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I received a FileVault-protected MacBook running macOS Catalina and do not know the administrator login password. How do I perform a factory reset or otherwise prepare the laptop for a new user?

An authorized Apple repair shop told me I was out of luck and that I'd been given a brick.

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  • If an AASP told you that you have a brick, chances are you have a brick, sorry to tell you. That is not to say that the machine cannot be "un-bricked" however, but this is not supported by any means and is quite involved. (Unless you can prove ownership to the AASP, in which case they should be able to do it for you using supported toolkits in AST2) More info is needed. What model MacBook do you have? (either the A-number or serial, if you're comfortable with posting it online) When you turn the machine on, what screen does it boot to?
    – kumowoon1025
    May 29, 2020 at 18:53
  • @kumowoon1025 I'm asking on behalf of my former employer. In the main question above, you can interpret "I" as "They". They're trying to refresh my laptop for a new user. I assume they have receipts to show proof of purchase. I don't have access to the machine. It's a relatively new MacBook Pro.
    – Michael S
    May 29, 2020 at 22:05
  • "Unless you can prove ownership to the AASP, in which case they should be able to do it for you using supported toolkits in AST2" Does it apply to Apple Silicon MacBooks: can AASP actually "un-brick" the system using AST2? AppleCare tells me that AST2 isn't able to reset admin password if no MacBook-specific admin credentials are provided; full system reset is only possible via al-support.apple.com (with proof of ownership), not at AASP.
    – yurkennis
    Feb 12, 2022 at 16:11

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
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I encountered this same problem and have been able to solve it. Filevault was used to lock the laptop. Previous employee left and we didn't have the password. When we tried recovery mode it still required a password, as did internet recovery mode.

The hint is in one of the other answers on here, which is that 'apple support says internet recovery doesn't require the login password'. This is actually true, it's just not readily apparent what to do after starting in internet recovery mode because the first screen you see is still the login screen. However if you click 'recovery assistant' on the top left, you'll see an option for 'erase mac' which will essentially erase the contents of the laptop allowing you to reinstall the macOS.

After erasing, the computer will restart and you'll see the the typical blinking folder with a question mark (because all the startup files were deleted), but you just follow the regular recovery process again (recovery mode by restarting and holding cmd+r) and you can reinstall the factory setting macOS.

I've run into other issues since restarting such as recovery images not unmounting properly so I'll probably need to use a bootable USB, but at least the HD is wiped and finally unlocked!

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  • Thanks. This is indeed what did the trick for me. The 'Erase mac' option is very easy to miss as it's hidden away.
    – Guillaume
    Jul 3, 2022 at 11:07
  • I didn't initially realize that "Internet Recovery Mode" is different than regular Recovery Mode. option+command+r gets you Internet Recovery Mode. support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/…
    – Steve Meisner
    Nov 29, 2023 at 1:17
  • Thanks for pointing this out! That "Choose Account" screen is so dominant that I never thought to look in the menu.
    – Aaron Terry
    Nov 30, 2023 at 15:25
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Firmware password is something you need the password or Apple’s willing assistance to bypass.

FileVault and data encryption is trivial to erase by booting to another OS (Internet Recovery is often the easiest other OS) to wipe and reinstall.

Firmware password and hardware failures are the only things that interfere with an erase and install in my experience, once you have reviewed a couple support articles.

Here are the relevant references and definitions:

Note, if you erase a Mac, you still may be faced with an Activation Lock or a device management MDM under Apple School Manager or Apple Business Manager.

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Apple customer service stated that macOS Recovery over the Internet does not require the login password, and that someone could erase/reformat the drive using that tool. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201314

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  • Wait, you were able to solve your problem by booting into internet recovery??
    – kumowoon1025
    May 30, 2020 at 9:57
  • Are you sure the repair shop you went to was "authorized"? I can't help but question their competency if they told you the machine was bricked, it sounds like it wasn't even locked, just encrypted.
    – kumowoon1025
    May 30, 2020 at 9:59
  • No, it was locked. I was told this method did not work after all, despite Apple's assertion. The repair shop insinuated that a non-authorized shop might be able to fix the machine despite the lock/encryption, but that they weren't allowed to use such techniques.
    – Michael S
    May 30, 2020 at 17:48
  • Ah, I see. Yeah, then it likely has a firmware passcode or iCloud lock set on it, so to an authorized repair shop, it is supposed to be a brick. (Since it may have been locked remotely after being stolen, etc.) It sounds like it is company property though, so as you say, proving ownership would be possible. Proof of purchase from an authorized reseller would be sufficient for original owners, and the AASP should reset the firmware password for you. The encryption is a different story, but since you're trying to wipe the device clean anyway, that shouldn't be an issue.
    – kumowoon1025
    May 30, 2020 at 18:53
  • They sent me a screenshot saying they were ultimately blocked by an iCloud login screen, despite the fact I removed the device from my account (via the apple.com website). Sounds like it needs either the Apple Store or an AASP willing to bypass the login to wipe the device. Ironically, I think I might have been able to wipe the device remotely if they hadn't asked me to remove it from my iCloud account.
    – Michael S
    May 31, 2020 at 4:25

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