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.

Similar Messages

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    Hello people from Apple Discussions,
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    Mac OSX is branded as supposedly the safest operating system around today.
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    In my search for a fix I have come across semi-solutions like:
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    I'm another confused MBP user.
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  • Remove open firmware

    How do I remove open firmware? I have found out it is more of a hassel than protection.

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  • Turn off open firmware password without OS CD, or transfer account?

    I've got the open firmware password turned on on the iBook I use for work. The laptop's CD drive recently stopped working, and I don't have access to an external CD drive. I need to bring the laptop in for repair, but want to move my account onto another iBook while this one is in the shop. Because the open firmware password is on, I can't use the migration application. Because the CD drive doesn't work, I can't use the OS CD to turn off the password.
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  • Intel iMac, Open Firmware Password Protection and booting from CD

    I have an Intel iMac I'm setting up for use in a public library. I want to prevent single user login with the Open Firmware Password Protection utility, but if I do, how do I boot from the OS disc, zap PRAM, etc? The OFPP page has instructions on removing the OF password, but it does not work on Intel Mac's. Also, is there an alternative way to prevent single user login?

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    If you want to go ahead and do this, in order to get the computer up and running in the mean time, just post back and I'll be glad to help you set up a Simple Finder account.

  • Open Firmware Password option in Lion?

    When I upgraded to Lion on my mid-2009 MacBook Pro yesterday, I discovered that the Open Firmware app from Snow Leopard no longer works. Is there an Open Firmware Password app for Lion? Normally, I'd pull it from the disk after install, but obviously there's no disk for Lion. Thanks for you help!

    It might be easy to circumvent, but I didn't say you had to use only this password...
    It is an additional protection...
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  • TS3554 open firmware password

    hey
    how can i reset the open firmware password? i'm using a 13" macbook pro 2011 intel core i5 running on OS X lion 10.7.5
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    Welcome to the Apple Support Communities
    Open Firmware is only on PowerPC-based Macs, so you want to reset the EFI firmware password as you have a Intel-based Mac.
    To reset your EFI firmware password, hold Command and R keys while your Mac is starting to start in Recovery HD. Then, go to the Utilities menu, open Firmware Password Utility and disable the EFI firmware password.
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  • Any one know how to reset the open firmware password?

    iBook G4. 1.33ghz. 1GB RAM.30 or 40GB HDD. Running 10.5.8
    I got this from a friend, who got it from a friend. And its acting funny. It works. But a lot of options are missing from the System Preferences pane. And another friend said to reset the NVRAM and all the setting in the open firmware. Only no one seems to know the open firmware password. And I can't seem to find how you'd reset all the setting in the open firmware. I'm working on locating the installation disks for this iBook. But will that even help me with this resetting open firmware business?

    I did a google search and here is one link that might have some helpful information -
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  • How can I reset the open firmware password?

    I wanted to installed Mac OS X Lion from scratch on my newly purchased MBP 15,4"
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    I launched the installation process, after a while the computer reboot but I got an error:
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    I google this error and found many people who solved this issue by erasing the PRAM using the shortcut: cmd + opt + P + R. I'm asked to enter the password which I did but it's still keeping asking for the password so I guess its wrong which is weird cause I typed it in few minutes ago, so I might have done twice a typing error or I don't know.
    So my question is how can I reset this password to be able to install my OS? (I cannot access to any OS cause the installation process failed).
    Thnak you for your help

    Yes I did use the disk utility to restore the dmg on my USB drive. The USB drive is perfectly fine, I can boot on it without any problem, well before setting this open firmware password I could do it.
    Now the situation is:
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    Lock with a password
    I have the disk to install SL but I cannot boot on the DVD because it is asking me for this password.

  • HT1352 Open Firmware password can't be opened - "legacy image should be converted"

    Hi,
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    Sorry, problem's been solved. Found this discussion https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3158789?start=0&tstart=0.
    Message was edited by: Tony McAre

    I selected Recovery Partition and then  Disk Utility after pressing option at startup. I went to that Mac OS X Boot thing on the list with the hard drives are (like the screen shot in this discussion https://discussions.apple.com/message/18168530#18168530), but I was not able to take any actions. All Buttons were shielded out. It would be very nice if you could describe what to do once more in detail, so that I might understand it better. Thank you!!

  • Open Firmware Password Doesn't Work

    I've been using O.F.P. v 1.05 on both my computers for over a year. All has been well until recently. Now when I reboot holding down the option key I either get the O.F.P. screen without the password line so I can choose any bootable disk or I get the password line, but when I enter the password nothing happens and I have to reboot normally.
    Both computers running 10.4.3 with all latest updates.
    What's going on?

    Well, I just searched the Apple Support Knowledge Base and found this text here at http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106482. In the section "How to enable the Open Firmware Password" it says right in the first paragraph:
    1. For Mac OS X 10.1 to 10.3.9, Download and Install the Open Firmware Password application, which you can get here. For Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must use the updated version that can be copied from the software installation disc (located at /Applications/Utilities/ on the disc).
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    If you not already have done so, maybe you could try to update 10.4.x to the latest version (which is 10.4.3) and get all other available patches as well, just to make sure.
    Regards
    Jim
    AiPB 15 1,25 GHz;; iMac 17 1 GHz (flat panel)   Mac OS X (10.4.3)  
    UPDATE: And I doublechecked that I am indeed running version 1.1 (1) of OFP on my installation. I am not aware of having it updated manually, so it must either have been this all along since I installed Tiger or been updated in the procress.
    Message was edited by: Jim Knopf

  • HELP NEEDED URGENTLY .... please! (open firmware password vs. startup disc)

    Hi
    1. Macbook Pro 2.33 - I had Bootcamp installed.
    2. Decided to delete it... went through Bootcamp procedure
    3. Mac restarted - then came up with a flashing folder icon, meaning it couldn't find the startup drive.
    4. Forced restart again... and tried pressing ALT key to select Macintosh_HD - it asked for my OPEN FIRMWARE PASSWORD - i only ever use 1 password - I know exactly what this is, as I had turned it on/off before by going to utilities>open firmware.
    I don't want to take RAM out... is there another way? I thought if a CD was put in it could trick firmware... by pressing the space bar... though it didn't work
    I'm stumped! Anybody willing to help?
    Thanks loads in advance!
    Pixel.

    Boot from Install DVD1 holding down 'C'
    Then 'Reset Password' ?
    or ...
    1. Start up into Open Firmware by pressing and
    holding the Command-Option-O-F key combination
    during startup.
    2. At the Open Firmware prompt, type: reset-nvram
    3. Press Return.
    4. When prompted for your password, enter it and
    press the Return key.
    5. It responds OK.
    6. At the Open Firmware prompt, type: reset-all
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    This only works with PPC Macs. I have been looking for a way to do something similar with my MBP and have been unsuccessful thus far.
    Frank

  • Is the Open Firmware password the same as the Administrator password?

    I can't seem to find the answer to this question from reading the Apple articles. Does anyone know?
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    To set the Open Firmware password, use the Open Firmware Password application in the /Applications/Utilities/ folder on the Mac OS X 10.4 installation disk or your computer's original disks if Mac OS X 10.4 or newer came with the computer.
    (18485)

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