Can't turn FileVault on- Any other idea of encrypting an external disk?

[katbel]

Monterey 12.6.6, external thunderbolt disk from where I'm booting on an iMac 2017 too slow
Only user: me
I did the trick of resetting the password starting from the Recovery disk and then Terminal as suggested on several sites
Disk utilities find my disk ok, no issues.
Started with Shift down so no extra extensions could bother the encryption

Unlocked the System Prefs of FileVault. When I click on "Turn On FileVault"
I get to enter the password one more time and then NOTHING happens
Tried to check with Terminal to see if something was happening in the background
I get : FileVault is OFF

What else am I missing? Is there a way to keep my external disk safe and encrypted when is not in use?
Thanks for any help!

P.s. Should I ask ChatGPT ?🙂

 

[DeltaMac]

I suspect that you cannot change the FileVault status while in Safeboot mode.
Restart normally to leave Safe mode, and try again.

 

[chabig]

The FileVault toggle in System Preferences is only for internal drives, because the credentials are stored in the Secure Enclave. Since you’re booting from an external disk, it won’t work on that one.

 

[katbel]

I suspect that you cannot change the FileVault status while in Safeboot mode.
Restart normally to leave Safe mode, and try again.

Tried both ways, same result

@chabig : I guess no way of encrypting my disk otherwise 😞

 

[DeltaMac]

2017 iMac does not have a Secure Enclave, so OP should not have a problem booting to that external drive, and enabling File Vault on that external drive, correct?
(I don't think that OP has an iMac Pro, which, with a secure enclave on the Pro, would only have full File Vault on the internal boot drive, as you stated.)
But, as an alternative, OP could format that external drive as APFS Encrypted, so much the same as File Vault either way for an external boot.

 

[katbel]

2017 iMac does not have a Secure Enclave, so OP should not have a problem booting to that external drive, and enabling File Vault on that external drive, correct?
(I don't think that OP has an iMac Pro, which, with a secure enclave on the Pro, would only have full File Vault on the internal boot drive, as you stated.)
But, as an alternative, OP could format that external drive as APFS Encrypted, so much the same as File Vault either way for an external boot.

I don't have an iMac pro, just an iMac 2017 , 27" fusion drive . I didn't know at the time, I should had got a SSD.
It's impossible to instal Monterey on an encrypted disk , Apple doesn't allow it and FileVault doesn't work
I'm stuck

Any brilliant idea to get around it?

 

[Fishrrman]

OP --

What is "your goal" here?

I take it you want to boot and run the 2017 iMac from an external tbolt SSD, is this correct?

What is "the state" of the external drive now?
Is it bootable?
Or.. is it in some kind of "limbo"?

What is the state of your INTERNAL fusion drive?
Can you boot and run from it as it is now?
(I realize it may be slow)
Do you just want "to move your stuff" to the external tbolt drive and boot-run that way?

This is easily done.
It's CHILD'S PLAY on the Mac.

Don't worry about filevault.
It may be more trouble than it's worth.

You need an external tbolt drive that's fast and bootable.
Worry about "encryption" later.
If you worry about it at all.

 

[katbel]

OP --

What is "your goal" here?

I take it you want to boot and run the 2017 iMac from an external tbolt SSD, is this correct?

👍

What is "the state" of the external drive now?
Is it bootable?
Or.. is it in some kind of "limbo"?

Bootable and working perfectly and faster than the iMac

What is the state of your INTERNAL fusion drive?
Can you boot and run from it as it is now?
(I realize it may be slow)

Yes I can but speed is like dying of a slow death

Do you just want "to move your stuff" to the external tbolt drive and boot-run that way?

This is easily done.
It's CHILD'S PLAY on the Mac.

Don't worry about filevault.
It may be more trouble than it's worth.

You need an external tbolt drive that's fast and bootable.
Worry about "encryption" later.
If you worry about it at all.

Having done all that
now my worries are about the encryption of the external tbolt drive because it can be read by anyone

I was never a fan of FileVault but what else can be done?

 

[Fishrrman]

"Having done all that
now my worries are about the encryption of the external tbolt drive because it can be read by anyone"

Where is this Mac located?
Is it at home?
Or... at work?

At work... I can understand why some folks would want encryption.
But... at home... never something I really thought I needed.
And... after 36 years of using Macs... it's never made a difference.

The only drive (actually, it's just one partition on a backup drive) that I've encrypted (using disk utility with a password) is for a backup drive I keep in my car. That partition has bank info and stuff - if the car was ever stolen, the thieves might get "a drive", but they wouldn't be able to "get into" that partition...