Encrypting backups with Time Machine
Hello.
I bought a new external drive (2TB Seagate Ultra Touch) for Time Machine backups after my WD 2TB drive decided to give up the ghost all because I transferred some files from it to a server. Long story.
Anyway, I set up the new one using the Seagate software as an encrypted drive, then started up Time Machine. It doesn't work with ExFAT formatted discs, and asked me to erase it. Which I did, it's now HFS+ Case-Sensitive Journaled and Time Machine kicked in and did it's thing. Great.
Except that the drive is no longer encrypted. I naively thought it would keep or prompt for the setting. Time Machine then gives me the unencrypted warning, so I decide to set it to encrypt backups in the control panel.
It's been running since Monday and so far it has encrypted 21.09GB of 1.73TB. At this rate, it'll be running until 2020. It's on USB 3.0.
My question is, am I better off erasing the disc and starting again, or will that damage the disc? Should I just sit it out in the hope I don't die of old age before it completes the encryption process.
Thanks in advance.
Will
MacBook Pro 13", macOS 10.14