Can't unlock encrypted external drive!

[mrtravel123]

Update: I cannot rule out Mrtravel123's solution, for I also have a WD My Passport. So maybe the solution was just keep it plugged in.

Update2: It worked! I recovered all data.

I'm glad to hear that it your problem was resolved. Was it basically just leaving the Passport plugged in for a while?

I actually had a SECOND problem since writing my last post.

It relates to another external drive that I was decrypting --- but it never finished decrypting. It ended up not being able to be seen by my MBP, except via Disk Utility. After much patience (which I have none of), and "repairing" the disk a few times (which is always said that it was fine).... it finally came back to life hours later. Upon booting up the external drive (plugged into the MBP)... the drive was eventually recognized and was perfectly usable.

I guess that waiting is one of the better methods - at least in my case.

 

[zorzor]

Hey mrtravel123, I am just now experiencing this problem with my wd mypassport. Could I please clarify with you what you mean

"The solution BOTH TIMES was to essentially plug the drive back in... and let it sit there for 15 - 30 minutes. Both times the drive eventually became recognizable and self-repaired. Today, it happened discreetly and I didn't even see it happen."

Do I unplug it after I get my password rejected, or otherwise?

 

[MatsSkoe]

Hey mrtravel123, I am just now experiencing this problem with my wd mypassport. Could I please clarify with you what you mean

"The solution BOTH TIMES was to essentially plug the drive back in... and let it sit there for 15 - 30 minutes. Both times the drive eventually became recognizable and self-repaired. Today, it happened discreetly and I didn't even see it happen."

Do I unplug it after I get my password rejected, or otherwise?

Maybe explain your problem more, so we have a better understanding.

But basically plug your drive in and do nothing After 'some' time 1) try do enter the password, 2) first eject, then reconnect and enter the password.

If that doesn't work try to decrypt the partition in the menu bar in Disk Utility and maybe there it accepts the password. However the solutions mentioned before properly will do the trick!

 

[moosies]

Maybe explain your problem more, so we have a better understanding.

But basically plug your drive in and do nothing After 'some' time 1) try do enter the password, 2) first eject, then reconnect and enter the password.

If that doesn't work try to decrypt the partition in the menu bar in Disk Utility and maybe there it accepts the password. However the solutions mentioned before properly will do the trick!

Try right clicking (or 2 fingered tapping on your track pad) on the greyed out drive; that gave me the option to unlock, and it mounted on its own.

 

[Music Ambulance]

This will sound stupid—but it worked for me: input your Apple ID password. WTF, but it worked

 

[jbbenni]

same problem - with solution

I have an external drive with a 3GB encrypted partition for TimeMachine backups. It usually runs fine, but if I restart my Mac after a Shutdown, it prompts for the password but doesn't seem to mount the partition.

The real problem occurs if I investigate with Disk Utility: it shows the partition needs repairs, but cannot be repaired - so it advises reformatting. WRONG!

What actually seems to be happening is that the mount is taking tremendously long time (like 30 minutes). Perhaps it thinks an FSCHK on what is admittedly a largish volume is needed. Anyway, the key is simply to wait patiently until the darn thing finally mounts.

Then Disk Utility shows the partition is fine (or in my case, needed only minor repairs) and life goes on as usual. Backups spontaneously resume and proceed without any problem.

 

[partyskull]

waiting - solution

The "waiting" method that mrtravel123 suggested worked for me. I installed an old usb audio driver might have confused my machine... on the next boot, the time machine password box was freezing, but after waiting close to 45-60 min, it fixed itself as he described.

thanks!

 

[RainMan303]

Same thing happened to me today - here is another data point. I tried my encrypted external Time Machine disk on two other computers and it mounted just fine as expected. Take it back to my iMac, and I get the shaky login box as described by others. If you do run into this problem, try mounting the disk on another computer before you wipe it clean.

 

[annavm]

Another one with the same problem. I can't unlock my 2 GB USB and external HD I use with Time Machine, both of which have the same name and password and both of which are encrypted. Initially they worked fine, then the password stopped being recognized around the same time. My Mac is also encrypted with FileVault, so maybe there is a problem with encrypting encrypted files or whatever. Encrypting external hard drives is a good idea though as what's the point of encrypting your Mac and having the same files easily accessible elsewhere. However, I was wondering if it is possible to just password protect the drive or a folder within it like you can set a password to a Word document without having to encrypt everything?

 

[annavm]

Just an update... None of the proposed solutions worked for me, but restarting my Mac did! I replugged the drive and it recognized my old password. I can see my files now and the Time Machine also seems to be working.

 

[WSE51]

Okay first of all, 'as usual' my external drive (used for Time Machine backup) was 'unproperly ejected' as I wake the computer up. This happens since I bought the iMac (late 2012) and the external drive (Seagate Backup Plus 1TB), although it happens more frequently after 10.8.5 and now 10.9.

Today, something worse happened. It asked me to enter the password to unlock the disk (it's encrypted). I entered the password and it shakes. It won't unlock! I've checked the hint and Keychain Access, I've entered the exact correct password a few times. I even copied it from the keychain and it still won't unlock! What's going on? Is my disk corrupted? Is it related to this problem?

What do I do?

EDIT: I've also tried unplugging and plugging the drive back in, and it still asks for password and won't accept the (correct) password that I enter. It's also not appearing on my 'Devices' menu.

In 10.11 Disk Utility, the Unlock button is hidden but can be restored:

Credit to: https://twitter.com/mjtsai/status/649654753580969985

option click between the button in the menu in Disk Utility, go to Customize Toolbar, drag “Unlock” button onto Menu

 

[balsagoth]

None of this methos work for me. I'm pretty sure that password is fine, but i cannot unlock the external drive.
What can i try more?

 

[Rampton]

None of this methos work for me. I'm pretty sure that password is fine, but i cannot unlock the external drive.
What can i try more?

I am having the very same problem, and my eternal hard drive is brand new. If you have discovered a solution to the 'incorrect password' mystery, I'd appreciate any help you can share.
[doublepost=1455591572][/doublepost]

Okay first of all, 'as usual' my external drive (used for Time Machine backup) was 'unproperly ejected' as I wake the computer up. This happens since I bought the iMac (late 2012) and the external drive (Seagate Backup Plus 1TB), although it happens more frequently after 10.8.5 and now 10.9.

Today, something worse happened. It asked me to enter the password to unlock the disk (it's encrypted). I entered the password and it shakes. It won't unlock! I've checked the hint and Keychain Access, I've entered the exact correct password a few times. I even copied it from the keychain and it still won't unlock! What's going on? Is my disk corrupted? Is it related to this problem?

What do I do?

EDIT: I've also tried unplugging and plugging the drive back in, and it still asks for password and won't accept the (correct) password that I enter. It's also not appearing on my 'Devices' menu.

I am having the very same issue, and my external hard drive is less than a week old. I have been unable to locate a solution to this issue. If you've found one, PLEASE let me know! Thx!

 

[Swordylove]

I am having the very same problem, and my eternal hard drive is brand new. If you have discovered a solution to the 'incorrect password' mystery, I'd appreciate any help you can share.
[doublepost=1455591572][/doublepost]

I am having the very same issue, and my external hard drive is less than a week old. I have been unable to locate a solution to this issue. If you've found one, PLEASE let me know! Thx!

I was unable to solve it and just reformatted the drive and this time not have it encrypted.
If I were you, I would try the 'waiting' solution as suggested by jbbenni (post #31). I already reformatted my drive before his post.

 

[srujana0105]

Hey,
I am having the same problem - trying to verify disk tells me I have to repair it, and repairing it does not work. Please tell me what to do next? I have some important information in that disk

I had the same problem. Time Machine corrupted by not safely removing hardware. The password which I knew was correct was not accepted in any way!

Disk Utility also said could not mount, try first aid. So I did and Verify Disk showed you need to repair the disk but the Repair Disk was greyed out.

However after trying a lot, via the menu bar selecting Decrypt Volume accepted my password, said it was going to work in the background and the Time Machine was mounted after a couple of minutes!!!

Now Time Machine says it is on 30% of Decrypting Backup Disk... so fingers crossed.

Update: I cannot rule out Mrtravel123's solution, for I also have a WD My Passport. So maybe the solution was just keep it plugged in.

Update2: It worked! I recovered all data.

[doublepost=1469392584][/doublepost]

I am having the very same problem, and my eternal hard drive is brand new. If you have discovered a solution to the 'incorrect password' mystery, I'd appreciate any help you can share.
[doublepost=1455591572][/doublepost]

I am having the very same issue, and my external hard drive is less than a week old. I have been unable to locate a solution to this issue. If you've found one, PLEASE let me know! Thx!

I am having the same problem please tell me you found a way to fix it?

 

[rsevcik]

Nope... I mean unlock. It would look like this.

I suspect you are not seeing that option because the partition won't mount. Can you see the drive, but just not the partition in Disk Util?

Attach the drive then enter "diskutil cs list" (without the quotes) in Terminal then post up the output.

Hello,

I am having the exact same problem. Here is the output from my terminal session.

rsevcik


Logical Volume Group 9534ABD9-EB7C-4947-8978-48C35B0B719E

=========================================================

Name: FreeAgent Drive

Status: Online

Size: 639791054848 B (639.8 GB)

Free Space: 18923520 B (18.9 MB)

|

+-< Physical Volume 51ABB01D-7640-4A0C-8981-315550F9719F

| ----------------------------------------------------

| Index: 0

| Disk: disk2s2

| Status: Online

| Size: 639791054848 B (639.8 GB)

|

+-> Logical Volume Family 6D01FCB2-88E2-4445-9FEC-FC0F1811FD14

----------------------------------------------------------

Encryption Type: AES-XTS

Encryption Status: Locked

Conversion Status: Complete

High Level Queries: Fully Secure

| Passphrase Required

| Accepts New Users

| Has Visible Users

| Has Volume Key

|

+-> Logical Volume 41473C89-61FA-495E-B41F-EE4D3A7BA83A

---------------------------------------------------

Disk: -none-

Status: Locked

Size (Total): 639419809792 B (639.4 GB)

Revertible: Yes (unlock and decryption required)

LV Name: FreeAgent Drive

Content Hint: Apple_HFS

 

[Weaselboy]

I am having the exact same problem. Here is the output from my terminal session.

So the drive is no longer readable? If you can get it unlocked in Disk Utility like in my screenshot, likely the drive is bad.

 

[ucpete]

I had the same issue – when I plugged in my encrypted Time Machine drive to my MBP, OS X (v10.11.6 El Capitan) repeatedly asked for my password, which I knew to be correct and unchanged (and I was able to verify that in KeychainAccess). In DiskUtility, I was able to run First Aid to no avail, but I wasn't able to "decrypt" the drive (as some suggested) as it simply was not an option in any menu. I tried the "wait it out method" too, hitting cancel on the password prompt and waiting a while in hopes it would show up, but after an entire work day, I still had no success.

This morning, I restarted my computer and plugged the drive back in; the drive was recognized immediately, and I wasn't prompted for my password. It works as it always has now.

TL;DR: Try restarting your computer.

 

[crm123]

Okay first of all, 'as usual' my external drive (used for Time Machine backup) was 'unproperly ejected' as I wake the computer up. This happens since I bought the iMac (late 2012) and the external drive (Seagate Backup Plus 1TB), although it happens more frequently after 10.8.5 and now 10.9.

Today, something worse happened. It asked me to enter the password to unlock the disk (it's encrypted). I entered the password and it shakes. It won't unlock! I've checked the hint and Keychain Access, I've entered the exact correct password a few times. I even copied it from the keychain and it still won't unlock! What's going on? Is my disk corrupted? Is it related to this problem?

What do I do?

EDIT: I've also tried unplugging and plugging the drive back in, and it still asks for password and won't accept the (correct) password that I enter. It's also not appearing on my 'Devices' menu.

[doublepost=1501460815][/doublepost]You need to restart your computer without the hard drive attached. Once you restart it plug back in the hard drive, your password to decrypt your drive will then be accepted.

 

[ExclusiveMac]

I have the same issue, an WD 2TB external HDD, i live it all night with the password promt on screen and in the morning i put the password and is the same, so for me the waiting is not working. Also i try to put some random password and the window shake always when the password is wrong, but if i put the right password the window shake again after 3-4 sec, if i put the password again the right one the window disappear and that's all. Also in disk utillities not even appear after this, but before put the right password in disk utillities is grey out... Other suggetions to unlock this drive?



I solved the problem by sending the HDD to Apple Store for "repairing, cheking", i give them also the password of the HDD, the problem was a partition issue, that's why the password didn't work, so they create a clone of the HDD use the password and they manage to save everything from the HDD, aproximately 700GB. After they also format the HDD and copy those 700GB. Of course this issue come also with a cost, and cost me 130$ to fix the issue. Now i will use the HDD with WD Security to have a password, i will never use encryption from macOS. Hope that it helps for others with similar issue.

 

[MacBH928]

Don't backup with retarded TimeMachine. I once did thinking Apple was so great, my HDD died when I tried to restore from it, it didn't work and let me down. Thank God I had another backup made with Carbon Copy Cloner. This software is great and simple to use and makes bootable copies.

Buy this software, spend $100 on 2 external HDDs and never worry again. Don't encrypt, I am no software engineer but this kind of stuff usually makes things harder to work around.

 

[ExclusiveMac]

I hear about Carbon Copy Cloner, so is it a good backup software? i will try to see...

 

[dijidal]

What do I do?

I bet you forgot to let the drive fully encrypt before trying to access it!!!!

 

[ExclusiveMac]

Is possible, not remember.

I took the drive to an Apple service and they decrypted for 130$, my files are safe now.

Case closed and solved!

 

[BodHarries]

I have found a solution:
1/go to "keychain Access" (applications/utilities/)
2/in the search bar type “volume”
3/Locate your hard drive and double click on it
4/Click "Show password’
5/Enter your "keychain Access" password in the new window and “Allow”
6/Your password will be visible

I had a problem with the HHD original password so I changed it and rebooted the computer.
The hard drive can now read like before.
I hope this helps