Login Options Not Working after FileVault On

Question

Level 1

137 points

Login Options Not Working after FileVault On

Something weird is happening after I Turned on FireVault. The 'Login Options' settings have no effect. For example:

1. 'Display login window as:' works only as 'List of users' while I have 'Name and password' selected, and I would like to see the latter when I login.

2. 'Show input menu in login window' is always on, displaying the keyboard language at the stop right corner of the window, even though the feature is not activated in 'System Preferences'.

3. The Guest User icon is displayed in the login window, despite that the Guest User is Off in 'System Preferences'.

Please HELP! How could I make these features work and be the same as they were before I activated FileVault. As it stands, I am not happy with how the login window is displayed.

Thank you!

P.S. Booting up takes now significantly longer, after activating FileVault, than when the HDD was not encrypted. Is this normal?

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X El Capitan (10.11.5), i7 2.6GHz, 16GB, 1TB SSD

Posted on May 28, 2016 10:24 PM

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Answer 1

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,739 points

May 29, 2016 9:13 AM in response to Michael9009

Login options have no effect on the pre-boot authentication dialog displayed by FileVault. You can't modify that dialog, except by adding and removing users. If you log out without restarting, the login dialog will conform to your settings.

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Answer 2

Michael9009 Author

Level 1

137 points

May 29, 2016 10:15 AM in response to Linc Davis

So, if I understand correctly how FileVault work, authentication must happen before the boot-up begins in order to be able to decrypt and read the contents of the HDD. That is why the system cannot read my preferred 'Login Options' settings in 'System Preferences'. I have noticed that before I turned on FileVault most of the boost-up process was happening before the login window appeared. Now, the login screen appears very quickly after start-up with most of the OS loading occurring afterwards. Is my understanding correct?

Login options have no effect on the pre-boot authentication dialog displayed by FileVault.

Would I be able at least to remove the Guest User from the authentication window? If I can add or remove users, it means the OS can read at least something from 'System Preferences', that is the users listed in 'Users & Groups', so what is the rationale for not reading the 'Login Options' as well?

You can't modify that dialog, except by adding and removing users.

Yes, I noticed this. Is this so because login out keeps one still within the FileVault, whereas restarting would have to re-authenticate FileVault first, before actually reading the settings?

Is this situation happening because I selected “Allow my iCloud account to unlock my disk.”? Would I have had more flexibility with the login window appearance if I had selected “Create a recovery key and do not use my iCloud account.”? What would be the recommended (safer) option? Would I be able to switch between the two methods without turning FileVault off and back on?

Many thanks for your insight.

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Answer 3

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,739 points

May 29, 2016 5:34 PM in response to Michael9009

The "Guest User" pseudo-account that is enabled automatically when you activate Find My Mac. It's not a real user, but a Recovery mode in which Safari is the only available application. The idea is to allow a thief who steals your computer to browse the Web so that he'll stay online and give you time to locate the device.

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Answer 4

Michael9009 Author

Level 1

137 points

May 29, 2016 12:04 PM in response to Linc Davis

Thanks.

So, if I understand correctly how FileVault work, authentication must happen before the boot-up begins in order to be able to decrypt and read the contents of the HDD. That is why the system cannot read my preferred 'Login Options' settings in 'System Preferences'. I have noticed that before I turned on FileVault most of the boost-up process was happening before the login window appeared. Now, the login screen appears very quickly after start-up with most of the OS loading occurring afterwards. Is my understanding correct?

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Answer 5

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,739 points

May 29, 2016 5:34 PM in response to Michael9009

That's right.

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Answer 6

Michael9009 Author

Level 1

137 points

May 29, 2016 12:07 PM in response to Linc Davis

Is this situation happening because I selected “Allow my iCloud account to unlock my disk.”? Would I have had more flexibility with the login window appearance if I had selected “Create a recovery key and do not use my iCloud account.”? What would be the recommended (safer) option? Would I be able to switch between the two methods without turning FileVault off and back on?

Thank you.

Reply