Apple uses new software to repair MacBook Pro and iMac Pro’s repairs. If the software is not used during the repair check of important parts, the computer can be locked.
The measure has been implemented due to security features in the new Apple T2 chip in the iMac Pro and the MacBook Pro from 2018. Apple’s T2 chip ensures that data is encrypted on the storage memory.
If external parties repair these computers, they must be checked using Apple software.
The MacBook Pro includes the control of the monitor, the motherboard, the fingerprint scanner and parts such as the battery and the battery. The iMac Pro only concerns repairs to the motherboard and the flash memory.
The check can only be performed by Apple Stores and repairers authorised by Apple. As a result, other repairers may no longer be able to repair the Macs.
A possible additional consequence is that the iMac Pro and MacBook Pro from 2018 will no longer be eligible for hardware repairs if Apple sees them as obsolete products in a few years’ time.
