Modern UEFI stores passwords in non-volatile SPI flash (part of the BIOS firmware region) or a separate security chip (Nuvoton, Infineon). Draining CMOS only resets RTC time, not the password.
This report provides a comprehensive overview of the EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface) password lock, often referred to as a Firmware or BIOS password. This security feature acts as a hardware-level barrier, preventing unauthorized booting from external media or modification of system startup settings. remove efi passcode lock
: Go to Utilities in the menu bar and select Startup Security Utility (or Firmware Password Utility ). Click Turn Off Firmware Password , enter it one last time, and restart. Hardware/Deep Text Methods (Older Models Only) Modern UEFI stores passwords in non-volatile SPI flash
: On some older models, you can bypass the lock by changing the RAM configuration. Remove one stick of RAM. This security feature acts as a hardware-level barrier,
Turn the Mac on and immediately hold Command + Option + P + R .
On many 2012–2017 MacBook Pros and Airs, the EFI password is stored on a physical SOIC-8 chip on the logic board. WARNING: This requires micro-soldering skills.
This method is specific to older Intel-based Macs (roughly pre-2011) and some PC laptops. It involves physical manipulation of the motherboard.