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Error unlocking APFS Volume

G

gregmarlop

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 18, 2017
12
0
Error unlocking APFS Volume: The given APFS Volume is not locked (-69589)

I have an external disk that It was encrypted with File Vault, and now is unreadable, it seems it was interrupted during encryption and it is half encrypted. It doesn't mount, doesn't unmount, doesn't eject, and also freezes Disk Util whenever connected. When plugged, it asks for the password one time, if it is correct ask again for a second time, after that message box disappear, but disk does not mount. Running 10.13.1 – Any idea? thanks in advance.

  • diskutil list
/dev/disk3 (external, physical):
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *2.0 TB disk3
1: EFI EFI 209.7 MB disk3s1
2: Apple_APFS Container disk4 2.0 TB disk3s2
/dev/disk4 (synthesized):
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: APFS Container Scheme - +2.0 TB disk4
Physical Store disk3s2
1: APFS Volume Media 1 2.0 TB disk4s1​

  • diskutil apfs listCryptoUsers /dev/disk4s1
Cryptographic user (1 found)
|
+-- 7DA249FE-B4A1-3C29-B2B5-C929C7BBC1C6
Type: Disk User
Hint: ********​
  • diskutil apfs unlockvolume disk4s1
Unlocking any cryptographic user on APFS Volume disk4s1
Error unlocking APFS Volume: The given APFS Volume is not locked (-69589)​
[doublepost=1511024516][/doublepost]Some other people with same issue – https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8092564
 
If I were you and I had a backup when I ran Sierra, I would boot in the recovery mode, erase the disk and use carbon copy cloner to copy the original backup to my internal SSD.
 
Mac Hammer Fan said:
If I were you and I had a backup when I ran Sierra, I would boot in the recovery mode, erase the disk and use carbon copy cloner to copy the original backup to my internal SSD.
Click to expand...

Thanks Mac Hammer Fan. It is an external drive, my concern is to avoid losing data.
 
gregmarlop said:
Thanks for your answer OrganicCPU – I tried the following commands with no luck.

diskutil mount disk6s1
Volume on disk6s1 failed to mount; it appears to be an APFS Volume which might be locked
Try "diskutil apfs unlockVolumediskutil

diskutil apfs unlockVolume disk6s1
Passphrase: ********
Unlocking any cryptographic user on APFS Volume disk6s1
Error unlocking APFS Volume: Couldn't mount disk (-69842)
Click to expand...
Did you post the right thing there? organicCPU suggested that you try mount_apfs but your examples are both using diskutil.
 
I meant the hint of user ssumer in the Apple forum link:
Code: 
sudo mkdir /volumes/test 
sudo mount_apfs disk6s1 /volumes/test 
chown -R <your user id> /volumes/test
 
organicCPU said:
I meant the hint of user ssumer in the Apple forum link:
Code: 
sudo mkdir /volumes/test
sudo mount_apfs disk6s1 /volumes/test
chown -R <your user id> /volumes/test
Click to expand...

  1. sudo mkdir /volumes/test
  2. sudo mount_apfs disk6s1 /volumes/test
    mount_apfs: mount: Invalid argument
 
Your first post shows that external disk as disk4s1 --- not disk6s1
Which is correct for the disk that you want to unlock?
 
organicCPU said:
Try unlocking without mounting:
Code: 
diskutil apfs unlockVolume -nomount /dev/disk6
Click to expand...

diskutil apfs unlockVolume -nomount /dev/disk4s1
Could not find APFS Volume -nomount

DeltaMac said:
Your first post shows that external disk as disk4s1 --- not disk6s1
Which is correct for the disk that you want to unlock?
Click to expand...

I tried with disk4s1 (disk6s1 is a copy & paste I made from a page that organicCPU suggested)

/dev/disk4 (synthesized):

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: APFS Container Scheme - +2.0 TB disk4
Physical Store disk3s2
1: APFS Volume Media 1 2.0 TB disk4s1
 
Last edited:
The "disk6s1" is just an example, and would be different for each Mac. You have to use the correct volume designation for YOUR installation, and your external drive. Looks like disk4s1 might be accurate for you.
What was the result when you tried that correct disk ID?
 
organicCPU said:
Try unlocking without mounting:
Code: 
diskutil apfs unlockVolume -nomount /dev/disk6
Click to expand...
DeltaMac said:
The "disk6s1" is just an example, and would be different for each Mac. You have to use the correct volume designation for YOUR installation, and your external drive. Looks like disk4s1 might be accurate for you.
What was the result when you tried that correct disk ID?
Click to expand...

  1. sudo mkdir /volumes/test
  2. sudo mount_apfs disk4s1 /volumes/test
    mount_apfs: mount: Invalid argument
 
Maybe without device identifier:
Code: 
diskutil apfs unlockVolume -user 7DA249FE-B4A1-3C29-B2B5-C929C7BBC1C6 -nomount
 
organicCPU said:
Maybe without device identifier:
Code: 
diskutil apfs unlockVolume -user 7DA249FE-B4A1-3C29-B2B5-C929C7BBC1C6 -nomount
Click to expand...

No luck organicCPU

diskutil apfs unlockVolume -user 7DA249FE-B4A1-3C29-B2B5-C929C7BBC1C6 -nomount
Could not find APFS Volume -user

diskutil apfs unlockVolume -user -nomount
Could not find APFS Volume -user
 
I see, misinterpreted man page. Could it be we are shooting on the wrong device?
From man diskutil
The format of an APFS Volume's device identifier is that of a slice disk of a special whole-disk; both disks are synthesized by APFS. The "whole" identifier number (a positive possibly-multi-digit integer) is arbitrary, and the "slice" numbers (positive possibly-multi-digit integers) count up from 1 with each new Volume. Deleting Volumes may cause gaps in the numbering until the next eject/attach cycle. This form appears the same as a partition (map) scheme and partitions, but it is completely unrelated. For example: If "disk3s2" is a Physical Store defining a Container, then "disk5s1", "disk5s2", and "disk5s3" might be the Container's Volumes; "disk5" exists but is never used directly.
Click to expand...
Code: 
diskutil apfs unlockVolume /dev/disk3s2 -user 7DA249FE-B4A1-3C29-B2B5-C929C7BBC1C6 -nomount
 
organicCPU said:
I see, misinterpreted man page. Could it be we are shooting on the wrong device?
From man diskutil

Code: 
diskutil apfs unlockVolume /dev/disk3s2 -user 7DA249FE-B4A1-3C29-B2B5-C929C7BBC1C6 -nomount
Click to expand...

good point, I checked, we are shooting right device/volume.
I was surprised with results:
  1. diskutil apfs unlockVolume /dev/disk3s2 -user 7DA249FE-B4A1-3C29-B2B5-C929C7BBC1C6 -nomount
    /dev/disk3s2 is not an APFS Volume – Make sense, it is the container

  2. diskutil apfs unlockVolume /dev/disk4s1 -user 7DA249FE-B4A1-3C29-B2B5-C929C7BBC1C6 -nomount
    Error unlocking APFS Volume: The given APFS Volume is not locked (-69589) – I'm totally lost
/dev/disk3 (external, physical):
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *2.0 TB disk3
1: EFI EFI 209.7 MB disk3s1
2: Apple_APFS Container disk4 2.0 TB disk3s2

/dev/disk4 (synthesized):
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: APFS Container Scheme - +2.0 TB disk4
Physical Store disk3s2
1: APFS Volume Media 1 2.0 TB disk4s1
 
gregmarlop said:
Error unlocking APFS Volume: The given APFS Volume is not locked (-69589)

I have an external disk that It was encrypted with File Vault, and now is unreadable, it seems it was interrupted during encryption and it is half encrypted. It doesn't mount, doesn't unmount, doesn't eject, and also freezes Disk Util whenever connected. When plugged, it asks for the password one time, if it is correct ask again for a second time, after that message box disappear, but disk does not mount. Running 10.13.1 – Any idea? thanks in advance
Click to expand...

The mid-encryption interruption is likely the story here - and I suspect this story won't have a good ending.

Maybe a good tool that will help you with an APFS formatted, encrypted (doubtful) hard drive.
I don't know yet how successful you will be in repairing the drive at this time. The good disk tools that have always worked well, do not, as yet, fully support the file structure of APFS volumes, AFAIK.
You MAY be able to recover the files from that drive, but I don't know how much effect there will be from the incomplete encryption. That may be the most serious problem that you have.

Bottom line - my suggestion would be try to recover the files, if possible to another drive, then erase this drive completely.
Just my opinion, it was probably not a good choice at this time to have a large storage drive formatted as APFS, particularly if it is a spinning hard drive, and not an SSD.
Too late now. Good luck in retrieving the files from that drive.
 
Is it possible to mount the volume read only:
Code: 
diskutil mount readOnly /dev/disk4s1
 
organicCPU said:
Is it possible to mount the volume read only:
Code: 
diskutil mount readOnly /dev/disk4s1
Click to expand...

I tried :(

diskutil mount readOnly /dev/disk4s1
Volume on disk4s1 failed to mount; it appears to be an APFS Volume which might be locked
Try "diskutil apfs unlockVolume"

diskutil apfs unlockVolume /dev/disk4s1
Error unlocking APFS Volume: The given APFS Volume is not locked (-69589)
 
DeltaMac said:
The mid-encryption interruption is likely the story here - and I suspect this story won't have a good ending.

Maybe a good tool that will help you with an APFS formatted, encrypted (doubtful) hard drive.
I don't know yet how successful you will be in repairing the drive at this time. The good disk tools that have always worked well, do not, as yet, fully support the file structure of APFS volumes, AFAIK.
You MAY be able to recover the files from that drive, but I don't know how much effect there will be from the incomplete encryption. That may be the most serious problem that you have.

Bottom line - my suggestion would be try to recover the files, if possible to another drive, then erase this drive completely.
Just my opinion, it was probably not a good choice at this time to have a large storage drive formatted as APFS, particularly if it is a spinning hard drive, and not an SSD.
Too late now. Good luck in retrieving the files from that drive.
Click to expand...

It seems you are right.

diskutil apfs list
+-> Volume disk4s1
| ---------------------------------------------------
| APFS Volume Disk (Role): disk4s1 (No specific role)
| Name: Media 1 (Case-insensitive)
| Mount Point: Not Mounted
| Capacity Consumed: 1998056943616 B (2.0 TB)
| Encryption Progress: 14.0% (Unlocked)
 
I guess that won't help either:
Code: 
fsck_apfs -n /dev/rdisk4s1
The -n trigger prevents any correction. If correctable errors are detected the -y switch instead of -n would try to make corrections. IMO, it's clever to make a block level copy first (I think you'd at least need another drive larger 2 TB for that).

Good luck from me, too!
 
organicCPU said:
I guess that won't help either:
Code: 
fsck_apfs -n /dev/rdisk4s1
The -n trigger prevents any correction. If correctable errors are detected the -y switch instead of -n would try to make corrections. IMO, it's clever to make a block level copy first (I think you'd at least need another drive larger 2 TB for that).

Good luck from me, too!
Click to expand...

fsck_apfs -n /dev/rdisk4s1

** Checking volume.
** Checking the container superblock.
** Checking the EFI jumpstart record.
** Checking the space manager.
** Checking the object map.
** Checking the APFS volume superblock.
** Checking the object map.
mount_apfs: mount: Unknown error: -536870206
error: mount_apfs exit status 73
** The volume /dev/rdisk4s1 could not be verified completely.

fsck_apfs -y /dev/rdisk4s1
** Checking volume.
** Checking the container superblock.
** Checking the EFI jumpstart record.
** Checking the space manager.
** Checking the object map.
** Checking the APFS volume superblock.
** Checking the object map.
mount_apfs: mount: Unknown error: -536870206
error: mount_apfs exit status 73
** The volume /dev/rdisk4s1 could not be verified completely.

I will try to recover the files. Many thanks for your support and your suggestions guys. I appreciate it!

Gregori
 
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