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rebart · Sep 21, 2008, 04:20 PM

Hello,

Having difficulty turning FileVault off indefinitely. Reason is because I want to do a clone of my internal hd to firewire Lacie external using SuperDuper! SuperDuper advises turning off FileVault. Without turning off I discovered it took nine hours and now learned that the sparse image is not bootable. No matter, also, want to free up more disk space with filevault turned off.

So, first unsuccessful attempt required an additonal 4088.6 GB of free disk space to create an unencrypted copy of the home folder. Therefore, I went back and deleted unwanted files including moving IPhoto 07 and miscellaneous pictures onto an external hard drive. Fortunately by doing this, disk space has increased substantially. However, upon second and third attempts to turn-off, I'm now receiving yet another error message: An error occurred during the encryption (An error occurred during encrytion). File Vault will be turned on for this home folder and the home folder will still be encrypted. Self-explanatory, but would like to know whether this has to do with my disk space still not up to standards.

I'm now considering moving more content out of my home folder such as Documents and Library folders. If I do this, is it ok to just COPY these to my external followed by deleting originals in home folder ok? I did this approach before when moving iphoto etc. but wondering if I should be doing this procedure differently. I did notice that my printer folders are now missing in application support.

Thank you.

Cold Warrior · Sep 21, 2008, 05:12 PM

Deleting your Library folder is a very bad idea. Don't do it unless you want your account to be hosed.

What kind of storage capacities are you working with, both on your internal and external?

rebart · Sep 21, 2008, 05:20 PM

Hi. Thanks for the advice.

My storage capacity: 232.57 GB; available: 56.48 GB; used: 176.08 GB.

My external is 500 GB Lacie.

brassplayersrock² · Sep 21, 2008, 05:21 PM

File Vault is bad news either way. Only real issues I've ever had with OSX was when File Vault was on. Good luck with your lil project though.

rebart · Sep 21, 2008, 05:25 PM

Thanks Brass,

I'll need all the luck I can get!

Cold Warrior · Sep 21, 2008, 05:39 PM

You should consider offloading non-system, non-apple files and media first.
Consider using one of these utilities to get a very precise bead on what's eating your HDD space.
What Size
Omni Disk Sweeper

rebart · Sep 21, 2008, 05:53 PM

Thanks Cold. I'll try one of these and see what develops.

mduell · Sep 21, 2008, 08:32 PM

Cleaning up a few temp files here and there isn't going to help you when Apple's software is so broken it's demanding 4TB free space on a volume with only 176GB used and 233GB total.

Veltliner · Sep 21, 2008, 08:42 PM

I used File Vault for a while, but then turned it off.

Except for critical data on laptops its possibly not a good idea. It's one, bug file ... wanted to say " big file", but the typo fits... and if one little thing goes wrong you may lose it all.

There is the alternative of an encrypted disc image, which is the same thing without the mess. I got that advice myself one time, but unloaded a good deal of intruder fears as the Mac seems to be a very safe computer with fire wall on.

I know that doesn't help the OP, but I posted this, as many users think they have to use a feature because it's there. And it's probably not a good idea in this case.

rebart · Sep 21, 2008, 09:46 PM

Cannot believe how frustrating FileVault has become. All I wanted to do was clone my system using SuperDuper to my external. But as mentioned previously, the results won't help when rebooting due to sparse image. At least this is what I've been told. Why did Apple do this? Wished I'd known when I first got my Mac to never use FileVault. Unfortunately listened to mac users telling me it would be beneficial. Great for people who work for the CIA.

Have to be honest in that I haven't downloaded What Size or Omni Sweeper mainly because I got to thinking if I could just move my Desktop Folder (129 MB) temporarily to somewhere out of the Home Folder this might do the trick. Then try again to turn off File Vault? And if it should work, simply return my desktop folder back to Home Folder. Or is this yet another bad idea? Of course where to put my desktop folder is another issue.

Cold Warrior · Sep 21, 2008, 10:13 PM

Moving your Desktop folder is also a bad idea. Surely there are files on your desktop or in your desktop folder taking up space? You can safely move those, but not the Desktop folder itself from your user folder.

Jasoco · Sep 22, 2008, 01:16 AM

Well, the Desktop folder will just be recreated when you log in. But I wouldn't recommend deleting it anyway. I accidentally did once and the OS got confused. Anything placed on the desktop would appear in the trash where I put my desktop folder. I don't remember why, but nothing was hurt, still I wouldn't do it.

Other folders can be safely removed with no repercussions excluding the Library which is the only folder required. All the rest will be recreated when needed. I even deleted my Public folder once since I didn't need it. Nothing happened.

I don't trust File Vault or anything that keeps my files in a single encrypted disk image. I'm not that paranoid. I actually wish Time Machine didn't create SparseImages for its networked backups. I mean Carbon Copy Cloner has no problem copying files directly to a networked drive, why can't Time Machine? And CCC doesn't even have to mount the drive! Apple should take a page from CCC in Snow Leopard.

mduell · Sep 22, 2008, 06:31 PM

Originally Posted by Jasoco

I actually wish Time Machine didn't create SparseImages for its networked backups. I mean Carbon Copy Cloner has no problem copying files directly to a networked drive, why can't Time Machine? And CCC doesn't even have to mount the drive! Apple should take a page from CCC in Snow Leopard.

Time Machine uses hard links and there's no guarantee that the network shares underlying file system supports them, so it creates it's own filesystem-in-a-file. CCC is much more primitive, and creates a new file in each incremental backup. Moving from TM to a CCC-like implementation would be a massive step backward.

Jasoco · Sep 23, 2008, 12:34 AM

I just don't trust SparseImages in the line of duty. It's a single file with a reputation for sudden corruption. My networked HD is HFS, the Mac is it connected to it a mini running the same OS. There should at least be an option to treat the networked HD the same as if it were a directly connected HD. But whatever. That's why I keep a second backup clone via CCC just in case TM borks out I still have an exact duplicate of what I had in case I also lose my HD.

As for not mounting the disk image each time, I guess it's nice it only has to mount the image and not the HD the image is on. So that's something.

itistoday · Sep 24, 2008, 12:54 PM

Hi, sorry, I know this kinda advertising, but I think it would help you with your problem. FileVault, as you're discovering, is a pain in the *** because it encrypts your entire home folder. I just announced in another thread an application that makes protecting your data easier, and one of the features that it has is that it makes backing up your encrypted data painfully easy. In fact there's no difference between backing up an encrypted folder and a non-encrypted folder. Just copy it over!

DeezNutts · Sep 26, 2008, 02:34 PM

I've found TrueCrypt to be a far better solution then FileVault.

Its fast, compact and is open source. Its free too - best part about it.

itistoday · Sep 26, 2008, 02:49 PM

Originally Posted by DeezNutts

I've found TrueCrypt to be a far better solution then FileVault.

Its fast, compact and is open source. Its free too - best part about it.

With this being your first post on MacNN, you wouldn't happen to be a representative from said software...?

DeezNutts · Sep 26, 2008, 05:03 PM

Originally Posted by itistoday

With this being your first post on MacNN, you wouldn't happen to be a representative from said software...?

Nope, just a satisfied end user!

Its an open source project, they don't really need advertising as there is nothing to buy. The program has been around for ages now.

I generally post comments on articles on the front page, just now discovering the forums here.

itistoday · Sep 26, 2008, 05:31 PM

Originally Posted by DeezNutts

Its an open source project, they don't really need advertising as there is nothing to buy. The program has been around for ages now.

True, it just seemed odd so I had to ask.

I generally post comments on articles on the front page, just now discovering the forums here.

Welcome to the forums then!