Resetting M1 Machines

The following information is excerpted from MacWorld.co.uk.

Resetting NVRAM on M1 Mac
In November 2020, Apple launched its first Mac with the M1 Chip. With Apple’s new system it is not possible to reset the NVRAM.

Unlike SMC, which no longer exists on M1 Macs, NVRAM exists, but it works differently.

The new Macs still have a kind of parameter memory whose settings you can view and change with the terminal command NVRAM, but there is no longer any command to reset the contents of NVRAM.

According to several sources, including the accessory manufacturer Caldigit and comments on Apple's support forum, which claims to have talked to Apple's support, the M1 processor tests NVRAM when the computer is started from shutdown (i.e. not after a normal reboot). If something is wrong with the memory, it is reset automatically.

[NOTE: After a full shutdown, wait at least 10 seconds before powering back up.]

We have so far not been able to test whether this means that the M1 Macs can "save themselves" from incorrectly set NVRAM values. We recommend that you take extra care if you make manual changes with the NVRAM tool.

An alternative [to performing an NVRAM reset] is to start the Mac in recovery mode, [then] start Terminal from the Tools menu and [then] enter the command:

NVRAM -c

How to start M1 Mac in Recovery Mode
If you have a new Mac with an Apple processor, such as the M1 Macs introduced in November 2020, you need to enter Recovery a different way [than is done with an Intel Mac].

  • Turn off the Mac. [and wait 10 seconds]

  • Press the on button and keep it pressed.

  • Eventually the Apple logo will appear with text below it informing that if you continue holding the power button you will be able to access startup options. Keep pressing that button.

  • Eventually you will be able to select Options > Continue, and this will open up Recovery.

There is also a so called 'fallback recovery mode', that is detailed by Apple here. In this case you double press the power button: first press it, release, and then press and hold down the power button.


Fallback recovery mode accesses a second copy of the recoveryOS on the SSD of the Macs with M1 Chip. Apple says the second copy is there for resiliency.

https://www.macworld.co.uk/how-to/reset-nvram-mac-3801373/

https://www.macworld.co.uk/how-to/mac-recovery-mode-3674052/



John R. Carter, Sr.

AV Not Needed?

The following article suggests that third-party AV (anti-virus) software is no longer needed on one's computer or iPad or smartphone:

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/still-paying-antivirus-software-experts-say-probably-dont-need-rcna6335

For years I've used the free version of Avast AV on my computers and fortunately haven't picked up a virus. Whether this program has protected me or not, I'm not sure, but I plan to continue using it for a while as I don't see a significant downside to doing so. Having said that, on a Windows PC the built-in Defenders program is considered quite adequate, and a separate AV program isn't needed.

If you're using and paying for an AV program, you may no longer need to do so.

Jim Hamm

Internet Connection Speed

When measuring our internet connection speed, probably most of us use a third-party app such as speedtest.net, or others. These work well enough for me, but I just discovered that macOS Monterrey has a built-in feature that also measures download and upload speeds. If interested in trying it out, here's the process: open Terminal; type in "networkquality" (sans quotation marks); tap return. In a few seconds the data will display. Pretty slick!

Apple says this test might differ from third party apps as they typically measure data flows up and down separately, whereas the terminal test measures both simultaneously, which may be more real-life.

Jim Hamm

A New Way for iPhone users to save a vaccine card

Brian X. Chen, the consumer technology columnist for The New York Times, is back with fresh advice on digital record keeping for Covid-19 vaccinations.

A few months ago, I shared a tip about how to securely store your digital vaccine card on your phone. As of this week, iPhone users now have a much simpler way to store their vaccine cards by adding the document to Apple’s Wallet app, its software that holds credit cards and important documents like travel itineraries.

Here’s how to set it up:

  • Download and install the latest software update for iOS (version 15.1). To do that, open the Settings app, tap General and then tap Software Update.

  • Once you receive the vaccine card, tap and hold down on the QR code — a digital bar code that looks like a bunch of black-and-white squares — to open a menu. Then select “Open in Health.”

  • Here, select “Add to Wallet & Health.” Now you can access your vaccine card by opening the Wallet app.

Jim Hamm

Problems Installing Monterey

Some Older Macs Reportedly Bricked After Installing macOS Monterey

https://www.macrumors.com/2021/11/01/macos-monterey-bricking-older-macs/

Here’s a different story.

I was unable to install Monterey on my 2015 MacBook Pro. After clicking on the “Restart now” button, it gave me an error that it “Could not complete the installation. Try again.” When I opened “Disk Utility” to do a disk repair, only one partition showed up. Attempting to do a NVRAM reset would go into “Recovery Mode” instead of booting up normally and show that it was attempting to do a firmware update, and it showed an error, “The installed hard drive is incompatible." Same thing while in Safe Mode. Doing a SRAM reset did not help any. Despite this problem, I was able to boot up normally into Big Sur.
So Apple authorized taking it to Argosy West for repairs. The only way they could fix the problem and save my data was to uninstall the SSD, install a blank SSD, go into Recovery Mode, finish the firmware update, put my SSD back in, and then Monterey installed normally.
I suspect that the machines that are bricked after attempting to install Monterey is a firmware issue and not a software issue. Possibly installing a blank drive would get past that problem like it did for my MacBook Pro.
I had no problems installing Monterey on my 2020 M1 Mac Mini.
So now I’m selling my MacBook Pro even though it is working normally. I no longer need a laptop.


John R. Carter, Sr.

Apple 4th Quarter Results

If you have an interest, here is a summary of Apple's financial results for the 4th quarter. While I continue to think of Apple as a computer company, they really are mostly a phone company. Out of every $100 of revenue, only $11 comes from selling a Mac. Wonder where Apple would be today if Steve Jobs hadn't introduced the iPhone many moons ago?

Jim Hamm

USB-C Cables

So you now have a new device (computer, iPhone, iPad) with USB-C ports. You know, the ones that look like a small, rounded corners connector, not the larger rectangular connector.


But did you know that not all USB-C cables are the same?


If you need to use a USB-C cable to power your device, the USB-C cable must support both power and data. Thunderbolt 3 cables aren’t supported, even though they will work just for connecting to something like to an external display or to an external drive that has its own external power. So if your external drive is a newer personal portable drive with the new USB-C port, be aware about using the right cable (Thunderbolt 4) to power the drive.

What you need to know:

Connecting external drives:

https://mactakeawaydata.com/connect-external-hard-drive-to-mac/

Thunderbolt 3 vs Thunderbolt 4:
https://us.anker.com/blogs/hubs_edu/what-is-the-difference-between-thunderbolt-3-and-4


John Carter Sr.

Can You Use a Clone on an M1 Apple Computer?

In the past, we have always strongly recommended that you create a clone of your Mac to be used in case your internal drive became corrupt and were no longer able to boot up from it. The clone could then be used to boot up from and continue to use your computer until you get around to replacing or reinstalling the operating system on the internal drive.

Well, you can’t do that with any Apple Mac that has the new M1 SOC (System On a Chip). Booting from any external drive is not allowed - for security reasons (it is how a computer can be broken into without a password).

What this means is that the only method available to solve a failing internal drive is to wipe it, reinstall the OS, and then restore your data from a Time Machine backup.

Now for the REAL problem. If it turns out that the internal storage on the M1 is defective, the ONLY solution is to replace the motherboard, and that can only be done at an authorized Apple repair center.

So, good luck with your new M1 computer. May it never die.

And the second part of the bad news is, you can’t hang onto your old system that has a separate internal drive for more than another five years, because the only new systems that Apple will be delivering will contain some version of the SOC, and by then, any new OS upgrade will be locked into only the newer systems.

With any computer running on an Intel chip, I have been able to repurpose the computer by installing Linux on it. This is a simple process of booting up off an external thumb drive with Linux and then installing Linux on the internal drive. But this cannot be done with an Apple SOC machine.

Bottom line: When an Apple SOC machine can no longer be upgraded to the newest OS, it cannot be repurposed - it is junk.
Long live Linux.


John Carter, Sr.



Vaccine Card Tip

A new way for iPhone users to save a vaccine card

Brian X. Chen, the consumer technology columnist for The New York Times, is back with fresh advice on digital record keeping for Covid-19 vaccinations.

A few months ago, I shared a tip about how to securely store your digital vaccine card on your phone. As of this week, iPhone users now have a much simpler way to store their vaccine cards by adding the document to Apple’s Wallet app, its software that holds credit cards and important documents like travel itineraries.

Here’s how to set it up:

  • Download and install the latest software update for iOS (version 15.1). To do that, open the Settings app, tap General and then tap Software Update.

  • Once you receive the vaccine card, tap and hold down on the QR code — a digital bar code that looks like a bunch of black-and-white squares — to open a menu. Then select “Open in Health.”

  • Here, select “Add to Wallet & Health.” Now you can access your vaccine card by opening the Wallet app.

Jim Hamm

Apple Pay (Wallet)

FYI and possible interest, here is an article discussing a vulnerability in Apple Pay (Wallet) that potentially a hacker can get into. Only discovered in a lab so far. I do have Apple Pay (Wallet) set up in my iPhone, and almost never use it. Sprouts is the only store that I've been in that uses Apple Pay. The article recommends turning off "Express Mode" in the Wallet app, which the article said was turned on by default. I checked in 'Settings' in Wallet and mine was turned off for the two credit cards I have installed.

Maybe something for you do do if you have the Wallet app installed.

Jim Hamm

iO 15 Super Guide

If you already have, or plan to, upgrade to iOS 15 you may want to read the following article:

https://www.macworld.com/article/350966/ios-15-super-guide-features-tips-tricks-updates-safari-facetime-focus-notification-summary.html?

Here's a side note: read the comments about Safari in the article. I usually use Chrome as my browser, but opened the new Safari to see what I thought. It is so different from Chrome, and after I fiddled around with it for a while, I decided I didn't like it and went back to Chrome. If interested, take a look and see what you think.

Jim Hamm