Perform DFU Restores on Apple Silicon Macs with Macvdmtool (2021)

6 days ago

macvdmtool is a tool developed by marcan under the AsahiLinux project that simplifies putting Apple Silicon or Intel Macs with T2 chip (2018 and later) into DFU mode using a terminal command.
Prerequisites include two Macs: a functional host Mac (Apple Silicon-based) and a target Mac that powers on and boots to question mark or recovery mode.
Setup involves installing Xcode command-line tools, Apple Configurator 2, cloning and compiling macvdmtool, copying it to path, and connecting the Macs via a compatible USB-C or TB3/TB4 cable.
To enter DFU mode, run 'sudo macvdmtool dfu' on the host Mac, then restore using cfgutil, Apple Configurator 2, or Finder, with IPSW files available from sources like Mr. Macintosh's database.
Future automation may include scripts for downloading latest IPSWs and integrating with tools like Munki, with further resources and support available via GitHub and MacAdmins Slack.

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