OS X V10.7 Lion :: Reading A File Vault 2 Encrypted External Drive?
Feb 17, 2012
If I encrypt an external drive using File Vault 2 (Lion 10.7.3) as a Time Machine backup from my current laptop, then later purchase a new laptop and attempt to read that encrypted backup, will there be any problems to consider? Â
1) I expect that, since the password will be stored on my current laptop, there would be a problem reading the password on a new laptop Â
2) I was told that opening a File Vault 2Â encrypted external drive would require the same laptop, as the encryption creates a match of serial numbers between the laptop and the encrypted drive.Â
I keep several encrypted disk images in the Dropbox folder on my laptop. Can I use File Vault to encrypt the laptop when it contains these already encrypted .dmg and .sparsebundle files? Or will this double encryption harm them? Â
(These folders need to be individually encrypted to reside in an encrypted form on the Dropbox server. If I unencrypt them and use only File Vault, then when I'm on the computer and File Vault is off, the folders will sync to Dropbox in their unencrypted form. I want to keep these folders individually encrypted for security on the Dropbox server, then use FIle Vault on top of that to secure the rest of my laptop in case of theft).
I just wanted to let people know about an experience I had the other day. After using my Powerbook G4 for about 4 years with some files encrypted with File Vault my Mac suddenly refused to let me log into my user account. I took the Mac to an authorized Apple repairer and was told that a file in File Vault had become corrupted and infected the rest of my hard drive. I lost all my files and documents, photos, music - the lot. When it happens, all you get from Apple is "Sorry about that, but there is nothing we can do - You should have backed up all your files".
I'd just like to warn people not to use File Vault.
I did not save the recovery key for filevault 2 when I set it up. For safety I would like to store it somewhere. Can I access it ? Somewhere in the keychain ?  Otherwise I will have to uncrypt and recrpyt all my disk. Â
I have a 2007 macbook pro with legacy filevault enabled. I realised after I had installed Lion that there was a new version of filevault, but when I attempted to move to the new filevault I was unable to get rid of the legacy version as the process seems to demand more disc space than was available, so I have just left things as they were.I have now bitten the bullett and have bought a new Macbook Air, which will still be running Lion...when I move my stuff from my old to my new laptop, with migration assistant, will the legacy filevault move too, or is it specific to the old machine?
I have an external hard rive that has worked with my macbook air before, I have it plugged in to the laptop and the power on the hard drive is on but the computer is now not recognizing it, how can I get it to recognize the external hard drive?
I am trying to copy CDs to my macbook air and I have done this quite a few times before. Suddenly though the attempts fail (on more than on disc). I insert the disc, iTunes reads and displays the tracks on the disc and starts spinning the disc (i.e. I can hear it). The iTunes window shows and initial progress on the first track and then gives me an error message saying it can't read or write to the disc ...Â
I had a necessity to install from an encrypted Hard drive using the Lion USB Boot Drive. When I attempted to restore from the drive, I was unable to do so.
After finally completing a complete install of Lion, I was able to use Migration assistant. But I still had to reinstall and reconfigure several things necessary to my business.Â
Is this a shortcoming of a reconstruction process or is there something I should have done?
Info: MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.3), Recovering from USB External Drive
I literally just bought my Macbook Pro today. I got the most basic model (13 in. with minimum memory). I'm going to college in the fall soooo it's going to be my college laptop obviously. Anyway, I was playing around with the settings and I noticed my firewall was off so I obviously turned that on, but when I got to the filvault I was unsure as to whether or not I should turn that on or leave it off.
I currently just got a macbook pro 2011, 15". Two internal drives (120 GB SSD for OS and Programs, 750 GB HDD for Data) & external USB Optical DVD/RWÂ The issue I'm having is when I insert a real DVD into the external optical drive (which is the orignal from the macbook pro not store bought) it doesn't read the DVD. I have installed Quicktime, VLC player and everytime the external just gives me the VIDEO AND AUDIO TS folders. what I need to do so I can play DVD's from my external? Â
I want to decrypt a full drive because I want to use a encrypted disk on Macintosh operating system like Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard. If lion does not support decryption method then give me full specification about hfs+ journaled encrypted.
I had been using Time Machine successfully for a while now but I am going traveling and thought I better encrypt my backup just in case it get's lost or stolen. I turned on encryption and chose a password, I don't really know if it completed the process as I was away from my computer, I susepct it failed, what I do know is every-time I plug the drive in I get the popup FileVault window and once I put my password in and select unlock it just goes grey, it's not saying it's incorrect just nothing happens and the drive does not mount.Â
I can see the drive in Disk Utility but if I select it I get the spinning beach-ball. I'm afraid encryption has destroyed my new 2TB drive (less than a month old). I don't really want to attempt to erase the drive as it contains other data that is not back of the Time Machine backup. I'm running 10.7.4. What can I do to get the drive mounted?
I recently bought an external hard drive (like 2 weeks ago)- I put two partitions on it, one set as a Time Machine backup (HFS+) and one as file storage (FAT32 to make compatible with Windows XP boot on my Macbook Pro). When I first got it, I remember being surprised by how quiet it was. I filled it up and now, whenever I plug the drive in, it makes a sound like it's constantly reading (reminds me of the sound old, old computers used to make when thinking a lot, i.e. with the blinking orange light).
As soon as I start 'using' it (for instance, turning Time Machine backup on, etc.) it suddenly starts running quiet again. I made sure to make it 'invisible' to Spotlight so it doesn't index the drive... what else could be accessing the drive and making it work so hard? The constant 'grinding' of the drive is really bothersome!
ok trying not to get a panic attack here. I downloaded espionge to encrypt my valuable files and while it was encrypting (AES 128 bit i think) the program froze and I had to Force quit it. Now I try to open my file (that i was trying to encrypt) and it looks f*^&# up. I can't open it, and when I tried to unmount the partially encrypted file, espionage gave me errors that it couldnt recover the original file.
I had basically all my life's valuable accumulated data in that folder (it was 10 Gb+). I will praise anyone to the end of my days that can somehow tell me how to restore my file to its original state. Usefull info:
1) AM planning to pay gazillions for recovery software if need be, but free alternatives are always better.
2) I never secure delete if that helps
3) I still have the .sparseimage for the file created by espionage. (P.S. sparseimage's size looks really close to the orignal, also 10 Gb +).
4) Newest version of OSX, and have an IMac.
5) after incident I haven't done anything (no installations or downloads) apart from writing this.
6) the encrypted file was gonna be in HFS+ i think
I backed up some movies for the kids onto an external drive (USB without power cord). Now when I plug it in, it does not even show up. If I try to look at it with the disk utility it sayd the file system is not recognised. Last time I accesed the disk was under leopard. Could it be that the change to lion has cut off access now?I do hear the disk start up when it plugs in and I have not seen any strange history with this disk before switching to Lion. (A drive of the same make but bigger and with power cord plus USB still works from before and after Lion). Small disk is Freecom 1TB (pocet size), Large disk is 2TB also Freecom but with powerfeed seperately.
I copied some file from one external drive to another and the folders doesn't show an arrow which I could click to show the contents of the folder. When I do get info it doesn't show the size of the folder but the hard drive that I copied from does. How do you make it show the arrow and size?
I accidentally formatted my external hard drive when I was creating a Windows USB install disk with Boot Camp It was a HFS+ formatted drive with a GUID partition table and 2 partitions: one clone of my Macbook OS, and one with personal data. I'm not worried about the OS clone, I'm more concerned about getting my personal data back on the second partition.So far I've used Stellar Phoenix and Data Rescue 3. I reformatted the hard drive from FAT to HFS+ before I did these scans. Not sure if it was a good idea, but the programs wouldn't scan properly otherwise.Stellar finds my files with the original folder structure, but I can't open any of the files, even though the file sizes seem to be correct. Data Rescue partially finds the original folder structure, and also has a "Reconstructed files" section which has all my files sorted by file type and without the original file name. I really want to avoid going through all my photos, videos, etc. one by one to sort them out.
Can I still recover my files in the original folder structure? Why can Stellar find all my files basically intact, but I can't open anything? In the meantime, I'm going to try scanning with Disk Drill and FileSalvage with fingers crossed...
I just downloaded and set up screen vault and it looked straight forward so I checked the box for start up but every time input my password according to the tutorial it doesn't work ?
Info:MacBook Pro (17-inch Late 2011), Mac OS X (10.7.2)
my roommate and I want to put together a Mac- or Linux-based file server. I have an old iBook lying around, so it can either run Mac OS X 10.3, or some version of Yellow Dog Linux. (I'd prefer to keep it a Mac system.) I can set up our router to push requests on a certain port to that laptop, with a static IP, but we're concerned with file safety. We're going to be keeping all our personal information on there including any code projects, pictures, homework, etc. My roommate attends university, and will be accessing the server from the uni. wireless network. As such, privacy/encryption is a big concern for us. (We don't want people packet sniffing and getting any personal information or data.)
Does anyone have any suggestions for setting up this kind of server? Hopefully it will be a fun project.
The last security update I downloaded maybe a month ago totally wiped out a 10 Gb encrypted .dmg file I made with Disk Utility. Disk Utility can't find it. It's gone. Is there a way to recover it?
Info: PowerBook G4 (17-inch Double Layer SD), Mac OS X (10.6.8)
Everytime i try to read a long pdf file in preview the scrolling is very slow and it makes it unreadable. I have already search for a solution in the web but couldn't any. Â
I'm selling my iMac so I bought a new external hard drive today. I formatted it to FAT32 so that I can transfer all my data from my Mac to my PC. So I moved all the stuff onto it and then when I connected the HD to my PC, it wouldn't come up. It comes up on the 'Safely Remove Hardware' thing but not in My Computer.
