How to convert external APFS drive to APFS encrypted

[maik_is_here]

Hi guys,

I wanted to use CCC to create a backup of my hard drive. It warned me that I cannot backup to an encrypted drive, so i created my external drive as APFS. I have completed the backup, now want to encrypt the external drive afterwards to protect it.

I don't have a context menu item 'encrypt' in finder for the drive, so thought I use terminal to get to it. However, I am confused how to start it.

sudo diskutil apfs encryptvolume disk8s5 -user maik

This will always give me the message 'You must specify the Disk user when starting encryption with no existing users'. What does that mean?

Thanks!

 

[IowaLynn]

https://bombich.com/kb/ccc5/working-filevault-encryption

 

[Mr. Spam Bucket]

I had the same issue the other day. For whatever reason you can't do an initial back up to an already encrypted APFS volume. It's seems like more work that it needs to be but after cloning to a regular APFS volume, I had to boot up from that external volume and enable FileVault from within. Not before going into recovery Mode and turning off the startup security and firmware passsword. Working for me now.

 

[junkw]

sudo diskutil apfs encryptvolume disk8s5 -user maik

try:
sudo diskutil apfs encryptvolume disk8s5 -user Disk
or:
sudo diskutil apfs encryptvolume disk8s5 -user disk

or:

I had to boot up from that external volume and enable FileVault from within.

 

[maik_is_here]

I had the same issue the other day. For whatever reason you can't do an initial back up to an already encrypted APFS volume. It's seems like more work that it needs to be but after cloning to a regular APFS volume, I had to boot up from that external volume and enable FileVault from within. Not before going into recovery Mode and turning off the startup security and firmware passsword. Working for me now.

That is exactly what I did (thanks to the other use above with the link) and it is now encrypting. Great! Looks like it will take a few days, but at least it works!
[automerge]1576216005[/automerge]

try:
sudo diskutil apfs encryptvolume disk8s5 -user Disk
or:
sudo diskutil apfs encryptvolume disk8s5 -user disk

or:

Before finding the solution in booting from the drive and enabling from within the backup, I had actually tried this command. It returned error 'APFS Volume encryption failed to begin (-69596)'. Who knows what's going on. But at least case solved. Thanks for sharing this!

 

[junkw]

'APFS Volume encryption failed to begin (-69596)'

bug in Catalina. It happens on some macs. I reported it to Apple a few weeks ago.

 

[luvbug]

Just for completeness the OPs command needed the "-user" set to "disk", literally, so "diskutil apfs encryptvolume disk8s5 -user disk"; no "sudo" is needed if you (entering the command) own the disk (look in /Volumes to see who owns the volume, assuming it's mounted). Seems silly, I know, but ...

 

[maik_is_here]

Thanks everyone. I ended up booting into the backup drive and triggered filevault encryption wiithin. The good thing is, after starting it, I can reboot the mac into my normal MacOS, plug the drive in and it will continue to encrypt it. Took almost 1 week though.