Password Protected Folder Won't Open!

[Christopher11]

Hey guys. I have a folder I password protected on my external USB drive, and though it opened the other day without issue, it won't open now. Same password, i know it well. It's a .dmg file, and I'm pretty sure I encrypted it in Disk Utility,. When I double click, it asks me for the password then opens and displays contents. Any tricks to managing this quirk? The next time I get it open I will copy the files to a non protected folder... I don't want to risk not having access to them. Any alternate ways to attack this issue?

I use Mojave on a 2018 MB Pro 15. The external disk is a Seagate 4TB USB drive, partitioned 2TB / 2TB. Thank you in advance for any help.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Try copying the dmg file to your Mac and then see if it opens? If it opens on the Mac...

1) Check to make sure the external drive is not full and unable to expand the file.
2) If it's not full, is it slow to access on the Mac?
3) Is it possible it was slow to respond due to other processes being open at the time?
4) How old is the drive? If it is old, have you done a health check on the drive with Disk Utility?

 

[NoBoMac]

????

Not sure I understand the problem: the problem is that it's asking for the password to open? Or that's how it was working?

When I double click, it asks me for the password then opens and displays contents. Any tricks to managing this quirk?

If not, maybe corrupt image? Did not unmount dmg before disconnecting USB and or shutting down the machine (though would think dmg would get ejected as part of normal shutdown) so needs repair?

 

[Bigwaff]

I have a folder I password protected on my external USB drive, and though it opened the other day without issue, it won't open now. Same password, i know it well. It's a .dmg file, and I'm pretty sure I encrypted it in Disk Utility,

Is it a folder or is it a DMG file? Or is it a folder containing a DMG file? Or is it a DMG file containing a folder?

 

[Christopher11]

Is it a folder or is it a DMG file? Or is it a folder containing a DMG file? Or is it a DMG file containing a folder?

It was a folder, that via Disk Utility I encrypted, and that seems to have made it a .dmg image. When it opens though, and as I mentioned it did only a few days ago, it displays the contents just like any other folder.

 

[Bigwaff]

DMG is disk image. Are you sure the disk image is not already mounted?

 

[Apple_Robert]

It was a folder, that via Disk Utility I encrypted, and that seems to have made it a .dmg image. When it opens though, and as I mentioned it did only a few days ago, it displays the contents just like any other folder.

I misunderstood your opening post. If the file opens after inputting your password, then everything is fine. When you encrypt a folder with Disk Utility, it creates a DMG file which is normal.

 

[Christopher11]

I misunderstood your opening post. If the file opens after inputting your password, then everything is fine. When you encrypt a folder with Disk Utility, it creates a DMG file which is normal.

Yes, but it isn't opening. That's why I posted here.

 

[Christopher11]

DMG is disk image. Are you sure the disk image is not already mounted?

Yes I'm sure. When I double click it tells me "Try again- please enter password to access the files on ... .dmg

 

[Apple_Robert]

Yes, but it isn't opening. That's why I posted here.

If you copy the same DMG file to your Mac and try and open, does it work?

 

[Christopher11]

If you copy the same DMG file to your Mac and try and open, does it work?

Good idea, I had tried that, same problem.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Good idea, I had tried that, same problem.

If you double-click the DMG and it keeps asking for the password...

1) The DMG file is damaged (for some reason) and can no longer open
2) You inadvertently entered the correct password but in caps?
3) The password you thought you entered wasn't entered correctly

If possible, create a new DMG file.

 

[Christopher11]

I know this password well and use it daily for another thing. It wasn't in all caps. I just tried it to be sure, but that was unlikely because I wouldn't have been able to open it again several times prior to this.

A new .dmg file? Please explain.

 

[Bigwaff]

Eject the external drive and reboot your Mac. Then reattach the external drive. Password should work.

 

[Christopher11]

Eject the external drive and reboot your Mac. Then reattach the external drive. Password should work.

Thank you, I just tried that. It didn't work. Feeling frustrated with this.

 

[halledise]

Thank you, I just tried that. It didn't work. Feeling frustrated with this.

not much help i know but perhaps you may need, going forward, to reconsider the need to protect certain files/folders?

 

[Christopher11]

Yeah I won't do this again.

 

[Bigwaff]

Launch Disk Utility, select the volume on the external drive and run First Aid.

 

[Christopher11]

Launch Disk Utility, select the volume on the external drive and run First Aid.

Thank you, I tried that twice. It told me it couldn't run First Aid due to damage, even though the drive works fine. It said restart in Recovery mode, which I did, but still it wouldn't run on that partition. When I try it on the entire drive, it says same error: that it's damaged. I should mention this is my last backup via SuperDuper of my actual HD on my Macbook.

Is there another program I can use on that partition, or on the .dmg itself?

 

[Bigwaff]

If Disk Utility is reporting the external drive is damaged and can't be repaired... assuming it is formatted HFS+, you can purchase third-party disk utility software and attempt to repair the file system... DiskWarrior, TechTool Pro... if your signature indicates your Mac's configuration, your set up is pretty old. You will have to use older versions of these utilities compatible w/ Mojave.

 

[Christopher11]

If Disk Utility is reporting the external drive is damaged and can't be repaired... assuming it is formatted HFS+, you can purchase third-party disk utility software and attempt to repair the file system... DiskWarrior, TechTool Pro... if your signature indicates your Mac's configuration, your set up is pretty old. You will have to use older versions of these utilities compatible w/ Mojave.

Yeah, it's Mojave. Okay I'll try Disk Warrior, thank you. Will that be to work on the external drive? Is there anything that would repair the .dmg itself?

 

[circatee]

Sorry if a silly question (due to the password side of things), but, do you happen to have a copy of said data elsewhere?

 

[Bigwaff]

Yeah, it's Mojave. Okay I'll try Disk Warrior, thank you. Will that be to work on the external drive? Is there anything that would repair the .dmg itself?

The drive containing the DMG. DiskWarrior might be able to repair the file system on the drive (i.e. get the drive to mount a proper file system) but can't repair the drive itself if it is mechanically failing. If the DMG (i.e. the data file) is corrupted, DiskWarrior might not be much help either.

 

[0339327]

Try another Mac. Maybe something in your computer.

BTW Disc First Aid is ill advised for non-start up drives and can show false errors.

 

[Apple_Robert]

It would be easier to create a password protected Pages document for your passwords (and store multiple copies in safe places), if you don't want to use a password manager.