericks USB flash drive install and rebooted with option key down so I could select the Mavericks installer volume.

Then I ran into this:

The dreaded firmware lock!

I emailed my elderly German Macintosh friend and explained the problem. But unfortunately, he doesn't understand the issue. Despite careful explanation (including photos and videos), he seems to believe that the user password and the firmware password are the same. And because he gave me login user / password combo, he doesn't understand (or doesn't want to understand) that the firmware lock requires a different password.

So now I'm stuck.

I tried the remove ram stick and pram reset (command-option-P-R) trick, but it appears this model is too new for that workaround, as it ignores the attempt and just boots up to the firmware lock screen.

I don't know any other way around the firmware lock. Ideas appreciated!

 

[Bigwaff]

I don't know any other way around the firmware lock. Ideas appreciated!

Long shot but asked the elderly gentlemen if he has the original purchase receipt. If so, you can take the iMac and the receipt to an Apple Store and they will remove the firmware password.

Set a firmware password on your Mac - Apple Support

When you set a firmware password on your Intel-based Mac, users who don't have the password can't start up from macOS Recovery or any disk other than the designated startup disk.

support.apple.com

 

[owenojo]

If I recall correctly....you can reset/remove the firmware password on these iMacs - by temporarily changing the amount of installed RAM (just remove 1 module) then resetting the PRAM with command option P R on boot. That should remove the lock....later on you can add the RAM back. Its been a long time since ive done this but im pretty sure thats the way its done

(Edit...ah I see you have tried this - strange, im sure this works on the 2011's)

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Long shot but asked the elderly gentlemen if he has the original purchase receipt. If so, you can take the iMac and the receipt to an Apple Store and they will remove the firmware password.

I have "Heard" (totally 3rd hand info, no guarantees) that the stores aren't all that concerned about proof of purchase once a device is Obsolete (i.e. discontinued 7+ years). Store may unlock it for you just on request.

 

[aroneox]

Long shot but asked the elderly gentlemen if he has the original purchase receipt. If so, you can take the iMac and the receipt to an Apple Store and they will remove the firmware password.

Set a firmware password on your Mac - Apple Support

When you set a firmware password on your Intel-based Mac, users who don't have the password can't start up from macOS Recovery or any disk other than the designated startup disk.

support.apple.com

I have "Heard" (totally 3rd hand info, no guarantees) that the stores aren't all that concerned about proof of purchase once a device is Obsolete (i.e. discontinued 7+ years). Store may unlock it for you just on request.

Sent an email to the seller to see if they still have the receipt, but haven’t heard back. Next time I’m traveling near an Apple store, I’ll see if they can reset the firmware lock.

If I recall correctly....you can reset/remove the firmware password on these iMacs ...ah I see you have tried this - strange, im sure this works on the 2011's

I tried it with a few different ram configs just to be sure, but everytime it boots straight into the firmware lock screen. No pram reset chime.

 

[aroneox]

So, some progress has been made. While this iMac did not want to let me boot from Snow Leopard DVD, the Startup Disk preferences panel oddly would let me select and boot into my Mavericks USB installer. So I’m now sitting on a fresh install of Mavericks 10.9.5 fully updated.

Next step is trying a Bootcamp install of Windows 7 to see if I can boot back and forth between them without the firmware lock getting cranky. If so, I might be able to install Windows XP over the Windows 7 partition. Which will effectively give me what I want out of this machine. I’d prefer no firmware lock for peace of mind, but functionally this iMac *may* be good to go.

In other news, the seller got back to me, but went on the defensive saying that he never claimed the machine could upgrade beyond the installed OS X version and that when he sold it to me it was in working condition. So there’s that.

 

[aroneox]

Initially, when Lion was installed (which is how I received it), this iMac wouldn't let me select the Snow Leopard DVD from Startup Disk preference. But it did let me select Mavericks from USB as startup disk and proceeded to install Mavericks after rebooting.

Just moments ago I wanted to see if this iMac would let me select Snow Leopard DVD as startup disk with Mavericks installed. And it did. BUT... on reboot I got a kernel panic. Had to hard power it off and eject the CD on startup. And now when it restarts, I am greeted with the infamous flashing ? folder. My previously working Mavericks install has apparently moved on to better things.

 

[aroneox]

And in seller news, the guy I bought it from is now saying he'll "happily" take the machine back, and will refund half of what I paid, and keep the other half of the money for the privilege of allowing the return. lol.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

And in seller news, the guy I bought it from is now saying he'll "happily" take the machine back, and will refund half of what I paid, and keep the other half of the money for the privilege of allowing the return. lol.

I wouldn't have given you contact info, personally. It's a 15-year-old computer. "As-is" needs to be assumed.

 

[aroneox]

I wouldn't have given you contact info, personally. It's a 15-year-old computer. "As-is" needs to be assumed.

The internet is a wonderful place where everyone can voice their opinion.

 

[Fishrrman]

MY advice is simple:
Get a modern Mac,
and
...get up-to-date software to run on it.

 

[imacker2011]

So, some progress has been made. While this iMac did not want to let me boot from Snow Leopard DVD, the Startup Disk preferences panel oddly would let me select and boot into my Mavericks USB installer. So I’m now sitting on a fresh install of Mavericks 10.9.5 fully updated.

Next step is trying a Bootcamp install of Windows 7 to see if I can boot back and forth between them without the firmware lock getting cranky. If so, I might be able to install Windows XP over the Windows 7 partition. Which will effectively give me what I want out of this machine. I’d prefer no firmware lock for peace of mind, but functionally this iMac *may* be good to go.

In other news, the seller got back to me, but went on the defensive saying that he never claimed the machine could upgrade beyond the installed OS X version and that when he sold it to me it was in working condition. So there’s that.

If you manage to boot into a terminal I think you can disable the password by using the firmwarepasswd command. I don't remember the exact arguments to be used, but it is possible.

Windows XP runs fine on these machines, but unfortunately there are no drivers available for the integrated sound card. This is why I switched to Vista for my retro experience; for this you can use the Win7 BC drivers. Or use an external USB sound card with XP.

I think it's a nice bargain for $40, especially considering the peripherals included and the near-mint condition.

 

[Bigwaff]

And in seller news, the guy I bought it from is now saying he'll "happily" take the machine back, and will refund half of what I paid, and keep the other half of the money for the privilege of allowing the return. lol.

The PRAM reset trick is 2010 or earlier. 2011-2017 require a hardware NVRAM reset.

I stumbled upon this some time ago... be weary of any firmware password software reset hacks being sold. Hardware based resets are more likely believable, whether seller is legitimate is another story. Post is extremely dense and technical, but truly worth a read

Apple EFI firmware passwords and the SCBO myth

My original goal when I started poking around Apple’s EFI implementation was to find a way to reset a MacBook’s firmware password. My preliminary research found references to a “magical” SCBO file that could be loaded onto a USB flash drive and booted to remove the password. The normal process...

reverse.put.as

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

If you manage to boot into a terminal I think you can disable the password by using the firmwarepasswd command. I don't remember the exact arguments to be used, but it is possible.

Windows XP runs fine on these machines, but unfortunately there are no drivers available for the integrated sound card. This is why I switched to Vista for my retro experience; for this you can use the Win7 BC drivers. Or use an external USB sound card with XP.

I think it's a nice bargain for $40, especially considering the peripherals included and the near-mint condition.

You can only remove the password by command line or UI menu if you know it.

Remove firmware lock - Apple Community

discussions.apple.com

Otherwise, it's a dedicated process of read-edit-rewrite the EFI, with "edit"= delete the part containing the password.
How to? Check the video below (and give up the idea of doing it yourself). The second video might seem easy, but you might end-up with a bunch of devices failing to clip on the EFI chip. Their prices vary from 5$ to 60$.

 

[imacker2011]

You can only remove the password by command line or UI menu if you know it.

Correct me if I'm wrong (I may be) but as far as I remember if you have access to the terminal AND the local admin password, you can 1) change when the prompt for the password appears (always/when booting from a different device/never) and 2) change the firmware password by means of the ADMIN password.

EDIT: Never mind, I think it was my fault, checked again. You need the admin password to set a new firmware password, but in order to delete it you need the latter itself.

EDIT2: I was wondering, since OPs machine is not fully locked but only restricts boot access to the hard drive, can it actually be circumvented by installing Open Core (or reFIND, which can be installed in the MBR) onto the HDD to UEFI boot from external drives?

 

[weckart]

I had a similar issue with a Mac Mini 2010, which I got from the original owner. It was firmware locked by malware (not mentioned in the sale), redirecting automatically on boot up to some bogus helpline. The owner first pleaded ignorance then doubled down saying it was my problem now. The only way I could get round it was, indeed, to physically reprogramme the NVRAM chip. Luckily, that was cheap (AliExpress) to do and worked first time.

Ignore any suggestions that suggest removing the lock through software hacks. The lock is hardcoded within the chip and only having the firmware password will avoid reprogramming. I have tried all the suggestions already and there is no magic trick that works.

 

[Fishrrman]

It just sounds like that "$40 deal" wasn't so much of a deal after all...

 

[Terraaustralis]

Initially, when Lion was installed (which is how I received it), this iMac wouldn't let me select the Snow Leopard DVD from Startup Disk preference. But it did let me select Mavericks from USB as startup disk and proceeded to install Mavericks after rebooting.

Just moments ago I wanted to see if this iMac would let me select Snow Leopard DVD as startup disk with Mavericks installed. And it did. BUT... on reboot I got a kernel panic. Had to hard power it off and eject the CD on startup. And now when it restarts, I am greeted with the infamous flashing ? folder. My previously working Mavericks install has apparently moved on to better things.

Having recently wrestled with OS 6 through OSX11 on a 27" 2011 imac I hope you can get back to using your OSX 9.
Given the seller appears a genial and accessible person who does not understand iMacs very well, ask him if he can recollect any earlier password he has used in connection with this iMac. Rather than specifically for Hardware Lock which is obscure to some.

The question mark at boot up means a drive cannot be found. Sometimes this is due to temporary POST confusion rather than a permanent loss. Just waiting a while sometimes enables the POST process to work. OSX of that period are slow. (2 to 8 mins).

1. Maybe making a Yosamite USB installer will duplicate the Maverick experience and get you operating? I think PS4 runs on Yosamite.

2. Can you boot up using Command R? This takes you into OSX Utilities and permits an OSX reinstall Maverick or earlier, then update with Mavericks installer.

3. Boot up while holding down Command S. If this works, you boot into directory where you can type ‘sbin/fsck -fy’ to update directory. Click ‘Return’ and directory will update. When directory is fully updated and you see ‘This Mac appears to be OK’ - type ‘exit’ to enter OSX. If ltext ends with ’...disk appears to be modified‘ , re-run ‘fsck -fy’ until you get the ‘disk appears OK’ Hopefully this will circumvent kernal panic, and get you back to a working Mavericks.

4. If ‘fsck -fy’ fails to open into directory at boot up, and no drive can be found, assuming you love the new condition of your purchase, buy a damaged 2011 iMac and swap motherboards.

Pardon Our Interruption...

Apple iMac 21.5" 3.06 GHz - 500GB HD, 4GB RAM - Model A1311 (EMC 2308) | eBay Australia

We do the best research we can and represent the item(s) as clearly and honestly as possible. Note that there is a missing edge around the display. 100% working. WEIGHT: 9.3 Kg.

www.ebay.com.au

5. Simply buy another 2011 iMac. Why not buy a 27" for Photoshop CS4?

Good Luck!

 

[Black_Mage]

That was an amazing machine. I had one from 2011 to 2022. I had it upgraded to 32 GB of RAM and a SSD. It was fast. If you keep it, I recommend either using Open Core to get a more current version of MacOS on it or installing Linux. High Sierra is the last version of MacOS you can officially install, and it quit getting security updates a few years ago.

OpenCore Legacy Patcher v2.4.1 - Download

OpenCore Legacy Patcher enables installing and running unsupported macOS versions on older Macintosh hardware.

opencorelegacypatcher.net

 

[imacker2011]

That was an amazing machine. I had one from 2011 to 2022. I had it upgraded to 32 GB of RAM and a SSD. It was fast. If you keep it, I recommend either using Open Core to get a more current version of MacOS on it or installing Linux. High Sierra is the last version of MacOS you can officially install, and it quit getting security updates a few years ago.

OpenCore Legacy Patcher v2.4.1 - Download

OpenCore Legacy Patcher enables installing and running unsupported macOS versions on older Macintosh hardware.

opencorelegacypatcher.net

Sure, but OPs problem is the firmware lock, which prevents booting from other volumes. Does OCLP help getting around that?

Besides, OP wants to use it as a Windows XP retro gaming machine, which it is perfectly capable for. Can OCLP help in this regard?

My question is, can the firmware lock be circumvented by installing a bootloader such as OC or reFInd in to the MBR? Might be necessary to take out the HDD and prepare it in a different system.

 

[Black_Mage]

take the iMac and the receipt to an Apple Store

This is probably your best hope for success.

 

[weckart]

My question is, can the firmware lock be circumvented by installing a bootloader such as OC or reFInd in to the MBR? Might be necessary to take out the HDD and prepare it in a different system.

OC and rEFInd rely on the EFI (clue is in the name), which is firmware locked. Chicken and egg.

 

[aroneox]

It just sounds like that "$40 deal" wasn't so much of a deal after all...

Indeed.

Having recently wrestled with OS 6 through OSX11 on a 27" 2011 imac I hope you can get back to using your OSX 9.
Given the seller appears a genial and accessible person who does not understand iMacs very well, ask him if he can recollect any earlier password he has used in connection with this iMac. Rather than specifically for Hardware Lock which is obscure to some.

The question mark at boot up means a drive cannot be found. Sometimes this is due to temporary POST confusion rather than a permanent loss. Just waiting a while sometimes enables the POST process to work. OSX of that period are slow. (2 to 8 mins).

1. Maybe making a Yosamite USB installer will duplicate the Maverick experience and get you operating? I think PS4 runs on Yosamite.

2. Can you boot up using Command R? This takes you into OSX Utilities and permits an OSX reinstall Maverick or earlier, then update with Mavericks installer.

3. Boot up while holding down Command S. If this works, you boot into directory where you can type ‘sbin/fsck -fy’ to update directory. Click ‘Return’ and directory will update. When directory is fully updated and you see ‘This Mac appears to be OK’ - type ‘exit’ to enter OSX. If ltext ends with ’...disk appears to be modified‘ , re-run ‘fsck -fy’ until you get the ‘disk appears OK’ Hopefully this will circumvent kernal panic, and get you back to a working Mavericks.

4. If ‘fsck -fy’ fails to open into directory at boot up, and no drive can be found, assuming you love the new condition of your purchase, buy a damaged 2011 iMac and swap motherboards.

I tried Command-R before and it gets me Firmware Lock screen. I'll give the rest of these a try.

5. Simply buy another 2011 iMac. Why not buy a 27" for Photoshop CS4

If one pops up locally, I just might do that.

This Photoshop CS4 machine journey all started when my original 2015 27" iMac died on my some years back when the graphics failed. I replaced it with the same model I found locally, but it also started to exhibit the same graphical issues. Turns out dedicated graphics overheating (and eventually failing) is a known issue for this model.

Was going to go down the Hackintosh route, but the 2011 iMac popped up and would do everything I needed... had it not become its own problem.

Thanks everyone for chiming in here and trying to help me get this guy back up and running. I'm going to do a Mavericks install on another machine to an external SSD, then transplant that into the 2011 iMac and see if I can at least get it back to booting. If none of the other solutions here work, then I'll see if I can Apple to unlock it next time I'm in Portland (which is 4 hour one way).

 

[Terraaustralis]

You can only save the 21" iMac by replacing the Motherboard. The EFI password is stored in the NVRAM chip on the motherboard but buying a board will be a disproportionately costly alternative unless you are very lucky.

Manuals here: https://archive.org/details/imac-technician-guides

The best imac for 2011 is the Core i7 (i7-2600) 3.4 27" model.
Standard Graphics was AMD HD6970 with 1GB video cache. This Graphics card was a faulty run and many were replaced by Apple at the time. Any working 2011 iMac of this period has self evidently got a good Graphics card - unless it has been upgraded. I mention this because I have had to buy a HD6970 for my iMac and a power unit as well. I bought the machine in working condition but first the graphics card, then power unit failed. After opening the machine I could see the MXM graphics chip had been replaced by a sloppy technician and the dusty interior suggested poor storage and lack of care when upgrading. A good technician always cleans up after completing work. The case and monitor are A1 but I was unlucky with the parts.

Buying these individual parts is disproportionately expensive. Also there is a risk factor as they are taken from old machines, could have been in stock for ages and may be on the brink of failure. I have returned 2 graphics cards to Ali Express. I get a refund but lose on time and postage. Crazy thing is the sellers do not collect returned parts as China Customs charge the seller import duty on the returns! And since the user says the MXM is not working any return process is pointless.

Buying a working entire 2011 iMac is far better value if it has not been tinkered with. Good ones are around and now I have upgraded all is running well after one year.

I upgraded by replacing the HDD with a 2TB SATA SSD Samsung Evo 870 which made the iMac quite lively and worth the expense IMHO. I have 24GB of RAM which is plenty for publishing work. However buying Samsung these days is not justified on this machine. Having only USB 2.0 is a limitation which encouraged me to buy a larger SSD and have dedicated volume partitions for Lion, Mavericks, Yosamite and El Capitan. The OS sizes are all in the 240GB region including my account files.

I think the best OSX for you will be Lion or Mavericks to serve Adobe Photoshop 4.0. I have creative suite 5.0 so Yosamite is best for me. I keep the other OSX for security and flexibility on old scanners and printers.

Firefox 78.15.0 esr keeps Browser working and a specially designed browser, PowerFox by Jazzzny, has recently been designed for old iMacs.

Good Luck.