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I'm currently installing a new SSD in my old MacBook Pro (v 15,1). I created a bootable installer for El Capitan following Apple's guide.

How did my old MacBook Pro automatically connect to my password protected wifi, while booting from a thumbdrive, with an unformatted HD, and without my entering the password?

It connected to the Wifi network that it normally does, but, again, the old drive was not installed, nor was it connected to anything other than a thumbdrive.

Where was the password saved, if not on the old HD? or How'd it connect without my entering the wifi password? Did the bootable thumbdrive copy the wifi information?

Just curious.

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  • By any chance did you log into iCloud? Failing that, all I have to say is Strange!
    – Steve Chambers
    Dec 23, 2018 at 0:50
  • No, not yet! it's still copying and going through the set up, but is connected. My only guess is that the bootable thumbdrive grabbed the info. I had to download El Capitan from the old MPB, the App Store would not let my new iMac download it.
    – cineron
    Dec 23, 2018 at 0:51
  • I just triple-checked and my wifi is password protected!
    – cineron
    Dec 23, 2018 at 0:53
  • Just to update. I'm now going through the "new" setup and it is asking for a password for the same network that it was connected to. It did go through 2 or 3 restarts.
    – cineron
    Dec 23, 2018 at 1:20
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    It stores the WiFi network info in non-volitile RAM (NVRAM); see this apple.se answer. You can reset the NVRAM by restarting while holding down the Command, Option, P, and R keys.
    – Gordon Davisson
    Dec 23, 2018 at 7:28

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