#DRIVE GENIUS UPGRADE HOW TO#
#DRIVE GENIUS UPGRADE PASSWORD#

While the technician said it was a “firmware password,” he was likely referring to Secure Boot and related T2 functions.īut this brings up an important point.

#DRIVE GENIUS UPGRADE PASSWORD#

But there was no firmware password set on the Mac.Īfter a bit of digging, this appears to be a new security measure tied to the T2 coprocessing chip in many new MacBook and Mac models. Before leaving the Mac with the Apple service technicians, he was advised that the “firmware password” on the Mac would need to be disabled. If it’s to disable Secure Boot, then say you’ll do it yourself.ĭuring a recent encounter at a Genius Bar, the author of this piece ran into an unfamiliar situation. Turn off Secure Boot yourself Ask about why repair staff need your admin password. We’ve done a lot of research on this and have yet to find a conclusive answer.īut the long and short of it is that, given enough time and resources, another admin account will likely be able to gain access to your FileVault-encrypted data. On the other hand, FileVault 2 likely isn’t secure against other administrator accounts. When FileVault 2 is enabled, only the administrator who set it up can actually decrypt the contents of your drive.īecause of that, your data should be safe from any non-admin account that you set up for Apple Support staff to use for testing. It’s also worth turning on FileVault 2 disk encryption before you send your Mac off to be repaired. Turn on FileVault Flipping on FileVault may offer a bit of data extra protection. This will generally be fine for most users - unless you specifically have very sensitive data that you don’t want to fall into the wrong hands. You can set up the Apple Support user as an admin account with the same password. Even if they phrase it “the admin password,” they really just mean “an admin password.” On the other hand, some repairs will require that you give the service technicians an administrator password. If they don’t have admin privileges, they won’t be able to actually access your data. Call it “Genius Bar,” “Apple Support,” or something along those lines and give it an easy password - like “support1.”įor the majority of repairs, this will suffice. Create a new user ID Creating a new user account specifically for Apple with an easy password is a good way to keep repair staff out of your own account.Ī good alternative to giving Genius Bar technicians access to your primary admin account is to simply create a new one.

If that instantly makes you concerned, here are a few ways to go about it. But there are several other things that you may want to consider before bringing your Mac in for service.įor example, many repairs require that users hand over access to their accounts (or an account on the Mac).

#DRIVE GENIUS UPGRADE HOW TO#

They will generally walk you through how to do these steps, however. You may also need to disable Secure Boot, a Mac firmware password or Find My Mac if you’re leaving your device with the repair staff. You may not need to leave your accessories with the technicians, but it’s worth having them along just in case. Apple says to bring any accessories that may be tied to the problem, such as your power adapter or charging cable. This, of course, doesn’t apply to hardware-based issues.

The company typically pushes out bug fixes regularly, so it advises that many software-based issues can be fixed with an update. This step isn’t exactly “required,” but Apple recommends it. Back up your data - preferably to multiple locations. While service technicians won’t necessarily wipe your data, you never know what types of repairs may require that they do so (or require that they replace your drive). When it comes to the basics of preparing your Mac for service, you probably already know the deal.īut if you haven’t brought your device to a Genius Bar or Apple Authorized Service Provider, it’s still worth reviewing some of the strongly recommended steps. Most importantly, that means backing up your data. The Basics Before taking your Mac in for repairs, make sure to cover the basics.

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