Level 1

4 points

FileVault-enabled MacBook asking for old password after resetting via 'resetpassword' in recovery mode

i have tried the 'resetpassword' option through the terminal in recovery mode and ended up with something where there seems to be no way out as per Support apart from erasing the reinstalling mac. So actually i am kind of in a rare situation / scenario, before i take a decision what i should do further i am basically looking for two things :

1) Some expert who actually understands apple security / recovery mode resetpassword flow to confirm me there is no way out

2) Way to escalate this to apple technical / executive team -> because i wasn't warned while i am following the steps that i would end up here. I strongly feel apple should at least acknowledge it.

I have been asking these from official Apple Support , but they are just book readers or process followers not doing anything apart from suggesting that only option is to erase and proceed. So any help from someone who truly understnad apple security / 'resetpassword' is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

The weird scenario i have encounted and reason for the no way out as per the Support team and my own understanding is :

FileVault was enabled and FindMyMac was not enabled.

My compalin is, it let me reset it and after i restarted the mac it's asking for the old password. because it seems when the filevault is enabled it needs the old password. Seriously ? why did it let me reset in the first place is my question actually. did i not reset it only because i forgot the old password right ? now how can i give it that password ? that's where i am not able to accept the fact that this flow was even enabled and i am demanding written explanation from Apple and their support is not just not doing it. So trying my help. Please be kind and let me know if you need any other information or if i should reach out to anyone or post in any other forum as well. Thank you 🤝

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: Macbook let me reset my password, but asking for the old password after restarting

MacBook Pro 14″, macOS 15.5

Posted on Aug 15, 2025 6:44 AM

Top-ranking reply

steve626

Level 6

13,791 points

Posted on Aug 16, 2025 11:44 AM

codedil wrote:

FileVault was enabled and FindMyMac was not enabled.

It appears that you have forgotten your FileVault password. This is much more serious than forgetting a user login password, for which there are various solutions.

Apple's documentation warns about this and offers two methods to protect against a user forgetting their FileVault password: Protect data on your Mac with FileVault - Apple Support

See especially the sections I put in BOLD below:

Protect data on your Mac with FileVault

If you have a Mac with Apple silicon or an Apple T2 Security Chip, your data is encrypted automatically. Turning on FileVault provides an extra layer of security by keeping someone from decrypting or getting access to your data without entering your login password. If you use a Mac that doesn’t have Apple silicon or the T2 chip, you need to turn on FileVault to encrypt your data.

To set up FileVault, you must be an administrator. When you turn on FileVault, you choose how you want to unlock your startup disk if you ever forget your password:

- iCloud account and password: This choice is convenient if you use iCloud or plan to set it up—you don’t need to keep track of a separate recovery key.
- Recovery key: The key is a string of letters and numbers that’s created for you—keep a copy of the key somewhere other than your encrypted startup disk. If you write the key down, be sure to exactly copy the letters and numbers shown. Then keep the key somewhere safe that you’ll remember—but not in the same physical location as your Mac, where it can be discovered. If your Mac is at a business or school, your institution can also set a recovery key to unlock it.
- WARNING: Don’t forget your recovery key. If you turn on FileVault and then forget your login password and can’t reset it, and you also forget your recovery key, you won’t be able to log in, and your files and settings will be lost forever.

Apple is very serious about the above, when they say "lost forever" they do mean that, hence they provide two ways to prevent this from happening. I am surmising you did not set up either of those two options to mitigate a forgotten password. The third option of course is maintaining complete and redundant backups of all files (I think you indicated you do not have a backup either).

I will not lecture you here, but as an engineer I do know when to recognize that something is physically impossible. Decrypting a FileVault protected solid state drive is, I believe physically impossible, not just for the user or for Apple, but also for any number of government agencies that specialize in such things.

This is why I do not use FileVault for my personal Macs. I also have at least 4 backups stored in various different secure locations.

My employer requires FileVault on all its Macs. But these are also "managed" Macs and the employer maintains its own "key" for each and every one of its Macs because employees do these things like forget their FileVault passwords.

I think what everyone is trying to tell you here (including Apple itself) is that without one of those two "forgot FileVault password" options, there is actually no known way for anyone to mitigate this.

Usually when a disaster like this happens, the user does eventually recover some of their files through:

cloud storage (do you have Photos in iCloud, Messages in iCloud ...)
emails and text messages sent to others with attachments, e.g. photos, videos ... these can be recovered from those others
other copies made to external media or other cloud services (Dropbox ...)
files, photos, videos on your iPhone or other cell phone, or other devices (tablets, even Apple Watch ...)

I would encourage you to explore the above to see what can be recovered.

View in context

31 replies

steve626

Level 6

13,791 points

Aug 17, 2025 9:59 AM in response to codedil

Just trying to be helpful here, and this question may be off base because I can't tell what sequence of steps you took in the past to secure your Mac and what has since gone wrong ...

Have you tried the things listed here:

How to remove Activation Lock - Apple Support

The screen you posted looks like an Activation Lock, not FileVault, is locking up your Mac. (But I might be wrong as I have never encountered such screens myself ... But if this is indeed an Activation Lock, then some of the discussion here pertaining to FileVault might not apply, but it's hard to tell without knowing exactly how you secured this Mac, which might have been a long time ago in the past and memories do fade ...)

Note also this option: start an Activation Lock support request.

Even if there is not an Apple Store in your area, there may be an Apple Authorized Service Provider and some of them are very knowledgable and may be able to help if you take the computer there in person. It would not hurt to try because as things stand now, you can't access anything on that laptop.

steve626

Level 6

13,791 points

Aug 23, 2025 12:06 PM in response to codedil

Here’s what I posted earlier. Have you explored the Activation Lock possibility:

Have you tried the things listed here:

How to remove Activation Lock - Apple Support

The screen you posted looks like an Activation Lock, not FileVault, is locking up your Mac.

Note also this option: start an Activation Lock support request.

codedil Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 15, 2025 10:34 AM in response to John Galt

Hi @John Galt, Thank you so much for the detailed response.

"reason that document describes if you see this or if you see that is due to the many hardware differences and as many macOS versions it needs to incorporate."

Even i feel that could be the issue here. In this particular case , yes , I wasn't getting the reset options in the login window i so have followed the instructions in the reset options in Recovery section of If you forgot your Mac login password - Apple Support

Given your present circumstance I think what you need to do is turn off FileVault

But how can i do that after following the 'resetpassword' flow - I am stuck at this screen where it's asking for old password 😭😭 [ becuase now it's saying it need that for Activating the Mac, i assume because of the FileVault]. It kind of feels like Catch22 for me unless if Apple team can help me with option to get around it or give me chance to reset one more.

That assumes you have no Time Machine backup to restore

Yes , unfortunately I have no backup and that's exactly why i have been patiently or impatiently trying every possible option to get to Apple Technical Team. They are just not reacting, have tried everything i could. Even raising it as security bug. But they have just closed it without even responding with a message or giving some explanation.

Again, given I am stuck here my expectation , as mentioned in the original message, is to get clear, straight and simple answer to these :

1) Some expert who actually understands apple security / recovery mode resetpassword flow to confirm me there is no way out

2) Way to escalate this to apple technical / executive team -> because i wasn't warned while i am following the steps that i would end up here. I strongly feel apple should at least acknowledge it.

and adding this one as well :

3) Given i can prove my ownership, given i have the physical device but no way to login and would desperately need data - does Apple have the capability to retrieve the data but they just chose not to do it ? or even they can't do it becuase that is just NOT POSSIBLE.

codedil Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 16, 2025 5:10 AM in response to leroydouglas

Hi @leroydouglas, unfortunately, if i haven't made myself clear already , i have no other option but to enter the old password because I am stuck on this 'Activate Mac' screen. Let me share a screenshot so that you will get an idea -

i really want every other expert to take a look it and if needed forward it to their Circle of experts as well if needed. But ultimately it would be great if we can get answers to the the questions I have posted in my previous reply. Thank you.

[Edited by Moderator]

codedil Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 15, 2025 8:48 PM in response to John Galt

Okay John. So to summarise what you are sying :

1) Yes, No way out from here

2) "I can try" - but how still remains a million dollar question - because support channel is just not helping.

And my reply to 3: is - I understand Apple doesn't have my data but I have, my device have it but it's just that I am not able to access it because i forgot the password and security feature is not letting me. So my question basically is around Apple technical capabilites - given i can prove my ownership and give them my physical device - does Apple have the capability to retrieve the data (from my physical device) but they just CHOOSE not to do it ? or even they can't do it becuase that is just NOT POSSIBLE.

codedil Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 16, 2025 5:08 AM in response to John Galt

Okay John, then i will go ahead with the decision of erasing after i am done trying some hit and trial password attempts. Because as much i desperately need/want the data, if there is no option then i see no point of waiting because my macbook is of no use keeping at this state.

That would leave me with one thing i believe - getting someone from Apple to acknowledge the lack of warning or stopping user from loosing the data in this flow. Need to see how i can get this done. As I really don't want anyone else go through what i have gone through.

[Edited by Moderator]

codedil Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 16, 2025 5:22 AM in response to Barney-15E

Hi @Barney-15E, me, owner myself was tryig to reset because i forgot the password, and stuck in a place a where there seems to be no way out. I can prove my ownership but there just seems to be no way out from here and user wasn't even warened about it and he just followed the 'resetpassword' instructions because he wasn't getting the reset options in login window. That's the complain here. Please read my other replies, especially my expectation, and let me know if you have any other suggestions. I have tried all the officilal sources or channels , indlcuding visiting offline support store here in Bengaluru, India. Thank you

Screenshot from my above reply :

I just checked with Apple Support, there is no Genuis Bar in Bengaluru India but he assured other service provider offer same service and i have already tried taking their help. Thank you.

[Edited by Moderator]

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,138 points

Aug 16, 2025 6:18 AM in response to codedil

That's the complain here.

If you’re here to complain, please set up a Faceplant page.

Please read my other replies, especially my expectation,

None of that matters. We can’t do anything about it. We don’t work for Apple and we have no influence with them. We can only offer what we know and we have done that. If there was some surreptitious method or getting around the encryption, it would not be functionally useful.

Everything you should have done to avoid this problem you failed to do.

codedil wrote:

Hi @Barney-15E, me, owner myself was tryig to reset because i forgot the password, and stuck in a place a where there seems to be no way out. I can prove my ownership but there just seems to be no way out from here and user wasn't even warened about it and he just followed the 'resetpassword' instructions because he wasn't getting the reset options in login window. That's the complain here. Please read my other replies, especially my expectation, and let me know if you have any other suggestions. I have tried all the officilal sources or channels , indlcuding visiting offline support store here in Bengaluru, India. Thank you

Screenshot from my above reply :

https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/065cdef2-e6de-4e3a-9236-3567aa1e574a

I just checked with Apple Support, there is no Genuis Bar in Bengaluru India but he assured other service provider offer same service and i have already tried taking their help. Thank you.

[Edited by Moderator]

codedil Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 16, 2025 6:45 AM in response to Barney-15E

Hi @Barney-15E ,

I am not sure what's your intentions here but you are definetly not helping. Please try to ignore if you don't / can't understand the issue that one is trying to highlight let alone the pain or the difficulty one had to go through. Thank you.

codedil Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 16, 2025 11:47 PM in response to Barney-15E

Hi @Barney-15E, let me try one last time :

Leave all your assumptions and try to understand it once again from the start.

Please do not sit on your point that user have failed to prepare for the disaster. That's already given and that's why he is here and trying to highlight that he wasn't even warned. He has followed the resetpassword steps as mentioned in the document as he wasn't getting the reset instructions in the login window. This is already highlighted couple of times in the previous replies. You can call it ignorance, but it's a fact that he wasn't aware of FileVault, he still doesn't understand it fully. Don't remember enabling it explicitly. He only learnt about it through support or reading about it later. And don't really know - why he is getting 'Activate Mac' if not for filevault (as you are saying). And unfortunately he didn't have FinedMyMac Enabled, which might have triggered this flow as per his understanding, which definitely can be questioned. It's not like he has broken the harddrive or burnt the MacBook and asking Apple for some solution. Some weird flow triggered because of different circumstances and trying to see if Apple really designed it this or if this is a flaw or miss.

Now with that, Can you answer me these two questions, in simple words as you can :

1. In the initial reply you told the current 'Activate Mac' screen I am stuck in is not related to Filevault. And you would try resetting the password again. How to do that ?

2. Do you have any strong reason that Apple should not warn or stop user from using the ‘resetpassword' flow in terminal in Recovery Mode? Why not add a step to verify the ownership there itself ? It should serve the both purpose of stopping wrong people taking over and also the nudge or push actual owner to double check if he really wants to proceed with this flow ?

Again i request you leave your emotions and passing statements in your reply. Leave all your assumptions about what user should have known and should have done. User is an individual, Apple is a system. What user did wrong or missed doing affects him, what apple did wrong or missed doing affects the System. Because we are trying to highlight what apple could have done that prevented me, owner of the MacBook, ending up in this situation. Thank you.

codedil Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 17, 2025 3:57 AM in response to Barney-15E

I have no idea how you arrived at that screen

Good night @Barney-15E. The problem is you are trying to convey the same thing again and again which we already accepted - please read my third reply to John Galt [ who was mostly onpoint in understanding and addressing the issue and questions ]. If not for the 'resetpassword' flow that ended up here, user would still have access to using macbook, through guest user or other standard users for which he still remembers the password.

Anyway, as i have been trying to request you - please ignore. Thank you for spending your valuable time on this.

codedil Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 17, 2025 8:09 AM in response to Barney-15E

I see you don’t have any ideas on how Apple could have prevented you from getting here without reducing security. What is it you propose Apple do going forward ?

Exactly @Barney-15E , that is kind of what we have been trying to highlight. I have been proposing it should have warned/stopped user , it's in the best position know if user is entering a flow where there is no way out.

But no matter what we propose the big dissapointment here is, seems Apple just not providing a way where someone from Apple can acknowledge the issue/proposal - it could be either accepted, rejected after they evaluate but the fact that it's so hard to reach the technical team or get a written reply from Apple team is dissapointing to say the least.

Have tried whatever i could - chat, call, feedback form, emailing to ids i found online [ because there is no official email mode of communication from Apple ], raising it as secuirty bug in hope and finally discussing here. I am not sure what else I can do. Mostly this might end here, unless something happens.

Owl-53

Level 10

102,553 points

Aug 17, 2025 8:17 AM in response to codedil

The genesis of the original issue was when the user clicked on Use FileVault or Not use FileVault during the initial Setup Assist process

There is a Panel, later in the Setup Asset process, where the Useris Alerted to the existence of FileVault and given the choice

Choices have consequences and consequences and repercustions

codedil Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 19, 2025 7:11 PM in response to Barney-15E

Good night @Barneh-15E , I have mentioned - I have just followed the instructions. You are just not in a position to accept that people have a chance to end up here and Apple can really do something about it. You are repeating the same thing again and again and someone has to stop. Please read the whole thread one more time when you have good time and get back if you have something useful to say.

codedil Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 22, 2025 11:36 AM in response to codedil

Hello guys,

I did bit more digging and found out for 14" Macbook M1 Pro it didn't explicitly ask or mention about FileVault in the initial setup. ( it did seems to have asked for 16" Macbook Pro ). Mine is 14".

14” Macbook M1 Pro Setup - https://youtu.be/OYWOE-sO8O4?t=386 (Timestamp - 06:30 – 07:20 )

- No FileVault asked when setting up

16” Macbook M1 Pro Setup - https://youtu.be/mYoojN-CZ_8?t=290( Timestamp – 04:40 – 06:40 )

- FileVault Option asked ( Timestamp @ 06:18 in the above video )

Until now I was little uncertain/skeptical that if it had asked me for it and had i enabled it. But now that there is confirmation, I am mostly certain that i wouldn't have enabled it explicitly. Now that makes me question again - what is this 'Activate Mac' screen that i am seeing/stuck with ? What's the guarantee that i will not be presented with this say if i choose to go ahead with the erase mac option ?

Firstly, there is still no clarity why I have ended up here - is it because of the filevault ? is it because of something else ? ( to repeat what i did : all i did was to follow the 'resetpassword' instructions in recovery mode because i wasn't getting the reset options in login window )

I still feel this defenitely needs some digging or at least an explanation from Apple side. But i am just not able to find a way how to do that. No way to appraoch them. It's frustrating.

CC : @John Galt , @steve626 , @MrHoffman

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FileVault-enabled MacBook asking for old password after resetting via 'resetpassword' in recovery mode