It was recently discovered in a support document for Apple Configurator 2 that the iMac Pro may become unresponsive and will need to be restored in certain situations like a power failure during an update.

Spotted by developer Steven Troughton-Smith (via Jason Broccardo), Apple has detailed how to “Restore iMac Pro” on a Apple Configurator 2 help page. The wording also alludes to the possibility that there could be other circumstances besides a power failure during a macOS update that could require a DFU.

In certain circumstances, such as a power failure during a macOS upgrade, an iMac Pro may become unresponsive and must be restored.

While most iMac Pro owners will likely feel comfortable doing something like this, this is a first for Apple’s Macs and of course could be quite inconvenient, especially on a work machine.

One simple solution that should prevent this issue (as mentioned by Steven in the comments below) is to use a battery backup/surge protector.

The requirements for doing an iMac Pro restore are: Apple Configurator 2.6 installed on any Mac that supports macOS High Sierra and has Internet access.You may need to configure your web proxy or firewall ports to allow all network traffic from Apple devices to Apple’s network 17.0.0.0/8.

Supported USB-A or USB-C to USB-C or a Thunderbolt cable, such as the one sold by Apple.The USB-C cable: Must support both power and data. Can be used in conjunction with a supported Thunderbolt to USB-C adapter, such as the one sold by Apple.



Keep in mind it will need to be a secondary Mac running Apple Configurator 2. Full details on how to perform a restore for iMac Pro can be found here.

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