How to break into an encrypted hard drive?

At the risk of repetition, unless you remember the EXACT password for that encrypted drive, you are done, and the contents will remain useless to you, and anyone else. Recycle the drive, and remember that not having redundant backups of important data can bite you.

For a Grand, you might be able to do it in 40 minutes: http://9to5mac.com/2012/02/01/filevault-2-can-be-hacked-to-uncover-passwords-and -more/

I think that assumes the passwords are available in memory. Given that you don't know it and have likely shut down since last entering the password, I don't think this method will work.

ImMansor wrote:

Isnt there a program to try every possible combo?

Tell me. Is this really what you want?

New in OS X 10.10 "Napa" - FileVault 3 NeverLost ®. FileVault 3 features much less secure passwords so that if you should ever lose your password or your machine is stolen, the disk can be unlocked in minutes. Never lose valuable information again!

tennyab1 wrote:

How did you format your drive? Cause I've been trying to do that

Please start your own thread here as your question is different (and as you won't be able to manage and close this thread), and please include a few more details on what you're trying to do when you post your question.

Formatting a device on OS X usually uses Disk Utility.app, available in Applications > Utilities. Disk Utility can generate various sorts of encrypted disks and disk images.

ImMansor wrote:

Isnt there a program to try every possible combo?

You will not live long enough to try "every possible combo"

Give it up, you encrypted the drive to keep it safe, it's very safe now, no-one can open it.

I have a hard time figuring out why somebody in high school would need to encrypt an entire hard drive (maybe "coolness" factor?) I usually think of that sort of thing for people who work in hospitals or credit card companies. I have a few files such as my passwords file encrypted but if somebody wants to hack into my computer and steal my notes to my cat sitter about feeding schedules and litter box cleanup they are welcome to them. 🙂

What type of encryption?

How many years do you have?

http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/report_filevault_2_takes_34_years_for_bru te_force_crack

If you erased it, why do you need to "break into" it?

About a year.

Well, if you find a program to repeatedly generate passwords, you more than likely will not succeed.

ImMansor wrote:

I encrypted my external hard drive with a password a long time ago and now I forget the password

It's gone. Erase the hard drive. That is the whole point of encryption after all.

ImMansor wrote:

How did you come to that conclusion?

Because people who evaluated it estimated 34 years. You might get lucky, but the odds are not with you.