How to Fix “Can’t Turn on FileVault” Issue on Mac

FileVault on macOS provides security to your files by encrypting the HDD using XTS-AES-128 encryption. It is pretty good encryption to protect your valuable data from unauthorized access. But recently several users have reported that they can’t turn on FileVault on their Macs and weren’t able to fix FileVault issues.

So, if you are also facing the same issue on your Mac, you have landed at the right place. In this tutorial, we are going to show you how to fix the “FileVault won’t turn on” issue on macOS.

SEE ALSO: How to Fix AirDrop Issues on Mac and iPhone?

How to Fix FileVault-Related Issues on macOS

In this tutorial, we are going to use the three most common and reliable approaches to fix the “can’t turn on FileVault” issue on macOS. These three approaches are Safe Mode, Disk Formatting Repair, and Software Update respectively. So, let’s start with the Safe Mode.

A) Use Safe Mode to Fix FileVault Issues on your Mac

Let’s try the easiest method first. So, we are going to use Safe Mode on Mac to fix FileVault issues. The Safe Mode in macOS prevents corrupt programs from starting automatically.

It also scans and repairs the disk errors if any. Besides these, Safe Mode on macOS also removes Font cache, Kernel cache, and other cache files making macOS load faster.

• First of all, restart your Mac. You can click on the Apple icon and select Restart. After that, press and hold the Shift key while your Mac reboots. Release the Shift key when you see the login screen.

• Login using your credentials. Next, launch System Preferences and go to Security & Privacy. Here, click on the FileVault tab. You will have to click on the lock icon and enter your password to unlock the settings. Now try to Turn On FileVault… by clicking on the button.

SEE ALSO: How to Start Windows 10 in Safe Mode?

B) Use Disk Utility to Repair the Disk Formatting

Sometimes, disk formatting might create problems with FileVault preventing it from turning On. So, as a second solution, we will try to fix disk formatting errors to solve the “FileVault won’t turn on” or “can’t turn on FileVault” issue. We will use the native Disk Utility available in macOS.

• First of all, launch the Disk Utility app on your Mac. You can search for disk utility in Spotlight and launch it from there.

• Select the disk which is having issues from the list of disks on the left side.

• Next, click on the First Aid button at the top to start scanning the disk for errors.

• You will see a confirmation pop-up. Click on Run to start fixing disk formatting issues and hence solve the “can’t turn on FileVault” issue on Mac. Disk Utility will scan and repair the disk if it finds any issues.

SEE ALSO: How to Format a Corrupt SD Card/USB Drive using Chromebook Recovery Utility?

C) Check for Software Update on Mac

Software bugs may cause issues with almost every application. And as we all know, the best way to fix bugs is via Software update. So, as the last resort, we are going to run Software Update on Mac.

• First, click on the Apple menu and select System Preferences. Here, look for Software Update. Now, follow the on-screen instructions to update your Mac to the latest version.

SEE ALSO: How to Factory Reset your Mac and Reinstall macOS?

Solve the “Can’t Turn on FileVault” Issue on Mac

We hope you have successfully solved the “FileVault won’t turn on” issue on your Mac. If you still can’t enable FileVault on your Mac, we suggest that you try Factory Resetting your Mac as the last resort. But we hope you won’t need it. You can also check this tutorial for hiding files and folders on Mac.

Hope you found this tutorial helpful. In case you have some queries or suggestions, please share them in the comments down below. You can also subscribe to get such tutorials directly into your inbox via email.