MacBook Pro not loading after resetting firmware password

[Nickolay_V]

Hello. Please help me.
MBP late 2013, A1398.
I have set firmware password when buy it for about 3 years ago and never used this password, so i forgot it. I haven't order from the store so I can't use Apple's help. So I read some forums, watch YouTube videos and decided to reset password by flashing EFI chip with clean firmware (found on https://ghostlyhaks.com/downloads/efi-repository by EMC number: 2674). I successfully replace two serial numbers (12 and 17 digits) in clean firmware with my ones, erase chip and write new program.
But something goes wrong and now I have:
- no more firmware password - good news;
- MacBook loading too slow: about 20 seconds between powering on and chime;
- CMD-R mode not loading (progress bar under the apple slowly fulfilled and then nothing happens);
- CMD-OPT-R mode loads normally, gave me access to utilities so I formatted my HD (disk verified and seems to be OK);
- bootable USB flash drive with macOS Sierra image also loading very slow and nothing happening when progress bar filled. Another MBP loads from this drive in about 3-5 minutes.

Yes, I know all what I did was a bad idea.
So... What's the problem and is there a solution to fix it?

 

[honestone]

A couple of things we need to know:

1. What exact MacOS are you using?

2. Extremely important: are you making backups to an external device? And if so, what software are you using?

3. Do you have any third party software on your Mac? And if you do, is it compatible with the Mac OS you are using?

If you are making a backup, there is a good chance you could use Disk Utility to Erase and Format your internal drive, install a fresh, "virgin" version of Sierra (hopefully, OS 10.12.3, which is the latest version), and then use Migration Assistant to "migrate"/copy needed "stuff" from your backup.

There are a couple of caveats, though:

1. There seems to be an issue in booting your Mac to the (hidden) Recovery HD partition. This link discusses that partition:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201314

2. Yet, you can boot to the recovery process over the internet (Option-Command-R).

As long as #2 gives you that same screen as Command-R, you can use Disk Utility there to Erase and Format your internal drive, then choose the second option to Reinstall the Mac OS. Again, not sure which version of Sierra that would be (I go through a different process for recovery, and i thus know which version of the Mac OS I install). Being that it is over the internet, the OS installation (maybe even Disk Utility) will be slow.

Once that installation completes, you should be presented with the option, using Migration Assistant, to "migrate"/copy stuff from your backup. However, that will also "contain" the needed password that you will need to be able to "get" to your stuff.

It's too bad you cannot boot your machine from the USB Flash Drive, as it would make the process I mentioned above easier.

The other possibility (although you'll still need a backup to get the "stuff" you need) is to connect the two Macs with the appropriate cable, boot the MBP, then boot your MBP Late 2013 in Target Disk Mode. What happens is that the internal drive for your MBP Late 2013 machine to appear on the desktop of the other MBP, and you can use the needed software (Disk Utility, plus the appropriate "Install macOS Sierra file) to 1) Erase and Format your internal drive, 2) install Mac OS Sierra (clean, "virgin" installation), and 3) use Migration Assistant as described above.

 

[Nickolay_V]

The problem is solved. Firmware that I used just not same that was at my chip although it from same MBP model. Maybe it was just broken or taken from another model, I didn't know.
Now I flashed correct firmware and computer seems to be OK - password gone, starting fast and I already install OS from USB.

Close the thread please.

 

[sparky2]

To the person running out of storage space on his MacBook Pro, I had the same problem, since using CLEANMYMAC ,I have deleted many GB and the Pro runs like it should, good luck, sparky2

 

[honestone]

CleanMyMac is a notoriously bad piece of software for your Mac, just like MacKeeper. There are better alternatives out there. Grand Perspective is excellent and free:

http://grandperspectiv.sourceforge.net/

I have used it, and it is excellent. Here are a couple of others via the link below:

http://osxdaily.com/2016/04/29/best-disk-storage-analyzers-mac/

A number of other folks here have used OmniDiskSweeper, and it has excellent reviews.