You can do this with a Snow Leopard DVD. Apple sells this for [http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard|$20] but I think they only continue to sell it for Mac OS X upgrades since you need to have 10.6 installed at the bare minimum to upgrade the OS through the App Store. While 10.6 has been EOL for years and application/hardware support hasn’t been there for years, it does come in handy - legacy hardware and situations like this are why it still makes sense to keep around.
+
On pre-2011 systems, you can do this with a Snow Leopard DVD or changing the RAM configuration. Apple sells this for [http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard|$20] but I think they only continue to sell it for Mac OS X upgrades since you need to have 10.6 installed as a bare minimum to upgrade the OS through the App Store. While 10.6 has been EOL for years and application/hardware support hasn’t been there for years, it does come in handy - legacy hardware and situations like this are why it still makes sense to keep around.
-
In order to boot from the DVD, put it in the drive and press Option and select the DVD or press C. Both of these will work, so it's a matter of which one works for you. Expect to sit for ~15-20+ minutes or more to err on the side of caution - this won’t be quick.
+
In order to boot from the DVD, put it in the drive and press Option and select the DVD or press C. Both of these will work, so it's a matter of which one works for you. Expect to sit for ~15-20+ minutes or more to err on the side of caution - the DVD drive takes it’s sweet time unlike a flash drive.
-
Once the DVD boots, go under Utilities and find '''Password Reset utility'''. This will allow you to clear it out.
+
Once the system is up, go under Utilities and find '''Password Reset utility'''. This will allow you to clear it out.
-
If you have a HDP (Hard Disk Password), the drive is typically discarded because it’s so difficult to recover it. It can be done but the use of encryption on most drives makes it impractical to even try. '''You can try and crack it, but you may damage the firmware on the drive and permanently mess it up. Don’t try unless you don’t care about the data or you know EXACTLY what you are doing!'''
+
If you have a HDP (Hard Disk Password), the drive is typically discarded because it’s so difficult to recover from that. It can be done but the use of encryption in the firmware to hide it makes it high risk and usually impractical. '''You can try and crack it, but you may damage the firmware on the drive and permanently mess it up. Don’t try unless you don’t care about the data and you know EXACTLY what you are doing!'''
-
== 2017 Edit ==
-
Being I changed this answer to not read as if I wrote it like I don't care about the quality, I am providing more information. The old methods that work on many old systems (pre-2011) do not work on 2011+ hardware. These store the password encrypted in the EFI chip on the laptop and you need the master password from Apple to remove it. You need to take these systems to Apple to have the machine reset AND provide a proof of purchase. These also have a TPM, but it was never used and was dropped when the rMBP was released.
+
'''For 2011-present systems, you need a clean EFI with an intact ME region - Apple has a procedure, but they require a proof of purchase.'''
You can do this with a Snow Leopard DVD. Apple sells this for [http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard|$20] but I think they only continue to sell it for Mac OS X upgrades since you need to have 10.6 installed at the bare minimum to upgrade the OS through the App Store. 10.6 is EOL and many applications no longer support it, so there is no practical reason to use it unless you have a specialized use case for it.
+
You can do this with a Snow Leopard DVD. Apple sells this for [http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard|$20] but I think they only continue to sell it for Mac OS X upgrades since you need to have 10.6 installed at the bare minimum to upgrade the OS through the App Store. While 10.6 has been EOL for years and application/hardware support hasn’t been there for years, it does come in handy - legacy hardware and situations like this are why it still makes sense to keep around.
-
In order to boot from this DVD, put it in the drive and press Option and select the DVD or just press C and the system will boot from DVD. Both of these will work, so it's a matter of which one works. Expect to sit for ~15-20 minutes or more just to boot up the installation DVD.
+
In order to boot from the DVD, put it in the drive and press Option and select the DVD or press C. Both of these will work, so it's a matter of which one works for you. Expect to sit for ~15-20+ minutes or more to err on the side of caution - this won’t be quick.
-
After it loads, go under Utilities and find the Password Reset utility. This should clear the password on the system.
+
Once the DVD boots, go under Utilities and find '''Password Reset utility'''. This will allow you to clear it out.
-
Generally speaking,if this is a HDP (Hard Disk Password), many companies just replace the drive and do not try to reset the locked hard drive.Many drives encrypt this data,which makes HDP removal impractical. You may be able to crack it and get it off of the drive, but this operation is very risky and could damage the drive beyond repair.
+
If you have a HDP (Hard Disk Password), the drive is typically discarded because it’s so difficult to recover it. It can be done but the use of encryption on most drives makes it impractical to even try. '''You can try and crack it, but you may damage the firmware on the drive and permanently mess it up. Don’t try unless you don’t care about the data or you know EXACTLY what you are doing!'''
== 2017 Edit ==
-
-
Being I changed this answer to not read as if I wrote it like I don't care about the quality, I need to update this. The old methods (Change the RAM and reset the PRAM or using install media) do not work on 2011+ machines. It is coded into the EFI ROM chip, so you need to take the system to Apple to have the machine reset. The problem is you need a proof of purchase, which may be an issue. The TPM in these machines was never used, so you don't need to worry about the TPM interfering.
+
Being I changed this answer to not read as if I wrote it like I don't care about the quality, I am providing more information. The old methods that work on many old systems (pre-2011) do not work on 2011+ hardware. These store the password encrypted in the EFI chip on the laptop and you need the master password from Apple to remove it. You need to take these systems to Apple to have the machine reset AND provide a proof of purchase. These also have a TPM, but it was never used and was dropped when the rMBP was released.
You can do this with a Snow Leopard DVD. Apple sells this for [http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard|$20] as an upgrade path, and for legacy Mac hardware. Apple no longer supports this, so do not expect to get any updates. They're selling it as an upgrade path for newer versions of OS X.
+
You can do this with a Snow Leopard DVD. Apple sells this for [http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard|$20] but I think they only continue to sell it for Mac OS X upgrades since you need to have 10.6 installed at the bare minimum to upgrade the OS through the App Store. 10.6 is EOL and many applications no longer support it, so there is no practical reason to use it unless you have a specialized use case for it.
-
What you want to do to get it to load is put it in and press the Option key, or C. Either of these should work. If you choose to use the Option key, you need to wait for it to show in the boot devices. C loads it automatically. Think of it as a boot override in the Mac world. Let this thing load. It will take a while.
+
In order to boot from this DVD, put it in the drive and press Option and select the DVD or just press C and the system will boot from DVD. Both of these will work, so it's a matter of which one works. Expect to sit for ~15-20 minutes or more just to boot up the installation DVD.
-
After it loads, you're going to want to go under Utilities and find the Password reset utility. This should allow you to do it.
+
After it loads, go under Utilities and find the Password Reset utility. This should clear the password on the system.
Generally speaking, if this is a HDP (Hard Disk Password), many companies just replace the drive and do not try to reset the locked hard drive. Many drives encrypt this data, which makes HDP removal impractical. You may be able to crack it and get it off of the drive, but this operation is very risky and could damage the drive beyond repair.
== 2017 Edit ==
Being I changed this answer to not read as if I wrote it like I don't care about the quality, I need to update this. The old methods (Change the RAM and reset the PRAM or using install media) do not work on 2011+ machines. It is coded into the EFI ROM chip, so you need to take the system to Apple to have the machine reset. The problem is you need a proof of purchase, which may be an issue. The TPM in these machines was never used, so you don't need to worry about the TPM interfering.
You can do this with a Snow Leopard DVD. Apple sells this for [http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard|$20] as an upgrade path, and for legacy Mac hardware. Apple no longer supports this, so do not expect to get any updates. They're selling it as an upgrade path for newer versions of OS X.
What you want to do to get it to load is put it in and press the Option key, or C. Either of these should work. If you choose to use the Option key, you need to wait for it to show in the boot devices. C loads it automatically. Think of it as a boot override in the Mac world. Let this thing load. It will take a while.
After it loads, you're going to want to go under Utilities and find the Password reset utility. This should allow you to do it.
-
Hard Disk Passwords are encrypted and many vendors will not reset these. Their solution is a new hard disk. The reason for this is the HDP is encrypted, and replacing the drive is cheaper. If you crack it the risk of killing a drive with this is VERY real. It may even cost you your data. You can't bypass these if it's there. It will '''always ask''' before it can do anything else.
+
Generally speaking, if this is a HDP (Hard Disk Password), many companies just replace the drive and do not try to reset the locked hard drive. Many drives encrypt this data, which makes HDP removal impractical. You may be able to crack it and get it off of the drive, but this operation is very risky and could damage the drive beyond repair.
== 2017 Edit ==
Being I changed this answer to not read as if I wrote it like I don't care about the quality, I need to update this. The old methods (Change the RAM and reset the PRAM or using install media) do not work on 2011+ machines. It is coded into the EFI ROM chip, so you need to take the system to Apple to have the machine reset. The problem is you need a proof of purchase, which may be an issue. The TPM in these machines was never used, so you don't need to worry about the TPM interfering.
You can do this with a Snow Leopard DVD. Apple sells this for [http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard|$20] as an upgrade path, and for legacy Mac hardware. Apple no longer supports this, so do not expect to get any updates. They're selling it as an upgrade path for newer versions of OS X.
What you want to do to get it to load is put it in and press the Option key, or C. Either of these should work. If you choose to use the Option key, you need to wait for it to show in the boot devices. C loads it automatically. Think of it as a boot override in the Mac world. Let this thing load. It will take a while.
After it loads, you're going to want to go under Utilities and find the Password reset utility. This should allow you to do it.
Hard Disk Passwords are encrypted and many vendors will not reset these. Their solution is a new hard disk. The reason for this is the HDP is encrypted, and replacing the drive is cheaper. If you crack it the risk of killing a drive with this is VERY real. It may even cost you your data. You can't bypass these if it's there. It will '''always ask''' before it can do anything else.
-
== 2014 Edit ==
+
== 2017 Edit ==
-
Being I changed this answer to not read as if I wrote it like I don't care about the quality, I need to update this. '''Mac computers have used ATMEL chips since 2011 for this password. You can't clear this with the RAM trick anymore, and the solution proposed to the OP may not work, either. Apple is the only one who can remove it now.''' Yes, I know you can short the ATMEL chip if you know the pinout and other security isn't there like a security chip like the Thinkpads have, but I don't like to talk bout how to execute this on a forums in general. If the machine has a TPM, it may double as a security chip, too.
-
-
If you want to short the ATMEL chip out on a 2011 Mac, you're on your own.
+
Being I changed this answer to not read as if I wrote it like I don't care about the quality, I need to update this. The old methods (Change the RAM and reset the PRAM or using install media) do not work on 2011+ machines. It is coded into the EFI ROM chip, so you need to take the system to Apple to have the machine reset. The problem is you need a proof of purchase, which may be an issue. The TPM in these machines was never used, so you don't need to worry about the TPM interfering.
You can do this with a Snow Leopard DVD. Apple sells these for 30.00 or so to this day. However, you may need to check eBay now.
+
You can do this with a Snow Leopard DVD. Apple sells this for [http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard|$20] as an upgrade path, and for legacy Mac hardware. Apple no longer supports this, so do not expect to get any updates. They're selling it as an upgrade path for newer versions of OS X.
What you want to do to get it to load is put it in and press the Option key, or C. Either of these should work. If you choose to use the Option key, you need to wait for it to show in the boot devices. C loads it automatically. Think of it as a boot override in the Mac world. Let this thing load. It will take a while.
After it loads, you're going to want to go under Utilities and find the Password reset utility. This should allow you to do it.
Hard Disk Passwords are encrypted and many vendors will not reset these. Their solution is a new hard disk. The reason for this is the HDP is encrypted, and replacing the drive is cheaper. If you crack it the risk of killing a drive with this is VERY real. It may even cost you your data. You can't bypass these if it's there. It will '''always ask''' before it can do anything else.
== 2014 Edit ==
Being I changed this answer to not read as if I wrote it like I don't care about the quality, I need to update this. '''Mac computers have used ATMEL chips since 2011 for this password. You can't clear this with the RAM trick anymore, and the solution proposed to the OP may not work, either. Apple is the only one who can remove it now.''' Yes, I know you can short the ATMEL chip if you know the pinout and other security isn't there like a security chip like the Thinkpads have, but I don't like to talk bout how to execute this on a forums in general. If the machine has a TPM, it may double as a security chip, too.
If you want to short the ATMEL chip out on a 2011 Mac, you're on your own.
You can do this with a Snow Leopard DVD. Apple sells these for 30.00 or so to this day. However, you may need to check eBay now. I would not recommend a torrent just because you don't know what you're getting.
+
You can do this with a Snow Leopard DVD. Apple sells these for 30.00 or so to this day. However, you may need to check eBay now.
What you want to do to get it to load is put it in and press the Option key, or C. Either of these should work. If you choose to use the Option key, you need to wait for it to show in the boot devices. C loads it automatically. Think of it as a boot override in the Mac world. Let this thing load. It will take a while.
After it loads, you're going to want to go under Utilities and find the Password reset utility. This should allow you to do it.
-
Hard Disk Passwords are often encrypted and many vendors will not reset these. Their solution is a new hard disk. The reason for this is the HDP is encrypted, and replacing the drive is cheaper. HOWEVER, some vendors will help you with ownership verification. It's crackable, but high risk at best. If you don't know what the !&&* you're doing with EEPROM code, don't try. The risk of killing a drive with this is VERY real. It may even cost you your data. You can't bypass these if it's there. It will '''always ask''' before it can do anything else.
+
Hard Disk Passwords are encrypted and many vendors will not reset these. Their solution is a new hard disk. The reason for this is the HDP is encrypted, and replacing the drive is cheaper. If you crack it the risk of killing a drive with this is VERY real. It may even cost you your data. You can't bypass these if it's there. It will '''always ask''' before it can do anything else.
== 2014 Edit ==
-
Being I changed this answer to not read as if I wrote it like I don't care about the quality, I need to update this. '''Mac computers have used ATMEL chips since 2011 for this password. You can't clear this with the RAM trick anymore, and the solution proposed to the OP may not work, either. Apple is the only one who can remove it now.''' Yes, I know you can short the ATMEL chip if you know the pinout and other security isn't there like a security chip like the Thinkpads have, but I don't like to talk bout how to execute this on a forums in general. If the machine has a TPM, it may double as a security chip, too.
+
+
Being I changed this answer to not read as if I wrote it like I don't care about the quality, I need to update this. '''Mac computers have used ATMEL chips since 2011 for this password. You can't clear this with the RAM trick anymore, and the solution proposed to the OP may not work, either. Apple is the only one who can remove it now.''' Yes, I know you can short the ATMEL chip if you know the pinout and other security isn't there like a security chip like the Thinkpads have, but I don't like to talk bout how to execute this on a forums in general. If the machine has a TPM, it may double as a security chip, too.
+
If you want to short the ATMEL chip out on a 2011 Mac, you're on your own.
You can do this with a Snow Leopard DVD. Apple sells these for 30.00 or so to this day. However, you may need to check eBay now. I would not recommend a torrent just because you don't know what you're getting.
What you want to do to get it to load is put it in and press the Option key, or C. Either of these should work. If you choose to use the Option key, you need to wait for it to show in the boot devices. C loads it automatically. Think of it as a boot override in the Mac world. Let this thing load. It will take a while.
After it loads, you're going to want to go under Utilities and find the Password reset utility. This should allow you to do it.
-
Hard Disk Passwords are often encrypted and many vendors will not reset these. Their solution is a new hard disk. The reason for this is the HDP is encrypted, and replacing the drive is cheaper. HOWEVER, some vendors will help you with ownership verification. It's crackable, but high risk at best. If you don't know what the hell you're doing with EEPROM code, don't try. The risk of killing a drive with this is VERY real. It may even cost you your data. You can't bypass these if it's there. It will '''always ask''' before it can do anything else.
+
Hard Disk Passwords are often encrypted and many vendors will not reset these. Their solution is a new hard disk. The reason for this is the HDP is encrypted, and replacing the drive is cheaper. HOWEVER, some vendors will help you with ownership verification. It's crackable, but high risk at best. If you don't know what the !&&* you're doing with EEPROM code, don't try. The risk of killing a drive with this is VERY real. It may even cost you your data. You can't bypass these if it's there. It will '''always ask''' before it can do anything else.
+
+
== 2014 Edit ==
+
Being I changed this answer to not read as if I wrote it like I don't care about the quality, I need to update this. '''Mac computers have used ATMEL chips since 2011 for this password. You can't clear this with the RAM trick anymore, and the solution proposed to the OP may not work, either. Apple is the only one who can remove it now.''' Yes, I know you can short the ATMEL chip if you know the pinout and other security isn't there like a security chip like the Thinkpads have, but I don't like to talk bout how to execute this on a forums in general. If the machine has a TPM, it may double as a security chip, too.
+
If you want to short the ATMEL chip out on a 2011 Mac, you're on your own.
You can get a Snow lepoard disk from the store for 30.00
+
You can do this with a Snow Leopard DVD. Apple sells these for 30.00 or so to this day. However, you may need to check eBay now. I would not recommend a torrent just because you don't know what you're getting.
-
Put that disc in the drive and power the laptop and the disc will go in
+
What you want to do to get it to load is put it in and press the Option key, or C. Either of these should work. If you choose to use the Option key, you need to wait for it to show in the boot devices. C loads it automatically. Think of it as a boot override in the Mac world. Let this thing load. It will take a while.
-
after the bong, hold the option key and select Mac OSX install DVD
+
After it loads, you're going to want to go under Utilities and find the Password reset utility. This should allow you to do it.
-
Let it boot
-
-
Under utilities, find firmware password reset utility and see if it wants a old password to do it, if so, you will need another option
-
-
if it's the HDD at fault, you will need to change it most likely, as it's almost always encrypted in the ROM on the drive and usually cannot be removed or cracked due to the level of encryption, tough it can be in some cases if you use the right method, which varies based on the hardware, OS and HDD brand, the issue is i am only fimilar with the PC methods to crack if it works
+
Hard Disk Passwords are often encrypted and many vendors will not reset these. Their solution is a new hard disk. The reason for this is the HDP is encrypted, and replacing the drive is cheaper. HOWEVER, some vendors will help you with ownership verification. It's crackable, but high risk at best. If you don't know what the hell you're doing with EEPROM code, don't try. The risk of killing a drive with this is VERY real. It may even cost you your data. You can't bypass these if it's there. It will '''always ask''' before it can do anything else.
You can get a Snow lepoard disk from the store for 30.00
Put that disc in the drive and power the laptop and the disc will go in
after the bong, hold the option key and select Mac OSX install DVD
Let it boot
Under utilities, find firmware password reset utility and see if it wants a old password to do it, if so, you will need another option
-
if it's the HDD at fault, you will need to change it most likely, as it's almost always encrypted in the ROM on the drive and usually cannot be removed or cracked due to the level of encryption
+
if it's the HDD at fault, you will need to change it most likely, as it's almost always encrypted in the ROM on the drive and usually cannot be removed or cracked due to the level of encryption, tough it can be in some cases if you use the right method, which varies based on the hardware, OS and HDD brand, the issue is i am only fimilar with the PC methods to crack if it works
You can get a Snow lepoard disk from the store for 30.00
Put that disc in the drive and power the laptop and the disc will go in
after the bong, hold the option key and select Mac OSX install DVD
Let it boot
Under utilities, find firmware password reset utility and see if it wants a old password to do it, if so, you will need another option
-
if it's the HDD at fault, you will need to change it most likely, as it's almost always encrypted and usually cannot be removed or cracked due to the level of encryption
+
if it's the HDD at fault, you will need to change it most likely, as it's almost always encrypted in the ROM on the drive and usually cannot be removed or cracked due to the level of encryption
You can get a Snow lepoard disk from the store for 30.00
Put that disc in the drive and power the laptop and the disc will go in
after the bong, hold the option key and select Mac OSX install DVD
Let it boot
Under utilities, find firmware password reset utility and see if it wants a old password to do it, if so, you will need another option
-
if it's the HDD at fault, you will need to change it most likely
+
if it's the HDD at fault, you will need to change it most likely, as it's almost always encrypted and usually cannot be removed or cracked due to the level of encryption
You can get a Snow lepoard disk from the store for 30.00
Put that disc in the drive and power the laptop and the disc will go in
after the bong, hold the option key and select Mac OSX install DVD
Let it boot
Under utilities, find firmware password reset utility and see if it wants a old password to do it, if so, you will need another option
if it's the HDD at fault, you will need to change it most likely