Lost/Forgot lock PIN code

ben_hertenstein
Release Candidate Programs Tester

Background: Had a student not return a macbook during turn in. I remotely locked their laptop as I have done other times with the lock feature. When going back to the machine this summer to get it ready for next student, I realized I never unlocked. Went into JSS to look for it, and code is not where it should be. IE, it has been erased. (palm slap)

I have read that a fix for this is to go to apple store or apple tech to have them reset firmware password. I am not sure of this as I have been able to find a clear answer on here or online. Any ideas or guidance?

5 REPLIES 5

kpowerbook
New Contributor II

I haven't tried it myself, but I believe if you bring the original proof of purchase or invoice with you to the Apple Store to prove you/your institution owns the machine then they may be able to do the reset. A call to AppleCare never hurts either, they may be able to clarify or save you a trip.

htse
Contributor III

Short version is that you'll need to take into the Genius Bar or an Apple Authorized Service Provider with Proof of Purchase

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204756

Long version is, the last time I had to facilitate this, it was a drawn out process, after verifying ownership, involved a long UUID string, and then sending in an escalation to get an equally long hash back, to unlock the device.

bpavlov
Honored Contributor

Go to the Apple Store with and make sure you have the following:
Proof of Purchase
Identification
Letter with company letterhead stating that you are an employee and are authorized to get the computer unlocked

They should be able to do it same day (if not right there and then) depending on how busy that Apple Store is.

tomaszgruszka
New Contributor II

Can anyone advice if above solution still applies for newest laptops?

We've locked the computer with Jamf Pro and unmanaged it without backing up the lock code. After few weeks all the completed commands disappeared :(

Is there anything that can be done?

It's the same process, unfortunately, but it looks like they have that available to setup online now: Activation Lock - Support (apple.com)