

This should produce the Reset Password dialog, which will walk you through the process of resetting your password. Press and hold the Power button until your Mac shuts down, then press it again to start it up. In that time, if FileVault is turned on, you should see a message telling you that you can use the Power button to shut down and start up in Recovery mode. Leave your Mac at the login screen for a minute or so. You cannot use that to bypass a normal firmware password, though.

#Forgot password for mac pro code#
If you were ever to use Find My Mac to lock and locate your Mac, that uses the firmware password system too, but displays a different lock screen which requires entry of the code created in the Find My Mac website. Moral: if you set a firmware password, keep a copy of it in a secure place so that you can always unlock it, and keep your original receipt for your Mac somewhere safe and accessible too. You will need to prove to them that you are its legitimate owner, preferably by showing them the original proof of purchase. If a firmware password has been set and you are unable to enter it correctly, you will need to take your Mac to an Apple Genius Bar or an authorised service provider. This will also be shown if you try to start your Mac up from an external drive, including a USB stick.Īs a firmware password is designed to prevent anyone from trying to break into your Mac, there is no way around it which you can use to get into your Mac. All other password protection including FileVault will let you straight into Recovery mode normally if there is a firmware password set, you will see a unique white-on-black dialog consisting of a locked padlock icon (in white), with a text box in which to enter the firmware password. If you are unsure whether you are being prompted to enter a firmware password, then it is a good test to try entering Recovery mode. However, you can only enter Recovery mode after you have entered the firmware password correctly, following which you can use the Firmware Password Utility in its Utilities menu.

Most recent Mac models let you set a firmware password which limits access to that Mac. Before deciding which password to enter, you should work out what it is going to be used for. The first thing to remember is that there are several quite different passwords, which do different things. What do you do, though, if you type your password and it won’t let you enter, or if you forget your password altogether? Or if you’re prompted from a screen or dialog that you don’t recognise? This article unravels which password is which, and what do try when it doesn’t work. Whenever you start your Mac up, it should prompt you for a password.
