High Sierra won't convert my encrypted HFS+ disk to APFS

[noxivs]

My computer won’t convert from HFS+ to APFS. My HFS+ disk is a Fusion Drive and encrypted.
I’m not sure but I was probably not presented with a conversion option during the installation process.
I then tried to convert from the recovery screen and the disk management utility in the recovery mode presented me with this: The operation couldn’t be completed (com.apple.DiskManagement error -69609)
Operation failed.
I'm running a Late 2012 27'' iMac with a 3TB Fusion Drive

 

[DeltaMac]

I am fairly sure you have to turn file vault off before you can convert the format on the drive.

 

[noxivs]

I am fairly sure you have to turn file vault off before you can convert the format on the drive.

This is what I suspected all along but turning encryption off is a lengthy process (or is it?) so I need to make sure if FileVault is the reason. Apple has to somehow let the users know about APFS not being able to convert from HFS+ when the encryption is on if that really is the case.

 

[DeltaMac]

That might be a great "bug" to report. You have the "Feedback Assistant" in your Utilities folder. Feels good to report stuff yourself

 

[noxivs]

I've seen someone mention drives with FileVault turned on can't convert to APFS. Yeah that was the first thing I did. Reported it with the Feedback Assistant. Also he/she mentioned that turning on File Vault again converted it back to HFS+ *eyeroll*

 

[DeltaMac]

Does File Vault even work with APFS? I thought that I read that it is not working so far in early HS beta (?)

 

[noxivs]

Well, a single sentence note from the most valuable company's engineers of this ephemeral world would help. That thing you said was true for some limited developer version of MacOS Sierra (not the High one, so yes Sierra also used APFS for testing purposes if I'm not wrong). That version didn't also support Time Machine backups and Fusion drives. But I haven't specifically heard anything for this public beta. For example it should support Fusion drives by now

 

[DeltaMac]

Single sentence from Apple?
Hope this doesn't appear snarky, but there's this one:

The macOS public beta is still in development, which means some applications and services may not work as expected and their data may not be backwards compatible. Be sure to back up your Mac using Time Machine before installing the software.

OK, that's two sentences, and I'm sure you have heard this before.
It's still beta software, and you should approach it as such.

Be prepared to go back to a working system if you need to --- I did. I have some presentation software that is important that it works properly for me, broken in High Sierra. The developer is not fixing until High Sierra is out of beta, so it's a deal-breaker for me, at the moment. I do have a test system with HSierra, just to test beta updates for a possible fix for that app that I use, but not on my primary system.

 

[kungfupanda]

On my MBP mid-2014 I was able to convert an ecrypted HFS boot disk (SSD) to encrypted APFS drive when installing the first developer beta. However, it proved to be so flakey that I ended up wiping the disk (re-formatting with APFS, no encryption) and then clean installing high sierra. Running beta 2 (17A291m) now, without too many problems. That said I had to forcibly remove things that install kernel extensions, like Kaspersky a/v, Intel Power Gadget, Turbo Boost Switcher, all of which caused high sierra to moan incessantly! The symptoms were incredibly slow start up (waiting > 1 min) for the desktop, and general sluggish performance. Removing the offending apps seems to have done the trick! YMMV.

Cheers, Jon

 

[Fishrrman]

My opinion only, but I'd stay away from APFS for the time being.
Stick with HFS+ until the full release comes out.

 

[noxivs]

On my MBP mid-2014 I was able to convert an ecrypted HFS boot disk (SSD) to encrypted APFS drive when installing the first developer beta. However, it proved to be so flakey that I ended up wiping the disk (re-formatting with APFS, no encryption) and then clean installing high sierra. Running beta 2 (17A291m) now, without too many problems. That said I had to forcibly remove things that install kernel extensions, like Kaspersky a/v, Intel Power Gadget, Turbo Boost Switcher, all of which caused high sierra to moan incessantly! The symptoms were incredibly slow start up (waiting > 1 min) for the desktop, and general sluggish performance. Removing the offending apps seems to have done the trick! YMMV.

Cheers, Jon

I think I'm gonna stick with High Sierra with HFS+ for now and won't attempt to convert it to APFS as updated betas come out. The desktop is my secondary mac anyway. Honestly speaking there is hardly any outward facing changes. I hoped Facebook notifications issue (showing the same number of notifications every time, mine became 127 notifications with High Sierra for every single notification Facebook attempts to show, it was 14 on Sierra) would be resolved by now thanks to HS.
Metal 2 makes it feel more fluid tho if it is not solely my biased perception

 

[ErikGrim]

How do I even turn off FileVault for external drives in HS? Disk Utility is no help and now with b4 it tells me my external FV drive is in need of repairs?

 

[ryxn]

I think I'm gonna stick with High Sierra with HFS+ for now and won't attempt to convert it to APFS as updated betas come out. The desktop is my secondary mac anyway. Honestly speaking there is hardly any outward facing changes. I hoped Facebook notifications issue (showing the same number of notifications every time, mine became 127 notifications with High Sierra for every single notification Facebook attempts to show, it was 14 on Sierra) would be resolved by now thanks to HS.
Metal 2 makes it feel more fluid tho if it is not solely my biased perception

I had the same Facebook issue - I logged out of my account through the Internet Accounts setting and logged back in and that resolved it for me. I'm not on APFS.