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Unable to reset mac

P

pizzaforever

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 20, 2019
4
0
Hello,

I am trying to factory reset a 2019 13" MacBook Pro. As soon as I open it a spinning globe appears, so I connect to my WiFi and wait. I don't remember my Apple ID that I used on this Mac so I click on erase Mac and it restarts. I connect to my WiFi again and the same screen shows up called Activate Mac. It says if I forgot my Apple ID that I can erase it which I clicked on but it just keeps loading the same screen.
 
Have you entered disk utility in recovery and tried to erase the internal drive there? But if activation lock was on you may be out of luck if you can't remember your Apple ID and password. I'm not sure if the activation lock for MacBooks functions the same way as it does for the phones and watches.
 
The firmware lock is your admin password, not necessarily your Apple ID. One of the purposes of the T2 chip is to make the Mac useless if stolen (assuming activation lock was enabled).
 
Perhaps it's time to make an appointment at the nearest brick-n-mortar Apple Store genius bar...
 
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ssls6 said:
The firmware lock is your admin password, not necessarily your Apple ID. One of the purposes of the T2 chip is to make the Mac useless if stolen (assuming activation lock was enabled).
Click to expand...

I don't think I enabled it. But as soon as I open the lid it boots to an Apple logo and than to the globe. It won't let me do command + r either.
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benshive said:
Have you entered disk utility in recovery and tried to erase the internal drive there? But if activation lock was on you may be out of luck if you can't remember your Apple ID and password. I'm not sure if the activation lock for MacBooks functions the same way as it does for the phones and watches.
Click to expand...

It goes straight to the Apple logo and than to the spinning globe. I can't go into command + r.
 
That sounds like it was remotely wiped. The spinning globe is internet recovery. Command+r using one of the hidden partitions.
 
How many Apple ID’s do you have and why would you even have multiple? Sounds fishy to me.
 
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BasicGreatGuy said:
If you can provide proof of purchase with your name and ID, the Apple store will be able to assist you. Otherwise, you are out of luck.
Click to expand...

yes. apple genius bar can help in this case, if s/he has proof of purchase.
i needed this exact kind of support a few weeks ago.
i forgot (yes, i know...) the Firmware password that i had set.
and i too wanted to wipe my Catalina buggy disk completely clean and restart but i couldn't do it because of course it needed to know my firmware password.
luckily i was able to get my proof of purchase by simply logging into apple web store which is how i bought it, and seeing if the purchase was still in there, and it was.
apple nullified my firmware password.

(the problem then became that IF you set a Firmware password then remove it, you loose all access to Wallet. it doesn't like it at all any attempt to remove a firmware password if after you have a Wallet set up while a firmware password was in place. so to regain Wallet functions, i needed to set a firmware password (this time i wrote it down...). it then happily allowed me to set up credit and apple functions.

but i am confused about the term "Activation Lock".
i know i have seen that phrase but i cant remember the context.
is Activation Lock set overtly by your choice using yr apple ID (so that yr apple ID can be used to unlock yr mac)?

also, while I'm at it: Recovery Key for a mac. (this Recovery Key is mentioned in the iCloud preference panel's Password & Security pane's Recovery Key section.
So this Recovery Key is used if you set it and you want to change yr mac log on password, correct? (meaning, you need a 2nd verified device in order to change yr mac logon password, correct?

And: is the above Recovery Key the same Recovery Key that is also mentioned in Security and Privacy preference panel's File Vault pane?
 
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