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User profile for user: UniKlixX
UniKlixX Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Unable to perform Time Machine backup of encrypted drive

Hello everyone! I have a question regarding using Time Machine to backup an encrypted drive.


Until now I have been using unencrypted drives. Yesterday however, I decided to encrypt my internal MacBook Pro drive with FileVault as well as my external HDD. The encryption process went without any issues and took only minutes for each of the two drives.


However, today I wanted to do a Time Machine backup of my entire system (the two aforementioned drives). Usually this is a flawless process and my internal and external drive gets backed up. However, today I get the message that my external drive can't be backed up because it is being encrypted or decrypted by FileVault. Besides that, the external drive seems to be doing something constantly as it is spinning and the LED is flashing. I am able to use the drive and access my files without any problems. Also, I have already tried restarting and reconnecting.


I hope someone know a solution to this as I have only been able to find similar problems regarding non-encrypted source drives which is not my case.


Thanks so much in advance!

Posted on Feb 12, 2021 2:29 AM

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User profile for user: UniKlixX
UniKlixX Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Posted on Feb 12, 2021 3:08 AM

I would like to apologize for my double post but it appears I was a tiny bit naïve with my first post! And I believe I have found the reason/solution.


I found out from searching through the internet that the encryption process can take quite a long time (days) and I expected it to encrypt so quickly. I also noticed that you can eject the drive and continue the encryption later which is kind of nice. So now I know what the drive is doing: It is still encrypting and what I already did was just the initial fase :) This is confirmed by checking diskutil apfs list: 14% encrypted.


So basically I will just wait for it to encrypt and when it is done I will do the TM backup.

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User profile for user: UniKlixX
UniKlixX Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Feb 12, 2021 3:08 AM in response to UniKlixX

I would like to apologize for my double post but it appears I was a tiny bit naïve with my first post! And I believe I have found the reason/solution.


I found out from searching through the internet that the encryption process can take quite a long time (days) and I expected it to encrypt so quickly. I also noticed that you can eject the drive and continue the encryption later which is kind of nice. So now I know what the drive is doing: It is still encrypting and what I already did was just the initial fase :) This is confirmed by checking diskutil apfs list: 14% encrypted.


So basically I will just wait for it to encrypt and when it is done I will do the TM backup.

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Unable to perform Time Machine backup of encrypted drive

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