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Best EFI reset tool
- Thread starter punkieftw
- Start date
Agree with Duke 100%. That is always bad news when someone comes to you with an EFI lock.
Yes, don't touch EFI locks. It's possible to do and not difficult, HOWEVER, there are levels to EFI/Firmware/iCloud/FMM locks. They're different. If you encounter a board that's only EFI/firmware locked (school system/corporate environment is pretty common), and you KNOW the source of the board and are literally talking directly to the original owner/business/school the board came from, then unlocking the board is fine and should present no issues.
However, if a board has an "unknown" (shady) history, and is locked, it's possible that board is iCloud/FMM locked (and you won't have any way to know). If this is the case, the board will re-lock as soon as it's connected to WiFi (and may send your location via WiFi to the owner of the board) because the serial will be checked against Apple's database (if iCloud/FMM is turned on), and the board will re-lock itself regardless of how many times you unlock it. You're then stuck with a (very likely) stolen board being associated with you or your business. If you can retrieve the owner's email from the lock, you can contact them. Otherwise, the board should be destroyed (once you've exhausted all options to contact original owner) or handed over to the authorities. Of course, this may sound extreme, but it's the only way to be 100% safe and protected from a business standpoint. The best way to avoid this is to (1) not offer to unlock boards and avoid the situation altogether, or (2) only offer the service to the original owner who (for whatever reason) genuinely can't remember the password, and only if he/she can prove they legally own the machine--sales receipt from Apple, etc. It's sticky when you start messing with locked boards, and is generally easier and less-risky to just avoid them altogether. Not worth the potential legal trouble or worry.
However, if a board has an "unknown" (shady) history, and is locked, it's possible that board is iCloud/FMM locked (and you won't have any way to know). If this is the case, the board will re-lock as soon as it's connected to WiFi (and may send your location via WiFi to the owner of the board) because the serial will be checked against Apple's database (if iCloud/FMM is turned on), and the board will re-lock itself regardless of how many times you unlock it. You're then stuck with a (very likely) stolen board being associated with you or your business. If you can retrieve the owner's email from the lock, you can contact them. Otherwise, the board should be destroyed (once you've exhausted all options to contact original owner) or handed over to the authorities. Of course, this may sound extreme, but it's the only way to be 100% safe and protected from a business standpoint. The best way to avoid this is to (1) not offer to unlock boards and avoid the situation altogether, or (2) only offer the service to the original owner who (for whatever reason) genuinely can't remember the password, and only if he/she can prove they legally own the machine--sales receipt from Apple, etc. It's sticky when you start messing with locked boards, and is generally easier and less-risky to just avoid them altogether. Not worth the potential legal trouble or worry.
Sometimes (part of iCloud lock is on the SSD, so if you change the serial number of the board without doing a clean install of OSX, it can re-lock the board regardless of serial). But now you're talking about taking a locked (and possibly stolen) board and changing the serial number to cover that up...which is not legal at all (at least here in the States). Much, much safer to just scrap the board or turn it in. Not worth the risk as a business. Plenty of non-locked boards out there to fix.
smiba
New member
Oh I know, I'm definitely not into working with stolen devices. Don't want to help make theft more profitable for the thiefs. Just wanted to know I'm not wrong about it being possible