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Decrypt File Vault 2 before upgrading to ML?
- Thread starter silverjam
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Can you explain how that worked?
My understanding of the the 10.7/8 installer is that when you run the installer from OS X, it creates a '/OS X Install Data' folder containing all the packages and the BaseSystem.dmg from InstallESD.dmg. BaseSystem.dmg gets marked as bootable, and you are asked to reboot. Normally, this causes the installer to take over when you restart.
With FileVault 2 turned on, BaseSystem.dmg can't be accessed at boot, because it is encrypted. Instead, the EFI boots the EncryptedLogin app from the recovery partition, and then boots back into 10.7 when you type in your password.
I tried to upgrade an Encrypted 10.7.4 install to 10.8, and it didn't work. After the first reboot, did you type in your password and then have it continue to the 10.8 installer?
How did you get it to boot into the installer with FileVault on? Many of us were unable to do so.
This was on a 2012 MBA, which might have something to do with it or maybe not.
What I did:
- Redeemed dev code and downloaded the installer from the app store
- Ran the installer, which did some setup and prompted me to reboot
- First thing on reboot, the laptop prompted me to select an account and type in the password (just as done with a normal Filevault boot)
- Laptop booted into the installer.
Yeah maybe it is system specific, everything but the last step happened to me, instead it would just dump me back into Lion. Disabling FilveVault fixed it. I'm on a RMBP. I guess we'd need more cases to determine a pattern.
Interesting. Glad to know it works that way when installed from the official app. I believe users who are installing it directly from the InstallESD.dmg file are the ones having issues.
I'm glad I found this thread. I had suspected it was file vault 2 before updating to ML but this thread confirms it. Now I am about halfway through decryption and will have to wait. I almost just went the USB route too.
Oh well, at least I already had decrypting for a few hours. Wish was there was a way to stop and reverse that process.
Michael
Oh well, at least I already had decrypting for a few hours. Wish was there was a way to stop and reverse that process.
Michael
How long did you wait for FV2 to decrypt? It can take an hour for an SSD and hours (if not a day) for a standard HD. Did you confirm decrypt had finished? I am not saying that is the answer. I am just wondering if that is what you did?
Well that was not really the point that I was trying to make lol and I was being general as my MBA 2011 takes 35 Mins, my MM Server takes 20 minutes (OZC Agility 3) and my MBA 2010 takes 40 mins, BUT my MM on 7500rpm HD takes a n hour or so.
I was more making the point that the poster may have decrypted, then did an install over Lion while decrypting was going on, hence the problem with re-encrypting he had after install of ML as some of the files may not have been decrypted. Decrypting restarts after you reboot normally but I am guessing it may not restart/finish if you also then throw in a major upgrade during the decrypt process.
Silver.
Maybe, maybe not. That didn't work on my 2010 mini. But my 2011 air installed it just fine (also with fv2).That hypothesis holds for me
Ahhhhhh.... wait. I copied the app from the air to the mini. That must do the same thing.
Either way they are both updated now.
Michael
I had no problem upgrading from Lion to ML with FV2 enabled, but I think I did the install differently than most.
1. I made a partition on an external drive, and restored the contents of InstallESD.dmg into it using Disk Utility.
2. I shut down my MBP (w/ Lion)
3. I started up the MBP holding Option, and started up from the partition containing the contents of InstallESD.dmg.
4. The installer came up eventually, and I selected the main drive to update (which is FV2). The installer asked for me to unlock the drive, but then it upgraded fine.
1. I made a partition on an external drive, and restored the contents of InstallESD.dmg into it using Disk Utility.
2. I shut down my MBP (w/ Lion)
3. I started up the MBP holding Option, and started up from the partition containing the contents of InstallESD.dmg.
4. The installer came up eventually, and I selected the main drive to update (which is FV2). The installer asked for me to unlock the drive, but then it upgraded fine.
Unfortunately that didn't work (same error message). I ended up with a time machine restore of Lion, encryption of the drive with 10.7.4 and an upgrade to Mountain Lion with the installer from the App Store. The upgrade worked fine with my encrypted disk, so there is no need for decryption!
This was all very time-consuming and I had to invest two days of my vacation to fix the problems. Hopefully people will read the whole thread before they start to decrypt their drive, which - in my case - was absolutely not necessary.
This is old news now, and Mountain Lion comes out in just a few days, but maybe this helps those wanting to install OS X 10.8 from the "InstallESD.dmg" disk image before then.
First, this does seem only to affect machines with FileVault 2 encrypted drives, so this is probably only of use to those who don't want to wait for the drive to decrypt.
Second, here's what I did:
First, this does seem only to affect machines with FileVault 2 encrypted drives, so this is probably only of use to those who don't want to wait for the drive to decrypt.
Second, here's what I did:
- Restored "InstallESD.dmg" to 8GB SDHC card using Disk Utility
- Restarted with Option held down and booted into the OS X installer
- Got told nothing could be installed
- Opened Disk Utility
- Unlocked "Mac SSD" (my boot drive)
- Quit Disk Utility and opened the Terminal
- Typed this:
Code:
cd /Volumes/Image\ Volume/Packages/- And then this:
Code:
installer -pkg OSInstall.mpkg -target /Volumes/Mac\ SSD/- Waited 24 minutes
- Got a bunch of error messages in the Terminal regarding cache files not being found
- Figured this was okay as said cache files couldn't exist due to the installer not starting in the normal way
- Rebooted my machine
- OS X Mountain Lion is installed, everything looks right.
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I had the issue where after running the ML GM installer after the first restart it would just load back into 10.7 and not continue the install.
Turning off FV did the trick for me and allowed me to install ML.
Almost fully specced out (2.7/16/512) rMBP took 40mins to decrypt the SSD that was filled 380gb out of 512gb. Similar to re-encrypt post ML install.
Richard.
Turning off FV did the trick for me and allowed me to install ML.
Almost fully specced out (2.7/16/512) rMBP took 40mins to decrypt the SSD that was filled 380gb out of 512gb. Similar to re-encrypt post ML install.
Richard.
This is my issue
I'm 99% sure that this is what has bricked me. System was flawless 10.7.4 before 10.8 upgrade. Several failed install attempts, early in the process (when it needs to write to the drive). Cannot boot into safe mode (encruyption probably blocking). Cannot unmount MacHD (says it's busy). Cannot see the HD in terminal. Cannot format the HD (need to unmount). Nowhere obvious to enter encryption key, so I'm up S creek. Possible solution : override supposed boot flags telling the machine to boot into the install image as opposed to the regular HD. If I could force a normal boot, I'd be golden. mid-2011 Macbook Air.
I'm 99% sure that this is what has bricked me. System was flawless 10.7.4 before 10.8 upgrade. Several failed install attempts, early in the process (when it needs to write to the drive). Cannot boot into safe mode (encruyption probably blocking). Cannot unmount MacHD (says it's busy). Cannot see the HD in terminal. Cannot format the HD (need to unmount). Nowhere obvious to enter encryption key, so I'm up S creek. Possible solution : override supposed boot flags telling the machine to boot into the install image as opposed to the regular HD. If I could force a normal boot, I'd be golden. mid-2011 Macbook Air.
I upgraded from Lion to ML with no issues and FileVault turned on. I upgraded directly from the MAS.