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an0therdumbsn · Jun 16, 2004, 11:56 PM

After getting my powerbook (first mac) a few weeks ago i have spent hours getting all my files, adding/removing programs from the dock and had a background set up.
Until today when i decided to see how great this "Filevault" thing was. I turned it on and i was logged out, nothing strange everything went ok. Then when i logg back into my main account i see that all my preferences are gone! My computer has the exact same settings as when i first got it (all my music/pictures are gone too). Im very frustrated right now and need some advice.
All i've tried as of right now is a restart, and turning off filevault, i have no idea please someone tell me all that isnt lost.

goMac · Jun 17, 2004, 02:47 AM

FileVault had some issues in earlier versions of OS X. Is your copy of OS X up to date?

Developer · Jun 17, 2004, 03:15 AM

FileVault isn't great. I would consider it a "hack" Apple implemented because the file system doesn't support encryption.

goMac is right. The losing preferences problem was common in 10.3.0 and allegedly fixed in a later version. Wich system version are you running?

DannyVTim · Jun 17, 2004, 10:17 AM

Originally posted by Developer:
FileVault isn't great. I would consider it a "hack" Apple implemented because the file system doesn't support encryption.

goMac is right. The losing preferences problem was common in 10.3.0 and allegedly fixed in a later version. Wich system version are you running?

I have been using FileVault for sometime now on a PowerBook and it's not a hack at all, but a nicely implemented feature that's required if one travels with their computer. Saying otherwise is a sensational and baseless statement along with "allegedly fixed." It was fixed rather quickly after the problem was discovered.

It sounds like you are running 10.3.0 and you should upgrade to 10.3.4 and then turn FileVault back on. I would suggest that since all or some of your preferences are corrupt that you should create a new account and copy all of your documents from your old account to your new account. This happened to me also BTW. Only the preferences may have a problem, and everything else inside your home folder is okay. Of course everything outside your home folder can not be effected since FileVault doesn't touch them.

bborofka · Jun 17, 2004, 10:46 AM

If I have FileVault turn on on my computer, can't someone (say, a thief) still boot from a Panther install CD and reset and administrator password? Wouldn't this bypass the whole point of FileVault?

turtle777 · Jun 17, 2004, 11:17 AM

Originally posted by eVo:
If I have FileVault turn on on my computer, can't someone (say, a thief) still boot from a Panther install CD and reset and administrator password? Wouldn't this bypass the whole point of FileVault?

Nope, your home directory is still encrypted.

-t

CatOne · Jun 17, 2004, 12:14 PM

Originally posted by eVo:
If I have FileVault turn on on my computer, can't someone (say, a thief) still boot from a Panther install CD and reset and administrator password? Wouldn't this bypass the whole point of FileVault?

No, this will let them reset the password, but they won't have the encryption key. The only way they can get the encryption key is for them to actually GET your password, not reset it.

No way to crack FileVault without the password. None.

Well unless you have 431 Cray computers (or maybe a 15,000 node Xserve cluster) sitting around that you want to join together to try and brute force it. Probably only take a few months then

bborofka · Jun 17, 2004, 12:38 PM

Originally posted by CatOne:
No, this will let them reset the password, but they won't have the encryption key. The only way they can get the encryption key is for them to actually GET your password, not reset it.

No way to crack FileVault without the password. None.

Well unless you have 431 Cray computers (or maybe a 15,000 node Xserve cluster) sitting around that you want to join together to try and brute force it. Probably only take a few months then

But let's say person X is an administrator with his home folder FileVaulted. Say person Y steals X's computer. Can't person Y boot from the Panther install CD and change X's password? Then person Y can log in as X and have access too all his stuff.

As far as I know, FileVault only protects your Home folder from everyone OUTSIDE your account.

diskgolfking · Jun 17, 2004, 01:19 PM

Originally posted by eVo:
But let's say person X is an administrator with his home folder FileVaulted. Say person Y steals X's computer. Can't person Y boot from the Panther install CD and change X's password? Then person Y can log in as X and have access too all his stuff.

As far as I know, FileVault only protects your Home folder from everyone OUTSIDE your account.

FileVault turns your home directory into an encrypted disk image that gets mounted automatically (from a password in your keychain? or from your login password? not sure) when you login.

I think in the case you describe the password on the account would be different from the password of the encrypted disk image. If all you needed was an install CD it wouldn't be much of a vault, would it?

Developer · Jun 17, 2004, 01:44 PM

Originally posted by DannyVTim:
I have been using FileVault for sometime now on a PowerBook and it's not a hack at all, but a nicely implemented feature that's required if one travels with their computer. Saying otherwise is a sensational and baseless statement along with "allegedly fixed."

I said "allegedly fixed" because I heard that the problem was fixed so it should not have happened if he is running a current OS version.

Yes, FileVault is a required feature if one travels with his computer, but it's not "elegantly implemented" as you say compared to file systems that support encryption.

CatOne · Jun 17, 2004, 03:44 PM

Originally posted by diskgolfking:
FileVault turns your home directory into an encrypted disk image that gets mounted automatically (from a password in your keychain? or from your login password? not sure) when you login.

I think in the case you describe the password on the account would be different from the password of the encrypted disk image. If all you needed was an install CD it wouldn't be much of a vault, would it?

This is absolutely correct. Filevault is an encrypted disk image that is automatically decrypted/mounted at login. It "works" because usually the user's login password and the filevault password are the same. But if you reset the user's password via booting off CD, you will only reset the login password, you will NOT reset the filevault password. As such, it's now orphaned and it won't be able to load the home directory when you log in as the new user. It will just look like a big, fat, encrypted sparse image.

an0therdumbsn · Jun 17, 2004, 10:19 PM

btw i am using 10.3.4 and after the second restart my preferences all came back with the exception of the dock. I was more worried about my music than anything else which is completly back...wierd. I wont be turning that back on again, if my laptop is stolen the LEAST of my worries is that who ever took it can look at my pictures on iphoto, id be more concerned about the lost 2 grand.

nica · Jun 18, 2004, 12:29 PM

I will be traveling with my laptop this weekend I'm going to try filevault. But first a full backup with CCC.

Randman · Jun 18, 2004, 12:38 PM

Just create an encrypted disk on your hard drive and store whatever sensitive items you have in there. It speeds things up some from not having every single thing protected by File Vault but it also gives you the same protection.
And you can also set preferences that the user password is needed when the screensaver is activated or the machine wakes from sleep.

nica · Jun 18, 2004, 02:34 PM

Ok this is how it went:

The encryption took 1 hour and 45 minutes, for an 80GB HD with 25GB used. A couple of notes: You can still log on as other users or as root but the home folder is a disk image.

But once you encrypt the wait after is minimal and you log in an out as usual. No changes in my settings or lost of data as far as I can tell.

I have a 15" PB 1.25MHz with 768 MB RAM

PubGuy · Jun 18, 2004, 09:40 PM

I've got one of the original TiBooks (G4-400) with 384 of RAM and 10.3.4.
I've set my powerbook to be a remote desktop for me when I travel, as such my mail and documents are stored in my home directory. So I DO use file vault and it works flawlessly. I don't "plan" on having my laptop stolen, but I certainly wouldn't want anyone to gain access to my personal info it was, so file vault for me is a no brainer.

I've kept the size of the home directory smaller by moving the music files to the "Shared" directory under "Users"...that's not exactly classified stuff. Pictures, well, you could place them under "Shared" as well, but I perfer to keep them encrypted --- it's nobody's business.

I've also got a 3 gig "Projects" file that I made as a separate encrypted sparse disk image. This file is not auto-mounted, I mount it and type in the password each time I need it (obviously, not all the time). By keeping this as a separate encrypted disk image, I still get the security I want (piece of mind), without loading up my home directory.

Personally, when you have a laptop that is easily snatched by anyone, it makes sense to take the extra steps to protect your privacy. The hardware can be replaced.