Reset iMac

magicroundabout · 13 May 2025 at 10:57

this has probably been asked 1000 times before but I am stumped on this one.

The MIL has an iMac and she has moved away due to retirement. She has given this to our eldest daughter but unfortunately doesn't have access to the phone it was registered too (company phone) and has no access to her Apple ID ( I think it's an age thing). She has no idea of username etc etc and the email address her Apple ID was linked too (company email) has been removed due to retirement etc.

We are unable to boot into recovery mode as this keep sending us to Internet Recovery. Which then asks for Apple ID etc. Which as said we can't access.

Is there a work around. We're stummped

baritonejohann · 13 May 2025 at 11:18

You can try creating a bootable USB OS on another mac following the guides online and restoring from that. you should also be able to format the drive from there.
If it turns out that its just a login password you can remove that in the recovery screen using the resetpassword command in terminal.
If you have access to another Mac of the same generation you could clone its HDD and pop that in to replace the current one, assuming that the drive is removable.
Strange that its pushing you into internet only recovery, older macs should have the option to do a offline recovery (high sierra onward)

magicroundabout · 13 May 2025 at 11:24

baritonejohann said:
You can try creating a bootable USB OS on another mac following the guides online and restoring from that. you should also be able to format the drive from there.
If it turns out that its just a login password you can remove that in the recovery screen using the resetpassword command in terminal.
If you have access to another Mac of the same generation you could clone its HDD and pop that in to replace the current one, assuming that the drive is removable.
Strange that its pushing you into internet only recovery, older macs should have the option to do a offline recovery (high sierra onward)

I can't even access the utility screen in recovery mode as it sends me straight to Internet Recovery so the terminal password reset I'm unable to do.

I shall try the USB method and hope that works.

magicroundabout · 13 May 2025 at 13:36

Bootable USB didn't work. Keeps kicking me into internet recovery mode

visibleman · 13 May 2025 at 14:28

magicroundabout said:
Bootable USB didn't work. Keeps kicking me into internet recovery mode

What iMac model/year is it and how are you booting to USB? As it seems a little odd that it's booting to Recovery rather than the USB installer or displaying the Boot Manager.

For reference, follow this guide here and boot up pressing the 'Option' key when powering on the iMac which should present you with the Boot Manager (looks similar to this), select the USB installer - USB installer/drive will show if it's bootable/created correctly.
Once you have booted to the installer, i would personally use Disk Utility to 'nuke' the drive prior to reinstalling OSX/MacOS.

Edit - If it still isn't playing ball and you have verified the USB installer works, then you could try a NVRAM/PRAM reset (better in depth blog post here) before trying to boot to the USB installer.

magicroundabout · 13 May 2025 at 14:31

I've tried holding down Option Key on boot up.
Also command + R

Any other options?

magicroundabout · 13 May 2025 at 15:31

visibleman said:
What iMac model/year is it and how are you booting to USB? As it seems a little odd that it's booting to Recovery rather than the USB installer or displaying the Boot Manager.

For reference, follow this guide here and boot up pressing the 'Option' key when powering on the iMac which should present you with the Boot Manager (looks similar to this), select the USB installer - USB installer/drive will show if it's bootable/created correctly.
Once you have booted to the installer, i would personally use Disk Utility to 'nuke' the drive prior to reinstalling OSX/MacOS.

Edit - If it still isn't playing ball and you have verified the USB installer works, then you could try a NVRAM/PRAM reset (better in depth blog post here) before trying to boot to the USB installer.

Gone through everything. Still nothing

Just keeps kicking me into Internet Recovery.

iMac is an A2115. Unsure of internal specs

visibleman · 13 May 2025 at 20:42

magicroundabout said:
I've tried holding down Option Key on boot up.
Also command + R

Any other options?

Did you try a NVRAM reset of the iMac? (And perhaps a SMC reset?)
Do any volumes appear when you try and boot to the Boot Manager?

For the Boot Manager - power off Mac, power on Mac, very quickly press and hold the Option key until the Boot Manager displays, which looks a little like (screenshot is from a older version of MacOS) -

If you're using a Magic Keyboard (wireless) then i would try plugging it into the Mac or alternatively use a USB keyboard (and switching off the Magic Keyboard) just to rule out an issue there like Bluetooth etc.

Other key combos (again power off/on, quickly press and hold key combo) -

Option + Command + R - for Internet Recovery (to latest supported MacOS version)
Option + Shift + Command + R - for Internet Recovery (to original factory MacOS version)
Command + R - for the built-in Recovery (uses the recovery 'partition')

Edit - Apple guide on Recovery options here - https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/mac-help/mchl338cf9a8/mac.

Edit 2 - I would also look at running the built-in diagnostics, just to rule out a hardware issue - https://support.apple.com/en-gb/102550

magicroundabout · 14 May 2025 at 13:15

visibleman said:
Did you try a NVRAM reset of the iMac? (And perhaps a SMC reset?)
Do any volumes appear when you try and boot to the Boot Manager?

For the Boot Manager - power off Mac, power on Mac, very quickly press and hold the Option key until the Boot Manager displays, which looks a little like (screenshot is from a older version of MacOS) -

If you're using a Magic Keyboard (wireless) then i would try plugging it into the Mac or alternatively use a USB keyboard (and switching off the Magic Keyboard) just to rule out an issue there like Bluetooth etc.

Other key combos (again power off/on, quickly press and hold key combo) -

Option + Command + R - for Internet Recovery (to latest supported MacOS version)
Option + Shift + Command + R - for Internet Recovery (to original factory MacOS version)
Command + R - for the built-in Recovery (uses the recovery 'partition')

Edit - Apple guide on Recovery options here - https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/mac-help/mchl338cf9a8/mac.

Edit 2 - I would also look at running the built-in diagnostics, just to rule out a hardware issue - https://support.apple.com/en-gb/102550

I've attempted to reset both NVRAM and SMC. I will run though this again though.

When I try and enter boot manager nothing happens. It always goes to Internet Recovery.
I cannot enter anything for the Mac other than Internet Recovery.

This thing will go on the skip at this rate :cry:

visibleman · 14 May 2025 at 16:23

magicroundabout said:
I've attempted to reset both NVRAM and SMC. I will run though this again though.

What happened when you tried to do either a NVRAM/PRAM or SMC reset? Did it boot straight in to Internet Recovery? Did you get an audible chime/sound (the typical Mac bootup sound) at all?

I would try a NVRAM/PRAM and a SMC reset again; iirc, you can hold down the key combos for either reset longer than the recommended 20 seconds or so and the Mac will do the reset multiple times.

magicroundabout said:
When I try and enter boot manager nothing happens. It always goes to Internet Recovery.
I cannot enter anything for the Mac other than Internet Recovery.

So you power on the iMac, quickly press and hold the Option ⌥ key and it just boots to Internet Recovery rather than the Boot Manager (technically Apple actually call this 'Storage Manager' rather than Boot Manager, just in case you're Google'ing)? :confused:

Were you able to boot to the built-in diagnostics at all? If so, did it show any issues with the iMac?

Assuming the default boot behaviour is now Internet Recovery rather than MacOS/desktop and a NVRAM/PRAM/SMC reset did nothing, then to me this sounds like either a hardware fault with the Mac or, especially if you can't boot to diagnostics, the iMac isn't registering the held combo keys, and/or is registering another held key(s), and just continuing with the default boot behaviour (similar to this video - MacBook Pro 16" 2019 Stuck At Internet Recovery).

Definitely try a known working USB/wired keyboard if you can or, if you already using a wired keyboard, try another known working keyboard to rule it out.

Lastly, have you tried booting into Safe Mode (guide here - https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/mac-help/mh21245/mac)?
Unlikely this will work but you never know.

magicroundabout said:
This thing will go on the skip at this rate

It'll be something simple, it usually is, but it'll just take a bit of hair pulling to get there :cry:

Edit - Might be worth asking on the Apple support forum and/or one of the Mac Reddit subs and seeing if someone else has had this as i haven't seen another Mac stuck in (what seems to be) a permanent Internet Recovery loop cross my desk before, so i'm a bit stumped if none of the above works.

magicroundabout · 14 May 2025 at 16:27

visibleman said:
What happened when you tried to do either a NVRAM/PRAM or SMC reset? Did it boot straight in to Internet Recovery? Did you get an audible chime/sound (the typical Mac bootup sound) at all?

I would try a NVRAM/PRAM and a SMC reset again; iirc, you can hold down the key combos for either reset longer than the recommended 20 seconds or so and the Mac will do the reset multiple times.

So you power on the iMac, quickly press and hold the Option ⌥ key and it just boots to Internet Recovery rather than the Boot Manager (technically Apple actually call this 'Storage Manager' rather than Boot Manager, just in case you're Google'ing)?

Were you able to boot to the built-in diagnostics at all? If so, did it show any issues with the iMac?

Assuming the default boot behaviour is now Internet Recovery rather than MacOS/desktop and a NVRAM/PRAM/SMC reset did nothing, then to me this sounds like either a hardware fault with the Mac or, especially if you can't boot to diagnostics, the iMac isn't registering the held combo keys, and/or is registering another held key(s), and just continuing with the default boot behaviour (similar to this video - MacBook Pro 16" 2019 Stuck At Internet Recovery).

Definitely try a known working USB/wired keyboard if you can or, if you already using a wired keyboard, try another known working keyboard to rule it out.

Lastly, have you tried booting into Safe Mode (guide here - https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/mac-help/mh21245/mac)?
Unlikely this will work but you never know.

It'll be something simple, it usually is, but it'll just take a bit of hair pulling to get there

Thanks mate for your patience and assistance. I will source another keyboard and tried this. I'm currently using the Apple wireless one although I have tried it wired and still didn't work.

As for the chime. I get no chime on startup at all. I get no diagnostics support either. It's like a constant circle of restart, internet recovery, hair pull and repeat :cry:

I am coming to the conclusion that the problem is either me or the keyboard. 75% me though I'd say

visibleman · 14 May 2025 at 16:51

magicroundabout said:
Thanks mate for your patience and assistance. I will source another keyboard and tried this. I'm currently using the Apple wireless one although I have tried it wired and still didn't work.

As for the chime. I get no chime on startup at all. I get no diagnostics support either. It's like a constant circle of restart, internet recovery, hair pull and repeat

I am coming to the conclusion that the problem is either me or the keyboard. 75% me though I'd say

With the current Magic Keyboard plugged in, did you try the lightning/USB-c cable in all of the iMac's USB sockets? Just to rule out a flakey socket.

It could be a hardware fault with the iMac but to me this is smelling of an issue with the keyboard, as one of those keyboard combos (especially the built-in diagnostics) should have got you somewhere.

It could still be a PEBKAC issue though

Emlyn_Dewar · 15 May 2025 at 09:50

Even with another MacOS install, won't it just need the user credentials you don't know, as soon as it gets internet access?

Any chance there's still a receipt, or some proof of purchase?

magicroundabout · 15 May 2025 at 10:50

We have proof of purchase etc but the iMac is roughly 4 years old.

I'm sure when I get a USB Keyboard that'll work! I hope.
Otherwise I'll take it to someone to sort for me

baritonejohann · 15 May 2025 at 11:10

if you have proof of purchase and a valid ID applecare can book you an appt to the 'genius' bar and you can remove icloud locks/account logins if it gets to that stage. AFAIK apple will repair software issues for free so if you get to your wits end you could try leaving it with them for repair.

Feek · 15 May 2025 at 11:18

magicroundabout said:
We have proof of purchase etc but the iMac is roughly 4 years old.

The age doesn't matter, with proof of purchase, you can get it booked into an Apple Store and they'll sort it for you.

visibleman · 15 May 2025 at 12:10

Emlyn_Dewar said:
Even with another MacOS install, won't it just need the user credentials you don't know, as soon as it gets internet access?

'Activation Lock', Firmware password or enrolled into DEP/ADE can be an issue but otherwise a 'nuke' of the drive prior to a reinstall should get it going again.

magicroundabout said:
I'm sure when I get a USB Keyboard that'll work! I hope.

I think so too but failing that, taking it into Apple isn't a bad shout as they'll definitely be able to sort it as long as you've got the original proof of purchase.

dirtybeatfreak · 15 May 2025 at 17:02

You want the Internet recovery console, there is an option to erase this mac in the menu up under the recovery assistant dropdown. This will enable you to wipe it without the Apple ID. Once done it will ask for the Apple ID when setting up the OS like normal after installing, just select use another ID.

visibleman · 16 May 2025 at 12:56

@magicroundabout - Does the iMac boot to Internet Recovery and give you the option to use 'Disk Utility' (you will get a list of options similar to this screenshot here)? Or does it ask for an account password prior to displaying those options?

dirtybeatfreak said:
You want the Internet recovery console, there is an option to erase this mac in the menu up under the recovery assistant dropdown. This will enable you to wipe it without the Apple ID.

Isn't that for Apple Silicon, that has the 'Erase Mac' option within it's Recovery, rather than Intel?
And iirc, i'm sure if the AS/M* Mac has be linked to an Apple ID, it'll ask you for those credentials once it has erased the Mac.

dirtybeatfreak · 16 May 2025 at 18:27

visibleman said:
@magicroundabout - Does the iMac boot to Internet Recovery and give you the option to use 'Disk Utility' (you will get a list of options similar to this screenshot here)? Or does it ask for an account password prior to displaying those options?

Isn't that for Apple Silicon, that has the 'Erase Mac' option within it's Recovery, rather than Intel?
And iirc, i'm sure if the AS/M* Mac has be linked to an Apple ID, it'll ask you for those credentials once it has erased the Mac.

The silicon or T2 chips would need reactivating after erasing but no he should be fine, it should then boot to recovery console properly and be able to be wiped in diskutil etc as normal.