[MacTUG] mid-2011 imac and firmware password issue and DeployStudio

[Steve Hellyer]

Hi Ian,

You are correct the firmware on these new machine is much more strict.   Let face it the old way was pretty easy to get around. Students and others were knowledge on how to defeat.
Question: Can you not hold down option key, enter password, and then set startup to your imaging server and image that computer?  Workflow should skip the setting of password in this case.

Steve

On 2011-09-07, at 10:14 AM, Ian Turner wrote:

> http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3554
> 
> ... "Symptoms
> 
> Learn what to do if you no longer remember the firmware password that you've set or if you see a password dialog when you try to select a startup volume on a MacBook Air (Late 2010) and later, MacBook Pro (Early 2011), iMac (Mid 2011) and later, and Mac mini (Mid 2011) computer.
> Products Affected
> 
> MacBook Air (Late 2010), MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2011), MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2011), iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2011), MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2011), MacBook Air (Mid 2011), iMac (27-inch, Mid 2011), iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2011), Mac mini (Mid 2011)
> Resolution
> 
> Only Apple retail stores or Apple Authorized Service Providers can unlock these computers protected by a firmware password." ...
> 
> ***************
> 
> it appears to be broader than that
> We use a step in the workflow in DeployStudio to set our firmware password
> 
> That works, once ONLY
> 
> If we have to re-image a machine, the workflow hangs at that point, and when terminated, of course we get a corrupt, unbootable image
> 
> Unfortunately, there is a new (to me) firmware password utility on the system disk, which DOESN'T work:
> it offers 2 options, one to "not use a password" - that fails. even when you DO know the old password
> 
> another to change the password, but it will not let you "change it to nothing" like the old one used to do
> 
> 
> I also tried
> http://www.securemac.com/openfirmwarepasswordprotection.php
> - booting into Open Firmware - appears to be not possible, once the password is set
> - pulling memory, and trying to do PRAM reset - appears to be not possible, once the password is set
> 
> ********************
> 
> So, does CampusTech, or IST "have the magic tool" so we don't have to take, eventually 200+ macs to the Apple store?
> 
> Anyone found a reliable way to make anything else work???
> 
> Ian
> 
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-------------------------------------------------------
Steve Hellyer
Pre-Sales Systems Engineer
Apple Canada Inc.
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