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Dont have much to go on here, but im curious to hear anything from those who might have some ideas. So for the past 4 days my computer has been at an apple authorized service center and authorized reseller for service in hammond, la for repeating keyboard letters and password mismatch issues - my user password seems to be different for login vs password used for user preferences. They should be the same. The service center has been telling me that they have been unable to "access" the system in order to run diagnostics or do firmware update. "The system wont let us do it".

For those who might be familiar with how premium apple authorized service centers are run, shouldnt they after 4 days have been able to access an ulocked system in order to diagnose?

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So for the past 4 days my computer has been at an apple authorized service center and authorized reseller for service in Hammond, LA for repeating keyboard letters and password mismatch issues - my user password seems to be different for login vs password used for user preferences. They should be the same. The service center has been telling me that they have been unable to "access" the system in order to run diagnostics or do firmware update. "The system wont let us do it".

There’s a simple way to gain access to the system snd that would be giving them your firmware password and/or FileVault encryption key.

my user password seems to be different for login vs password used for user preferences.

Interesting, as there’s only one Authentication mechanism when logging on or validation of your identity when you want to make a change you your system.

Now, let’s assume fir a moment that your top case (the keyboard and trackpad) decided to stop working. You can still still hook up an external USB mouse and keyboard and enter your authentication credentials. You may need to disconnect the top case from the USB bus, but it doesn’t take 4 days.

My advice is to find a more reputable vendor even if you have to send it out of state

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  • Yeah, not sure why it wouldn’t update my password is both places? I don’t use fire vault. So im guessing it has to do with secure boot. Guessing it’s on by default. I’ve never messed with it that I can remember. At this point I’m probably better off picking it up and loosing more time by sending it to apple. I called apple yesterday complaining about the poor quality of service and they called the shop and was told they couldn’t get an update until 1300 today - another day lost I guess. Tks!
    – Stumped
    Commented Jun 26, 2020 at 13:18
  • Just FYI, getting the “authorized” badge from Apple doesn’t mean they are well versed in repair. A lot of the contract is about revenue goals. If you have the receipt, take it to Apple directly and they will get you through all of this (receipt is if you inadvertently set the secure boot or FileVault password)
    – Allan
    Commented Jun 28, 2020 at 5:47
  • Mentioned above - they told me software issue with their diagnostic program that wasn’t allowing them access. I see the revenue point - they of course did not want me picking it up, but did offer. Funny, Apple would tell me one thing about how long to fix, diagnose, length of time, etc and the shop would would tell me something totally different. To make matters more confusing 1apple rep says 1 thing and they another takes ownership bc u can’t get same person and they say something different. There is no fire vault pw and it’s not activated. FWIW I spec asked if the issue was caused by secure
    – Stumped
    Commented Jun 28, 2020 at 13:05
  • Boot and they told me no. New keyboard ord. We’ll see.
    – Stumped
    Commented Jun 28, 2020 at 13:09
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Mac computers with the T2 chip have a feature known as Secure Boot, which prevents booting from external drives. It will need to be turned off using your admin password.

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT208330

Previously, Apple techs would boot to their own disks in order to run diagnostic checks and test that everything works on a known system.

Obviously, it would be worthless security if Apple had a way to get round it, but you'd think that Apple support staff would be prepared for this by now.

My first guess (without inspection) for the password issue is that one password is required to unlock the FileVault encrypted disk at startup, and another one is the user account's password that you need to authenticate and unlock System Prefs, etc.

Other possibilities are: a firmware password, required when the machine is turned on; or you are loggin in as a 'Standard' user, and you need the password of an 'Admin' user to authorize things like installing and the padlock in System Prefs.

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  • Tks. I don’t use fire vault. Guessing the prob is with secure boot but you’d think they would know about it - especially since I told them when I made the apt that it’s the “one with the t2 security chip. “. Tks much!
    – Stumped
    Commented Jun 26, 2020 at 13:23
  • If not FileVault, then it might be a Firmware password, as Allan suggests. Alternatively, your login password might be different for the password used to authorise things if your login account isn't the Admin user.
    – benwiggy
    Commented Jun 26, 2020 at 14:00
  • Yeah. Don’t know and neither does apple. My account is the only admin account. When I got locked out after it wouldn’t accept my newly confirmed and written down password I called apple. They created a new pw and it worked to login and user pref. But before I hung up I said wait, let me log out and back in to retest before you go. It was then that the new password would not work. For the fun of it, being a joke at this time, I said wait, let me try the old password that wasn’t working - and it worked! So now 1 password to login and a different one for my user account.
    – Stumped
    Commented Jun 26, 2020 at 18:48
  • Whatever the problem is, it should be immediately identifiable to anyone looking at the laptop. Your login password IS your user account password. If there's another password, it's not for logging in, but for something else.
    – benwiggy
    Commented Jun 26, 2020 at 21:33
  • I guess at this point it’s moot - they wiped the computer today and did a firmware update and duplicated and confirmed keyboard problem. New keyboard on order. However, they could not tell me what was causing the keyboard problem or the password problem. They said they could not run diagnostics due to a software glitch with their equipment which apparently they resolved today after talking to Apple.
    – Stumped
    Commented Jun 27, 2020 at 2:51
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After 4 days, I would ask them to send it to Apple or return it. Sounds like their ability to explain service delays is lacking. Unless they explained you a path and you didn’t OK them to erase it / begin the unlocking - then it’s on you.

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