Ejecting a USB Storage Device While My MacBook Is Decrypting It

swulffa20 wrote:

Okay, it shouldn't damage my storage device, right?

If in doubt leave it plugged in until it is complete. 64GB drive is a relatively tiny amount of drive.

Grant Bennet-Alder said it best in reference to FileVault conversion:

"Changing the setting of encrypted/decrypted takes under a minute. 

However, that simply sets in motion a process of reading in your entire drive in one state, and writing out in the other state. This process continues in the background for the rest of the afternoon up to several days, depending on you much data needs to be converted and how much awake-and-not-too-busy time is available. 

Shutting down, starting up, sleeping. attempting to run in Recovery, are all distractions that will make the conversion take longer.

Your Mac is restricted from doing certain things, and you can not make a different choice until the conversions completes."

swulffa20 wrote:

I just connected my storage device, and my MacBook is still saying it's decrypting it. Did you ever decrypt a USB storage device and eject it while your Mac was in the process of doing it? Did your Mac automatically continue to decrypt your storage device when you reconnected it?

Yes it sounds like your external is still decrypting, I would let it complete if you continue to be concerned.

It has to be mounted to complete decryption.

swulffa20 wrote:

I have a 64 GB USB storage device. Yesterday evening I wanted my storage device to be decrypted. I plugged it into my MacBook, and I entered my password (my storage device was encrypted). I began to decrypt it, and my MacBook was taking a while to complete the process. I realized that it would take a long time because my storage device has backed up most of the memory from my MacBook. I needed to go some place, and I didn't feel comfortable leaving my MacBook running. Therefore I ejected my storage device. When I came back, I plugged it back into my MacBook, and I noticed my MacBook saying it was decrypting. This made me wonder whether it's okay to eject a USB storage device while a MacBook is decrypting it.

Is it safe to eject a USB storage device while a MacBook is decrypting it? Also, does a MacBook remember to continue decrypting a USB storage device?

It seems encrypting/decrypting while the Mac is booted and awake, this is the normal behavior,yes.

Is it working now as you expect...(?)

" does a MacBook remember to continue decrypting a USB storage device?" You would hope so. If does not, then don't eject it.

" I plugged it back into my MacBook, and I noticed my MacBook saying it was decrypting."