Understanding and Troubleshooting FileVault Password and Recovery Key Issues on Intel Mac Mini (Late 2018)
Introduction
FileVault provides robust disk encryption for macOS systems, ensuring data security and privacy. However, users may encounter issues where the FileVault password or recovery key is unexpectedly rejected, even when the credentials are correct. This article explores a real-world scenario involving an Intel Mac Mini (late 2018) running macOS Sequoia, detailing the troubleshooting process and insights into potential underlying causes.
Scenario Overview
The device in question is a late 2018 Intel Mac Mini used for work purposes. The user employs an external bootable drive with FileVault encryption enabled to segregate work and personal data securely. The setup involves booting from this external drive by restarting the Mac, holding down the ALT key, and selecting the drive as the startup disk.
For over two years, the user’s consistent password enabled smooth operation. Suddenly, attempts to boot from this external drive fail, as the system refuses to accept the known FileVault password or recovery key, rendering the drive inaccessible at startup. Interestingly, the underlying encrypted data remains accessible when booting from another disk using the same password, indicating that the issue is isolated to the boot process.
Key Observations
- The password used for FileVault and the user account has remained unchanged for years.
- When booting from a different disk, the password successfully unlocks the encrypted partition.
- Repeated careful entry of the password during initial setup and re-encryption attempts does not resolve the issue.
- The recovery key, which was previously saved, is now also rejected.
- Creating a new admin user and re-encrypting the disk replicate the same problem after reboot.
- External storage appears unaffected, and the issue seems confined to the internal boot process.
Troubleshooting Steps
- Data Backup: All accessible data was secured by copying from the problematic drive to a safe external location to prevent data loss.
- System Reinstallation: macOS was reinstalled to eliminate potential software corruption or misconfiguration.
- Re-Encryption: FileVault was reactivated, entering the original password carefully and securing a new recovery key.
- Post-Reinstallation Checks: After rebooting, both the new FileVault password and the newly generated recovery key were rejected during startup.
- Alternative User Accounts: A secondary administrator account was created, but it was also unable to authenticate at startup.
Potential Causes and Hypotheses
System Update Interference
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