Startup Security Utility

There may come a time when you need to get to Startup Security Utility to change your Mac’s security policy to disable Secure Boot or turn on a firmware password. Depending on what kind of Mac you have, your options will be different.

In this article, we’ll explain Startup Security Utility, what it’s used for, and how to access it. We’ll also look at some common Startup Security Utility issues and what you can do to fix them.

Before we begin:

It’s vital that you ensure your Mac is free from malware and viruses before you adjust any settings in Startup Security Utility. If you skip this step, you could give malicious software greater control over your system. Here’s how to use MacKeeper’s Antivirus to make sure your Mac is safe:

1. Download MacKeeper and install it.
2. Select Antivirus in the MacKeeper sidebar.
3. Click Launch Antivirus, then follow the steps to enable system protection.
4. Click Start Scan to look for any viruses on your Mac.
5. If any threats are found, select them, then click Move to Quarantine.
6. Select Restart, and then when MacKeeper reopens, click Delete.

What is Startup Security Utility?

Startup Security Utility is a tool that gives you control over certain macOS security features. On machines with an Apple T2 Security Chip, it lets you turn on firmware password protection and adjust Secure Boot.

On more recent Mac models with an Apple silicon (M1, M2, M3, or M4) chip, Startup Security Utility lets you change your computer’s security policy from Full Security to Reduced Security, which is typically required to enable a system extension that requires kernel access.

How to check if your Mac has Startup Security Utility

Most modern Apple computers have Startup Security Utility, but you can see if it’s present on your machine by first booting into Recovery mode on Mac. Next, click Utilities in the menu bar, then choose Startup Security Utility before selecting your startup disk.

On Intel machines with the T2 Security Chip, Startup Security Utility lets you turn on or turn off a firmware password on a Mac and switch between different Secure Boot modes, such as Full Security, Medium Security, or No Security. You can also use it to allow booting from an external storage device.

On Apple Silicon Macs, Startup Security Utility allows you to change your computer’s security policy. By default, Full Security is enabled, but you’ll need to switch to Reduced Security to allow user management of kernel extensions (KEXTs) from identified developers.

How to access and use Startup Security Utility on Mac

It’s fairly easy to access Startup Security Utility and use it, even if you’re a novice Mac user. The most difficult part of the process is booting into Recovery mode. Depending on what kind of Mac you have, the steps you need to follow for this are a little different:

On an Intel Mac:

1. Restart your Mac, then immediately hold down the Command + R keys.
2. If you’re prompted to sign in, enter your Mac’s password.
3. If you have multiple disks installed, select your Mac’s primary startup disk.
4. Choose Utilities > Startup Security Utility from the menu bar.
5. Click Enter macOS Password, choose an administrator account, and authenticate.

On an Apple Silicon Mac:

1. Shut down your Mac.
2. Press and hold the power button until you see the startup options.
3. Select Options, then click Continue.
4. Enter your Mac’s password if required, then select your Mac’s startup disk if necessary.

Once inside Recovery mode, you’ll see a list of options. You can ignore these and go to Utilities > Startup Security Utility in the menu bar instead.

A hint from our team: 

Before you make any changes to Startup Security Utility, I strongly advise you to check your Mac for malware and viruses using MacKeeper’s Antivirus. If any threats are present, reducing your Mac’s protections could give the software more control over your machine.

Try this:

1. Open MacKeeper and select Antivirus.
2. Click Start Scan to identify any threats on your Mac.
3. If viruses or malware are found, select them, then click Move to Quarantine.
4. Click the Restart button to relaunch MacKeeper.
5. Select Delete to remove the malicious software from your machine.

Issues and fixes for Startup Security Utility

Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to encounter issues with Startup Security Utility. Here’s how to fix three of the problems we see most frequently:

1. Startup Security Utility no administrator was found.
2. Security settings prevent external boot drive from being used.
3. Software update is required to use this bootable disk.

1. Startup Security Utility no administrator was found

If you see an error that says “no administrator was found” when attempting to open Startup Security Utility in Recovery mode, it may mean that your Recovery partition is corrupt. Try restarting your Mac while holding down Command + Option + R, which will take you to internet Recovery mode to reinstall macOS.

2. Security settings prevent external boot drive from being used

If you can’t boot from an external drive on your Mac, you simply need to adjust your boot media options. First, boot into Recovery mode and launch Startup Security Utility using the steps outlined above. Next, on your Intel Mac, select Allow booting from external or removal media, then restart your MacBook.

Important: This option isn’t available on Macs with an Apple Silicon chip. Instead, to boot from external media, you simply need to hold down the power button when turning on your Mac until all available boot options appear, then select the disk you want to boot from.

3. Software update is required to use this bootable disk

Older versions of macOS won’t run on newer Mac models, so if you have a recent Apple computer, you may see an error that says a software update is required when you attempt to boot from a disk that uses an older macOS release. The only fix for this, as the error suggests, is to update the OS on the disk.

To do this, you’ll need an older Mac that’s compatible with the disk’s operating system. First, boot it up, run Software Update to upgrade to the latest version of macOS, and then, once the upgrade is complete, plug the disk into your newer MacBook and try booting from it again.

Conclusion

Startup Security Utility gives you access to several important security settings that are designed to protect your Mac. Although they’re important, there may be times when you need to adjust them or disable them to install certain extensions, boot from external drives, and more. The article above will teach you how.

Remember, before you change any settings in Startup Security Utility, it’s vital that you check your Mac is free from malware and viruses. We recommend running MacKeeper’s Antivirus tool to identify and remove any threats on your machine in just a few clicks.