Mac Drive Encrypted (??)

[elemelas]

Hi all, I've cracked the screen on my MacBook Pro i7 with touchbar. I was using it with USB-C to HDMI adapter to external monitor no problem. I left it for an hour and I couldn't get back into it. The only thing that seems to work is to press the power (fingerprint) button until I see the Recovery Assistant. However, as per below screenshot, it says the drive is encrypted (????). How could that have happened and is there any way around this without erasing the Mac? My normal OS X password doesn't work when I try to decrypt it.... HELP!!

 

[DeltaMac]

Your hard drive is encrypted, probably with File Vault.
You will have to use the unlock code or key to use the drive - not the same as your login or admin password, unless you chose to use the same password to enable FileVaulr.
But, it sounds like you don't know anything about the encryption on the hard drive.
Do you own this Macbook Pro? Are you the only user?

How long have you been using it with an external display (because of the broken screen)?
Finally, does anyone else have physical access to your MBPro?

And, the hard question: Is there any possibility that your Mac has been hacked, then locked, and the hacker either called you, or sent you a message with a plan to allow you purchase the new unlock code (ransomware, etc)
(check for a relevant text or email...)

 

[elemelas]

Thanks for your reply.

I own the Mac and no one else has access to it. I've been using it with broken screen for last 2 months without any issues. Few people around me would have had physical access who I trust they would never do that to me as we are good friends.

I have had no interaction with anybody, giving anyone any access to anything.

So unless someone has hacked it over hotel WiFi (I'm in the hotel atm). I wasn't using a VPN at the time when connected to the network?

Is there any way to fix this without erasing the drive? I'm baffled...

 

[elemelas]

After connecting second external monitor (so 2 external monitors) I've managed to get into the Recovery Mode. I've put in my password and after 3hrs it's still on this screen:



How long should it take to decrypt 400GB SSD? (I don't know exact speed of it, it's a standard Mac SSD) Should I keep waiting overnight or am I just wasting time and be better of installing OS on the spare partition (that I never knew that existed) and try from OS level?

 

[DeltaMac]

Hmm.... -- usually, when you boot from power off, an encrypted drive is locked. No access until you unlock the drive.
Not sure why it is decrypting now, and not simply unlocking. Simply unlocking, for access or for booting, should normally only take a few seconds.
Actually decrypting might take several hours, so I think that you just need to wait the process out.
But, you might try installing system on that spare partition, letting you boot, then deal with the encrypted drive "Macintosh HD" from the desktop of your newly installed system on the OS2 drive.
(Just a curious question: Are you saying that you own this MBPro, but you did not make that OS 2 partition? Could you show a screen shot in your Disk Utility, which would show the various partitions on your SSD? Be sure to set the View menu for "Show All Devices"

 

[elemelas]

Thank you for the answers. No, I don't remember making any partitions because I wouldn't have any use for it. At the moment I cannot access Disk Utility, I will leave the Mac overnight and see if the decryption process finishes. If its still like that in the morning then I will install the OS on OS2 partition. Everything seems so strange.

 

[DeltaMac]

Disk Utility is on the same menu that you use when you try to reinstall Monterey. Are you saying that you see that menu, but Disk Utility will not open (but the Monterey installer does open?)
Is that partition (OS2) from a previous user or owner? (and you are not the original owner?) It absolutely did not come new with a partition named OS2.

 

[elemelas]

I am the original owner, got the Mac brand new, straight from Apple. What I was trying to say is that I didn't want to stop the decryption process by pressing on quit OS installation, where the decryption was (in theory). After 12hrs it's still the same though, so I have quit and now I can show you Disk Utility.

 

[elemelas]

I have managed to successfully install Monterrey from the internet recovery and from the desktop level to unlock my Macintosh HD with my regular profile password. Got my files back but I'm still unable to log into that OS, so now I'm going to erase that partition, install Monterrey on it and migrate everything from my OS2. Christ, what was all that about.... ?!

Thanks for your help mate, much appreciated.