This MacBook (black 2 GHZ Intel Core Duo) would not accept the firmware password I just set via the Firmware Password Utility from the Recovery Partition in OS X Lion 10.7.2.

The following steps let me turn off the firmware password protection. It only works if you haven't forgotten the password you had set. I my case this means I had used the correct password but it wasn't accepted. Seems like a bug, maybe specific to my particular (and rather old) hardware.

1. Open Terminal and type diskutil list
2. Mount the Apple_Boot Recovery HD partition with diskutil mount disk0s3 (use the identifier you see listed)
3. In Terminal type: open /Volumes/Recovery\ HD/com.apple.recovery.boot/BaseSystem.dmg
4. In Terminal type: open /Volumes/Mac\ OS\ X\ Base\ System/Applications/Utilities/Firmware\ Password\ Utility.app
5. Now you can turn off firmware password - again, provided you know the password you had set

Peter @ 08.01.2012 13:57 CET
I had the same problem. Thanks for the solution, it worked like a charm! PS: Might it have anything to do with keyboard layout? I have Belgian Azerty

AJJ @ 29.01.2012 13:19 CET
YES ! it works ! Thank you very much.
My keyboard : french azerty.

ronny @ 19.03.2012 12:27 CET
Thanks so much man, had the same problem on my MBP 17" late 2011.... Layout is german qwertz...

Tom @ 01.04.2012 18:57 CET
Super! It works!
Thank you so much.
I have a MBP 15" early 2010.
My layout is german qwertz.

Robson Peixoto @ 02.08.2012 04:14 CET
It's not work on my Mountain Lion on MBP 13" Early 2011 =/

Julian Baker @ 14.08.2012 14:32 CET
Another thank you, perfect!

Macbook pro 17" 2.53 Ghz Intel Core i5

Arthur @ 28.10.2012 16:08 CET
Had the same issue on my Macbook Pro 15inch Retina 2,3 GHz Intel Core i7.

Thanks a lot for sharing this, fixed my problem !

lolo @ 11.11.2012 23:07 CET
Hi,
very strange. I still have the issue !
I cannot modify it neither using GUI or using command line utility from basesystem.dmg

please help!

lolo @ 04.12.2012 15:40 CET
Any updates?

I tried the procedure above making step by step but I still cannot turn off the protection. I didn't forgot my current firmware password


MBP 15" Core i7 Late 2011 (Lion)

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