External Hard Drive Password

Did you enable Filevault encryption on this drive?

Did you ever use any proprietary software to manage this external drive? Maybe the proprietary software enabled hardware encryption on the drive using ATA Security (aka hard drive password). I don't know if macOS would prompt for this or not.

What is the exact message when prompted for a password? Is it macOS trying to unlock the drive or is is macOS asking for admin permission to access the drive?

Connect the external drive and post the output of the following commands:

diskutil  list  external

In the following command replace "diskN" with the correct drive identifier for your external drive:

diskutil  info  <diskN>

Edit: You enter those commands into the Terminal app. Make sure to press the "Return" key at the end of each command to execute it.

Definitely encrypted (or the volume is corrupt causing macOS to see the drive as encrypted when it is not), but I've never seen "Logical Volume RED, WHITE AND BLACK? on disk3s2" before. I'm assuming it has been encrypted by macOS/Filevault though. See if you can get more information from the data partition on the external drive which in your screenshot is labeled "disk3s2" (modify the drive identifier if it is different next time you connect the drive):

diskutil  info  disk3s2

Since the volume appears encrypted the only way to access the data on the drive is by successfully unlocking the drive with the correct password or a copy of the original encryption key.

You might get more information by running the following command (make sure to replace "disk3s2" with the current drive identifier for the "encrypted" volume as it can change each time the drive is connected):

diskutil  info  disk3s2

I don't know if macOS knows anything about other types of encryption methods than Filevault, but it might be interesting to see the type of encryption macOS thinks is on the drive.

If the error reported by First Aid is indeed the cause of the volume appearing as encrypted, then maybe a data recovery app could access the drive. Try PhotoRec, TestDisk, and Data Rescue. You could try using the paid app Disk Warrior to try to repair the drive assuming the drive isn't really encrypted, but there are no guarantees it will work (it will only work if the drive is formatted as HFS+).

Janeylondon Said:

"External Hard Drive Password: [...]Also if I remember rightly I may have last access it via a Mac desktop at work. The likelihood though is that I DID NOT give it a password. Can anyone enlighten me of offer some advice as to how to access the drive?[...]"

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Reset the SMC and your NVRAM:

Sometimes when changes are made to the system(i.e. updates), system configurations (i.e. for keyboard) become manipulated, technically. So, reset the SMC and NVRAM. Perhaps the keys are being entered - and this reset would fix that, it it were the case.

A Few Other Thoughts:

• Plug this into another computer and try it

• Plug this into a Windows PC

• Try every password you can recall ever using (for logins)

• Contact your former employer (work)

• Ask some else (family)

• Reset SMC

Don't share a password with anyone else.

As for Data Recovery - That's going to cost quite a bit.

Janeylondon Said:

“Oh no please help. Resetting SMC and NVRAM has taken my macbook back to where I cannot get in at all. I had to reinstall onto an external drive as it booted to MacOs coukd not be installed. It's back to that now. I have no idea why. I've been using it for the last few days until now”

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Reinstalling the macOS:

First off, any Time Machine Backup of this installation? If so, try restoring from it.

If Not... Reinstall the macOS Anew:

A. Create a Time Machine First (If an applicable option):

Create a Time Machine Backup of your Mac, that way you can have something to restore your Mac from, should anything go wrong with the install, and to migrate it all back. Use an External Hard Drive at least 1.5 times the size of the Internal Hard Drive.

B. Then... Reinstall the Mac OS that was Previously Installed...

I. Create a USB Bootable Installer:

1. Go Here: How to Create a Bootable Installer for macOS - Apple Support
2. Use a Separate Mac to this for the macOS version install you need to install.

II. Erase the Hard Drive:

1. Boot: into Recovery Mode: Hold Down [Command + R] upon boot
2. Select: Disk Utility
3. Erase: the all partitions

III. Boot From USB Bootable Installer:

1. Plug in: The USB Bootable Installer
2. Hold Down: Option upon Boot
3. Proceed: from there as necessary with the Install

C. Once the macOS is Installed - Reinstall the Apps...

I. Create a Second Time Machine First:

Create a Time Machine Backup of your Mac, that way you can have something to restore your Mac from, should anything go wrong with the install, and to migrate it all back. Use a Second External Hard Drive at least 1.5 times the size of theInternalHard Drive.

II. Use Migration Assistant:

1. Go Here: How to move your content to a new Mac - Apple Support
2. Scroll to: Use Migration Assistant
3. Proceed from there as necessary

III. Reinstall Manually:

1. Contact: the Developer for the license
2. Update: the System Software (except for the macOS)
3. Proceed from there as necessary