Can't Shut Off File Vault

R

Rappy

Registered
Hi there. I am running OS 10.3.5 on a G5 dual 2.0. I initially turned on FileVault. Now I want to shut it off but it won't let me. I go to System Preferences, click on the Security icon, and click the tab that says "Shut Off FileVault." I then enter my password (I am the administrator), which it accepts. Then I get a message saying the computer is preparing to shut off FileVault, which may take a few minutes. I get a blank screen with the "gear" spinning for a few seconds. When this is over, it appears that the job is done, but FileVault is still on. If I restart, I am prompted to enter my user password, and if I go back to System Preferences, sure enough it is still on.

I have repeated this same process a dozen times with always the same result. I spent 30 min on the phone with Apple tech support. They told me to do the following: Go to the Finder, click on Library, click on Preferences, and delete 2 files: com.apple.windowserver.plist and com.apple.loginwindow.plist. I tried dragging these files to the trash can, restarting, and shutting off FileVault once again. Still no dice.

Any advice?

Thanks you!
Rappy
 
Is there enough free space for the system to copy your stuff _out_ of the vault before deleting the vault? I had that problem the other way 'round, i.e. couldn't turn FileVault _on_, because it didn't have enough free space in order to create the disk image it uses for the vault.

But then again it should tell you that and not just do as if it'd work...
 
Thanks for the advice, but I'm afraid that's not it. I have plenty of space on my hard drive and 1.5 GB of RAM.
 
Have you restarted the computer in single user mode, and run fsck -f or something like that? (I can't remember off hand the command). You can search for it in the forums...
Then repair permissions again, and try it... If not try trashing the plists again.

Also, instead of using your password, trying using the SU password...
 
Something else to try before smashing the machine: Create a second user without File Vault, then enable File Vault for that user and try turning it off again for that one. This way you can find out whether it's the system's fault (if it doesn't work for that new, empty user, either) or the user's fault (if it does work for the second one).

I don't actually mean 'your' fault, I mean something inside the vault, a file, some permissions etc. Fixing permissions doesn't make sure that you have access to everything inside your home folder... You could also just try to chown everything inside your vault...

As a _LAST_ resort:

1.) Backup everything inside your home folder.
2.) Create a second admin user (temporary).
3.) Delete the first admin user completely.
4.) Create it again.
5.) Apply backup.
6.) Get rid of the temporary second admin user.

You say you've got enough disk space, so that should work as a last resort...
 
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