3rd party repairs need approval from Service Toolkit 2

Nov 12, 2018 22:55 GMT  ·  By

Apple just confirmed Motherboard's report from October that iMac Pros and 2018 MacBook Pros repaired by third-parties will be automatically locked if the proprietary Apple Service Toolkit 2 diagnostics software is not run after replacing critical components.

"Apple confirmed to The Verge that this is the case for repairs involving certain components on newer Macs, like the logic board and Touch ID sensor, which is the first time the company has publicly acknowledged the tool’s use," according to The Verge.

This means that from now on if you own a Mac that comes with a T2 security chip (i.e., 2018 MacBook Pro and iMac Pro), the only you will be able to repair it if a critical component fails is to get it either to one of Apple's official stores or to an Authorized Service Provider.

The two T2-enabled Mac models both come with Apple's new chip designed to manage multiple system components, from the audio controller and the system management controller to the SSD controller and the image signal processor.

Apple's T2 chip also integrates the devices' Secure Enclave coprocessors which control the secure boot feature, the Touch ID authentication process, and the encrypted storage.

T2-enabled Mac owners will only be able to repair them at official Apple stores or at an Authorized Service Provider

"But Apple could not provide a list of repairs that required this or what devices were affected," also says The Verge. "It also couldn’t say whether it began this protocol with the iMac Pro’s introduction last year or if it’s a new policy instituted recently."

As detailed in the document Apple sent to Authorized Service Providers and unearthed by Motherboard in October, "for Macs with the Apple T2 chip, the repair process is not complete for certain parts replacements until the AST 2 System Configuration suite has been run. Failure to perform this step will result in an inoperative system and an incomplete repair."

This brings in to the light the fact that even when the repair is flawlessly performed, the iMac Pro and the 2018 MacBook Pro will automatically lock.

The devices will then be unusable until a visit to an Apple official store or one of its Authorized Service Providers and have them checked with the Apple Service Toolkit 2.

However, even though it seems that Apple's decision to block third-party repairs is a done thing, they might reconsider seeing that multiple US states could very soon enact "right to repair" legislation, even though Cupertino is already lobbying against the bill according to New York public records.

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MacBook Pro 13" Touch Bar 2018 logic board with T2 chip
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