Unable to encrypt MicroSD card

[123jsc]

I have a Sandisk Extreme 128GB, my intention is to use for my music library on Macbook Pro (Mojave).

I would prefer to use it encrypted but have run into issues with disk utility.

The option to partition is greyed out in disc utility and the option to encrypt in Finder is not there at all.

It is currently formatted as Mac Os Extended journaled, but reformatting from here still does not give access to any mapping options.

I have attached pictures that are hopefully illustrative.

I have also attempted all above with Normal SD card adaptor and the Sandisk usb adaptor.

Any help is much appreciated.

 

[123jsc]

Thank you for anyone who started looking into this, have found a solution via another forum.

This has seemed to work so far.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7490742

Text from apple discussion:

This has been vexing me beyond all possible belief to my wits end since Fail Capitan's new Disk Fail utility made it impossible to re-format and/or re-partition and/or erase/encrypt SD cards.



Time Machine is the answer. Finally. Maybe I'm late to the party, but this is for all those out there pulling their hair out. Simply enter Time Machine preferences, choose your SD card to use as a Time Machine backup--even if it's obviously way too small of a size to do so--then when all is said and done, simply remove it as a Time Machine backup disk. It will still be encrypted.



Why is this so obfuscated in Fail Capitan?



You try to get an answer from the "geniuses" at the Apple Store and you get a flat-line.



Who is minding the store? Literally? Why is something as simple as this task not documented somewhere--or better yet--why is it NOT IN THE NEW DISK UTILITY?



Hope this helps some of you.



Again, if this is old news, please don't flame me. Find something better to do with your life other than to troll.

 

[Fishrrman]

I have to ask:
Why would anyone want "encryption" on a drive that holds only music?

 

[chown33]

The option to Partition should undim if you select the View icon at left of the window's toolbar, and choose Show All Devices. You'd then choose the top-level device that contains RED ONE, and partition that.

See here for more details, including screenshots:
https://blog.macsales.com/45330-dis...the-mystery-of-those-empty-unformatted-drives

EDIT
I will also add that the drive (or card in this case) must have the GUID Partition Table as the partitioning scheme.

Example threads at Apple Support:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8013236
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7609590

 

[nouveau_redneck]

I have to ask:
Why would anyone want "encryption" on a drive that holds only music?

I'm in the camp that encrypts drives even if they only contain music.

Storage media = data = mine = encrypted. Why would anyone NOT encrypt their data?

 

[Fishrrman]

nouveau asks:
"Why would anyone NOT encrypt their data?"

Because if something ever goes wrong, encryption can make data difficult or absolutely impossible to recover.

I have many drives.
I WANT my data to be "in the clear" and as easily readable as possible.

NONE use any encryption at all*, with one exception: a data drive that has personal and financial info that I keep in my car as an "off-site" backup. If the car was stolen, all they'll get is "a drive", no data. So that one has a password to mount it. I keep OTHER backups in the car (that have music, etc.) but again, NO encryption on them.

*My 2018 Mini has the t2 chip in it, of course.
The very first thing I did once I booted it for the first time was to go into Startup Security and DISABLE the t2, at least as much as it can be disabled via that utility.
I'll guess that it still uses some kind of encryption to read/write to the internal SSD. Since there's nothing further I can do with it, I let it be for now. But if tools ever become available to de-encrypt reading/writing to it as well, I'll use them.