New 27" iMac Encryption Problem 12/31/09

[RayInRhodeIs]

Let me try again: After setting up a brand new iMac and in taking it for a test drive I looked at System Preferences/Security and followed the menu to encrypt. I said yes, set passwords and the process started. It has been overnight (19 hours so far) and I still see the black cursor circle spinning. How long should this take? I'm a 30 year PC user transitioning my wife to Apple and this is my first post here. Thanks!

 

[jedivulcan]

It could take forever depending on how much you had in your Home Folder at the time you enabled FileVault.

My advice is to research the encryption processes that OS X offers before committing and risking your files to the transition.

Chances are you either need to give it more time or the system farted and is stuck.

If you have important data, create a 256-bit AES encrypted sparsebundle in Disk Utility and throw your files into that.

 

[angelwatt]

For a fresh setup of an account if you haven't moved over many files, it should take well under an hour. It probably did just get stuck. I wouldn't wait any longer to force quit or power off and either don't worry about turning it on, or try again. Most people don't need FileVault, and can just use an encrypted disk image as suggested above.

 

[RayInRhodeIs]

Update - Applications & Documents now "greyed out"

Thank you for the 2 replies! Finally after 18 hours powered down the iMac, restarted (it booted!) and turned off FileVault (in System Preferences/Security). Took about 3 seconds and it was off. Now the remaining problem is that both "Applications" and "Documents" are "grayed out" on the Dock. Reloaded OS 10.6.1, Imac Installations Install DVD and IWork with 1 machine reset in that process. These two items remained grayed out. How do I fix this?

 

[jedivulcan]

You'll need to clean install OS X, which requires you to access the "Disk Utility" when you boot up the OS X DVD. Before you proceed with the SL installation, you'll see a regular looking OS X bar menu at the top.

Can't remember the exact steps for the life of me but if you want to clean install the system, better use the utility to wipe the HDD and proceed with a new installation from there. SL did away with a simple way to clean install. OS X will retain your 10.6.x updates if you don't disk utility wipe the HDD.

 

[RayInRhodeIs]

Clean Install on iMac OSX - How?

Happy New Year jedivulcan and angelwatt! I haven't yet been able to figure out how to do a clean install or how to access "the utility" to wipe the HD. I did spot a graphic of the wipe utility in this forum but the poster didn't say how to find it! That's the only missing piece in this recovery ... -Ray

UPDATE (I figured it out):

Process is to reset system to reboot from dvd drive (rather than HD) and, <snipped - as this is a newbie forum on macrumors> then erase. At that point DOS and Mac mechanics join hands in agreement as we both come up against the same chilling question: "ARE YOU SURE?" No, I'm never sure but "yes". About an hour and 10 minutes from now (I type on another windows machine as this process unfolds) we'll hopefully reinstall the OS, etc. and recover from using FileVault. Never again will I use FV until I fully understand both that tool and the other alternatives to it. That knowledge has already been shared elsewhere in this forum.

<<You'll need to clean install OS X, which requires you to access the "Disk Utility" when you boot up the OS X DVD. Before you proceed with the SL installation, you'll see a regular looking OS X bar menu at the top.

Can't remember the exact steps for the life of me but if you want to clean install the system, better use the utility to wipe the HDD and proceed with a new installation from there. SL did away with a simple way to clean install. OS X will retain your 10.6.x updates if you don't disk utility wipe the HDD. >>