Removing EFI Firmware Password

When I bought my MacBook Air in February 2011, it came with OSX 10.6.6. Since then I have set the firmware password, and then upgraded to 10.7 and now 10.8. Currently at 10.8.2.
I now have to do something that requires me to boot in safe mode. To be able to safe boot I have to unset the firmware password (fortunately, I know the password).
But how do I go about removing the firmware password? Do I use the USB key with 10.6.6 software on it? Or do I use software from the Recovery partition on the HD?
Do I have other options?
Thanks for your comments.

You can use the one you want, but as you are running Mountain Lion, you can use Recovery HD.
1. Press Command and R keys while your Mac is starting to start into OS X Recovery.
2. When it has started, go to Utilities menu and select the option to set up the firmware password.
3. Turn it off and restart your computer

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How can I remove an EFI firmware password in a 2012 MacBook Pro Retina?

This computer was bought used. The SSD in it is dead, and it has an EFI firmware password blocking all my boot options. How can I remove it? The closest store is 400 miles away.

"YOU" CAN'T. You need to take the system to an Apple store or possibly an Apple Authorized repair center and ask them to remove it.
If you bought it used contact the original owner and ask for the password. Once you know that "YOU" can remove it.
If you come back with I can't get in touch with the original owner then I have no more help for you. Take it to your nearest Apple store.

Boot Process with active EFI Firmware Password

I have a MacMini with Linux installed (for an embedded application) on the internal hard drive, and Mac OS X 10.5.6 available on an external Firewire / USB drive. The machine is a 1.83 MHz 2008 production unit with EFI version MM21.009A.B00 firmware installed (no later update is reported as available via the OS X Software Updater).
The system normally boots from the internal (Linux) disk without user interaction when first powered up.
In order to restrict users from starting the system from alternate devices, we activated an EFI firmware password. After doing so with the Open Firmware Password application on the OS X installer DVD (booted with option key and selecting the DVD icon, or with the C-key held), the system no longer automatically boots either of the two available hard disk devices. Rather a flashing file folder icon with question mark appears when the machine is powered up without any user interaction.
With the EFI password active, it is necessary to hold the option key down, enter the password, and then select the desired disk device icon (either internal Linux or external OS X device) in order to boot the system. It appears that the system can no longer automatically select a boot device when started up, even if only one is available. This requires that every user of the embedded system must know the EFI password in order to start the system. This seriously compromises the protections that a user would expect to achieve by using the EFI password capability.
Is this the expected performance of the firmware after the EFI password has been activated, or is this performance the result of a design flaw in the EFI code when the firmware password is active (i.e. is this a"feature" or a bug)?

Welcome to Apple Discussions!
The EFI firmware protection is there for people who work in environments where their machines must be secure from intruders, and secures information in event the machine gets stolen. If that sort of protection is too much for your needs, just setup your security and account preferences to log out when energy saver and/or screen saver is activated, and automatic log on is disabled. That's pretty good unless a person who steals your machine or has access to your machine has the original discs which came with the Mac, or newer retail operating system (up to the limits of the machine's hardware). So consider how much security you need, and you can ask the system to be that secure.

How can I remove a firmware password?

Bought a MBAir in a pawn shop, clean unit, otherwise empty, wanted to take it back to factory specs at a genius bar. No can do, locked at the firmware password. How do I get that removed. Perfect working, don't like not having complete control over it. Data loss not an issue, just want it restored to factory original. Period. Help?

Only Apple can do this. Call in at your local Apple Store.

Fix for RAM removable Open Firmware Password?

Hello people from Apple Discussions,
I have a burning question that has been tormenting me for years.
Mac OSX is branded as supposedly the safest operating system around today.
What completely astounds me though is that any user password can be quickly hacked, by booting into the Single User Mode where you immediately gain root access.
In my search for a fix I have come across semi-solutions like:
"install an open firmware password!"
I felt relieved, reassured and assumed my problem was solved.
Unfortunately this is bloody useless because one could remove a RAM module and voila! Gone is the Open Firmware Password.
What alternative (other than to permanently glue to ram module in place) is there to this security hole that exists today?
Thank you all very much for reading.
I hope this gets fixed, for the sake of all mac users.
Very Kind regards,
Luuc.

I don't believe Open Firmware passwords are stored in RAM. I believe it's an electrically programmable EAROM. Pulling a RAM module shouldn't affect the security of the computer.
You can take it to ridiculous levels. What's to stop someone from just removing the disk drives? If someone has physical access to your computer then they can get into it and see anything that's not encrypted.

Removing open firmware password -- too easy?

I've had an open firmware password set on my computer for the last two years to provide some protection for client data stored on it. But last night I had to do some troubleshooting using startup commands, so I wanted to temporarily remove the password. I found instructions for removing it by booting into open firmware (command-option-o-f), but this startup sequence did nothing.
Eventually I booted from the Snow Leopard system CD and opened the Open Firmware Password utility. This utility had a simple checkbox that let me remove the password, without entering the current password. Is it really that easy to remove the open firmware password? If so, I don't think it's worth the occasional inconvenience of keeping it on there.

There's nothing you can do to prevent a determined hacker with physical access to your machine from getting access to everything on your hard drive. What you should do, however, is make sure that any information that is sensitive is encrypted. You could use an encrypted disk image made with Disk Utility for this purpose... many do. Also, note that your keychain is encrypted and thus passwords and other things stored there are safe... but only as long as you do not auto-login with an auto-unlocking keychain or leave yourself logged in with the keychain unlocked. Although your account password could be reset by someone with the right knowledge who wanted in, this does NOT affect the keychain password.

EFi/Firmware Password and Recovery Partition

Before I get my Macbook Air, I want to know, does having an efi password set prevent you from booting with cmd+r without the password.
I already know that Cmd+s, Cmd+opt, cmd+opt+p+r, do not work.
It would be great if someone would just test it on their Macbook Air running Osx Lion with a firmware password set, and tell me if the Unlock dialog comes up.
Thanks!

I'm pretty tired but when I had Firmware pw set, it boots instantly into your login dialogue and then proceeds to load (or not load) the OS. So unless I'm being re.tarded, as soon as you enter in the firmware password, you're effectively starting from where you'd be if you didn't have the password set.
To your question, I'm 95% sure that yes, you would be prevented from getting around the firmware password. I don't think you could...? I'd test it for you but my recovery partition has melted into the lba - apparently....

EFI Firmware password question

Is there a commandline for the setting the EFI password using the Open Firmware Password Application ?
Thanks

Here's what I found:
Enabling Open Firmware Password
The Open Firmware password is a security feature available on modern Macintosh systems. If you enable the Open Firmware password, the computer will execute a secure boot sequence. Specifically, enabling the Open Firmware password prevents users from starting up the computer from a volume other than the chosen as the startup disk (chosen in the Startup Disk preference panel within the System Preferences.) Also, enabling the Open Firmware Password prevents users from booting into single user mode using Command-S key combination at boot time.
There is currently no public programmatic solution to setting the Open Firmware password (r. 3075615). This means this setting can not be set by an installer. However, an administrator can enable the Open Firmware password using the "Open Firmware Password" application located at: http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/apple/openfirmwarepassword.html
This was taken from Technical Note TN2062.
Sorry, but best I can do. Maybe you'll have better luck if you post the question in the Unix Forum.

How can remove my firmware password in macbook air

how can remove the firmware passward in my macbook air

For info:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3554
Best.

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Firmware password Removal

Hi guys,
Please read details below, but for those who can't be bothered, I would like to REMOVE my firmware password on my mac.
I have a strange problem. I recently put in the Mac OS X install disk (10.6.1) and set up a firmware password from the 'utilities' menu on the disk. Everything went as planned, and now I cannot start up using Verbose mode (Cmd V on start up) or start up from a disk on start up (C), this is what I wanted, and expected. All seemed ok, but today, I wanted to remove it, as I wanted to use Verbose Mode. I Put in the mac os x install disk, went to system preferences and chose to boot from the CD. I did, and then went back to the Utilities menu on the disk, and went to the firmware password option, however I see no option to remove the password. Infact, there is no sign of a firmware password in place. How do I remove it, (I do know the password) or change it!
Please Help, I do not want to have to take an iMac on a long journey to my nearest apple store!
Nathan

im not sure whether it worked
It should be easy to tell - just restart while holding down the option key. If you can choose a startup disk without first getting a screen with a padlock and a password entry field, then the firmware password has been removed.

Can't remove firmware password

Hi Guys,
I have big time trouble with my first MacBook Pro(2011 i7 2.2ghz 8gb ram 6750m), i can't remove the firmware password(i need to boot up Apple Hardware Test because of problems with my HDD). I booted the Snow Leopard disc that came with my MacBook and opened the firmware password utility and pressed remove password but i doesn't remove it. PLEASE help me, i already have an broken screen(out of the factory is getting fixed soon) and it keeps hanging every day 4 times:(
So please tell me how i can i remove the password.
Greetings,
TNAJanssen

According to http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3554
"Only Apple retail stores or Apple Authorized Service Providers can unlock a MacBook Air (Late 2010), MacBook Pro (Early 2011), or iMac (Mid 2011) computer protected by a firmware password.
If you cannot remember the firmware password for your MacBook Air, schedule a service appointment with either an Apple Retail Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider. If you plan to visit an Apple Retail store please make a reservation at the Genius Bar using http://www.apple.com/retail/geniusbar/ (available in some countries only)."

Firmware Password on MacBook Pro 2011 (10.6.8 Intel)

Hello,
Please read this entire post before commenting below.
I am requiring access of the boot selector menu on my MacBook Pro.
Whenever I try and get to the menu, the firmware password box shows up. I am trying to change / remove said password.
My MacBook was bought under a bulk deal with 300 others, and each one contains the same firmware password.
I do not know the firmware password, and I am unable to open up my computer and add / remove any RAM.
I do not have access to the boot CD either.
Please do help me out on this issue.
I am entirely certain that removing / replacing the firmware password is possible without opening the computer / using the boot CD, as I have seen a colleague gain access to the menu without doing either.
Regards,
Rowan Crothers

Rowan_Crothers wrote:
Clinton,
That does not really help, whatsoever.
The only suggestion it states that I can do is to use the Boot CD's utility.
Which, as stated earlier, I do not have access to.
Regards,
Rowan Crothers
New Mac's do not come with a RE-Install DVD of any kind. They use a Recovery HD partition on the internal drive to Re-Install Lion over the internet. But that will not do you any good as to get to that Recovery HD system you must know the Firmware password.
But why are you wanting to change or remove this password. To my knowledge you, the user, has no access to the Boot Sector and if it really did have a EFI firmware password you would not be able to load the OS without first typing in that password.
Have you tried leaving that password request blank?

Removing EFI Firmware Password

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