File Vault Encryption taking forever

[FFTT]

I activated File Vault to encrypt my HOME folder last night at about 2:00 A.M.

I'm posting here on my trusty 'ol G3

This morning it was still running for several hours finishing the deletion
of the previous home folder.

Now it's been showing time remaining "About 5 seconds" for the last hour and a half and it's just past 4 P.M.

I have about 45 GB used on the 250 GB HD.

I'm waiting for this to finish so I can get rolling on the reformat of my 160.

Ugh!

 

[MacDawg]

Any particular reason you are actually using File Vault?

Might make a good poll question...
Do you use it? And why?

Woof, Woof - Dawg

 

[FFTT]

I want to keep my kids from messing up my system even more than I do on my own.

 

[MacDawg]

I just haven't found a good reason to use it, but that's just me.

Woof, Woof - Dawg

 

[FFTT]

Well those 5 seconds remaining have lasted more than 3 hours now.
I hit escape just to see what was going on a I can quit the operation, but
the encryption will not be successful according to the info window.

I realize that 45 GB is a lot of information to work through, but never thought it would take this long.

 

[DeSnousa]

I want to keep my kids from messing up my system even more than I do on my own.

What's wrong with setting up a non-adminstrative account and using parental controls?

 

[FFTT]

I'd rather just keep my G5's system to one account.

We have the G3 and the VAIO for most of their usage.

I'm working on getting them a mini to replace the VAIO
ASAP.

I'm really just wondering why the File Vault applicaton is hanging up right before it's supposed to be finished.

 

[alex_ant]

The short answer is because Filevault is buggy and it sucks. If you need to encrypt data, the best way to do it is to make encrypted disk images using Disk Utility and mount them as needed.

 

[FFTT]

It worked O.K. before, but now it's having a problem somewhere.



5 hours of 5 seconds to go and I've given up.

Now it's taking forever still to cancel.

 

[MacDawg]

The short answer is because Filevault is buggy and it sucks. If you need to encrypt data, the best way to do it is to make encrypted disk images using Disk Utility and mount them as needed.

Bingo...

Woof, Woof - Dawg

 

[Bear]

I want to keep my kids from messing up my system even more than I do on my own.

Using filevault without otherwise protecting the system will allow the kids to mess it up anyway, since they'll be logged into your account.

If you don't want them to mess it up, they should use a seperate account without administrator privs.

 

[mklos]

I agree with everyone else. Multiple accounts is something that Apple has done an awesome job of. You can limit anything, from apps, printer administration, who they chat to on iChat, where they go on the internet, etc... It blows multiple users in Windoze away!

 

[Eniregnat]

The file vault is encryption, not compression. There is a lot of math involved. It's going to take time and space. As everybody notes above, multiple accounts are really executed well. If you have pre-teens or teen that are likely to get around this, then the file vault is your only option. I was one of those kids who took apart the TV and knew my parents pin's (even when they had forgotten them). I understand the fear.

I wouldn't shy away from the file vault. For those traveling or working on sensitive materials, it is a great first line of dense. If you work with relatively small files, it's usual not a problem.

 

[FFTT]

I understand what you mean about additional user accounts, but my new G5 is not meant to be a family computer.

Even though my kids have been around computers since they were little,
I don't want them using this one unless I'm home and they have a special
project that the other 2 computers can't handle.

File vault was working fine on my original hard drive, but setting it up for the new one has taken way too long.

I cancelled the operation 5 hours ago and it's still running.

Now I'm afraid to just kill it by rebooting.