Fixed a bug where FileVault cannot be enabled on Mac

FileVault has long been one of the most notable security and privacy features in macOS. For those of you who don't know, this built-in encryption feature is designed to encrypt Mac hard drives, along with all stored files. Using XTS-AES-128 encryption with 256-bit key, FileVault protects information from unauthorized access on the boot drive.

Recently, a few macOS users have reported that they cannot turn on FileVault on Mac. If your computer encounters a similar problem, this troubleshooting guide might be helpful.

Use Safe Mode to start the Mac

The first solution that the article will try is to boot the Mac with Safe Mode. Readers can learn more about Safe Mode in the article: Learn about startup modes in macOS.

1. First, turn on or restart the Mac.

2. Then press and hold the Shift key immediately. When the login window appears, release the Shift key.

3. After logging in, try turning on FileVault. Open System Preferences> Security & Privacy> FileVault tab . Now, click on the lock icon and enter admin password. Then, click Turn On FileVault and follow the normal process to activate it.

Note:

1. Just in case other users have a Mac account, you may see a message that says 'Each user must type in their password before they will be able to unlock the disk' . before you can unlock the drive).
2. For each user, you need to click the Enable User button and enter the user's password.
3. Note that the user accounts added after FileVault activation is turned on automatically.

Use Disk Utility to repair the format

Just in case you can't turn on FileVault on the drive, try to fix some formatting information on the drive. You can use the original Disk Utility application to easily fix the format.

1. Launch the Disk Utility application on the Mac. You can use Spotlight search to quickly find the application and launch it.

2. In the list at the left, select the drive you want to repair.

3. Now, click on First Aid.

4. Next, click Run.

Disk Utility will now look through the drive format information for errors. If the application finds any errors, it will fix it.

Update the Mac

Also, the best way to get rid of errors is to update the software. Click the Apple menu > System Preferences> Software Update . Now, follow the usual way to update macOS.