How to get the FileVault recovery key when the Mac login password doesn't work?

Hi poeW,

If I understand your question correctly, your login password doesn't work, and you're unable to use the recovery key you stored in iCloud.

If this is the case, unfortunately the data on your Mac might be lost.

When FileVault is enabled, all of your data is scrambled, and your password acts as a key that can unscramble the data. If you stored your recovery key in iCloud, the recovery process looks something like this:

1. From Password Reset Assistant (which you used), you enter your Apple ID and password.
2. Apple sends a unique unlocking key to your Mac. (This key was determined at FileVault setup time.)
3. The unlocking key unwraps a second key, which is stored only on your Mac. Apple doesn't have access to this second key.
4. The second key unwraps the volume encryption key (just as your password would), which is then used to unlock the volume.

I'm guessing the issue is one of these:

• Your internet connection has problems (best case scenario; just use a different Wi-Fi network)
• The key that Apple has can't unwrap the second key on your Mac (not good; your data is lost)
• The second key somehow got deleted (not good; your data is lost)

When you chose to store your recovery key in iCloud, unfortunately FileVault did not generate a personal recovery key (a manual key that you have to protect). Because of this, there is no other way to recover your data.

Unless either your login password works or the recovery process works, unfortunately your data is lost.

Best of luck in recovering your data.

I had the same problem with an older Mac. and completely forgot the recovery key. From Apple I've been told there's nothing they can do in this case, and unfortunately they're right. If you don't know that password, nobody does. I kept that old MacBook around for almost a year hoping that someday somehow I'm going to remember the password, in the end I managed to change the Mac password but still couldn't get past FileVault. Unfortunately I can't tell you exactly how I did it, it was a pure accident but I found a way to get past the FileVolt and restart my Mac. I think I've read somewhere to try creating 2 disk partitions, 1 dedicated just for the vault and it worked, the 2nd partition is is the encrypted vault and it's locked even today, but at least I could've use my laptop if I wanted to. Good luck, let me know if you make it work.

How to generate a recovery key

"That happens to many other users as well. "

???

Try this ;) https://derflounder.wordpress.com/2019/01/18/unlock-your-filevault-encrypted-boot-drive-using-disk-utility-on-macos-mojave/