GUIDE How to Enable FileVault on macOS [Clover/OpenCore]

[EliteMacx86]

How to Enable FileVault on macOS [Clover/OpenCore]

This guide covers the implementation of FileVault on macOS using Clover and OpenCore. FileVault is a solution provided by Apple which encrypts your complete drive. The credentials to unlock the drive are stored either in the iCloud or the user Account offering you a passphrase to decrypt/unlock the drive.

Setting Up FileVault

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With the use of OpenCore as a Bootloader, the implementation of FileVault is almost like real Macs. Setting up FileVault has a couple of requirements but many users just enable the FileVault from the System Preferences which results in the non-booting of macOS. This is the wrong approach to enable FileVault. In such a case, your drive will be encrypted but you'll be not able to boot into macOS anymore and end up with a sticky situation. If Preboot is not enabled, you'll not even find an option to boot. You can just unlock and decrypt the volume in order to boot to macOS. In case you're unable to boot, you would need to unlock and decrypt the volume. In order to do so, find the guide below.

How to Unlock and Decrypt FileVault

How to Unlock and Decrypt FileVault If you have tried to enable FileVault and cannot boot into macOS, this guide is for you. FileVault has few requirements and if you do it properly you can have FileVault working without any issues. But if you have not taken measures, you can end up in a sticky...

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STEP 1: Setup OpenCore
If you have already followed the OpenCore Installation Guide correctly, you don't require many of the steps.

1. Mount your ESP
2. Open your config.plist and set up the parameters below

Misc>Boot

Property	Value	Notes
PollAppleHotKeys	YES

Misc>Security

Property	Value	Notes
AuthRestart	YES	Enable VirtualSMC compatible authenticated restart Enables Authenticated restart for FileVault 2 so that password isn't required on reboot. This is optional and is considered as a security risk.

NVRAM>UUID>4D1EDE05-38C7-4A6A-9CC6-4BCCA8B38C14>Add

Key*	Value	Type	Notes
UIScale	02	DATA	Required for 4K/UHD/QHD Displays

UEFI>Input

Property	Value	Notes
KeySupport	YES

UEFI>Output

Property	Value	Notes
ProvideConsoleGop	YES

UEFI>ProtocolOverrides

Property	Value	Notes
FirmwareVolume	YES
HashServices	YES	Required for Broadwell and older Systems, including X99. Required for systems with broken SHA-1 hashing

UEFI>Quirks

Property	Value	Notes
RquestBootVarRouting	YES
ExitBootServicesDelay	3000-5000	Required for Broadwell and older Systems. Enable this option if you get Still waiting for root device error

STEP 2: Add Keyboard Input Driver
The next step is to add a Keyboard driver to have an input function with FileVault. On non-Apple firmware KeySupport, OpenUsbKbDxe, or similar drivers are required for key handling. To add the driver, follow the steps below.

1. Download OpenCore Pkg
2. Extract the package
3. Copy OpenUsbKbDxe.efi from OpenCore-0.X.X-RELEASE/X64/EFI/Drivers to EFI/OC/Drivers
4. Add the Drivers using OC Auxiliary Tools
5. Save your config.plist

STEP 3: Restart your System
After performing all the above steps, restart your system for the applied changes to take effect.

STEP 4: Enable FileVault
Now, after doing all the steps above, the final step is to enable FileVault.

1. Open System Preferences.
2. Go to Security & Privacy.
3. Go to FileVault Tab.
4. Click on the lock pad and enter your password.
5. Click on Turn On FileVault...
6. Go through the process and once the FileVault is turned on, you can restart the system

NOTE:

• If you're using a Laptop, the system will ask you to connect AC Adapter.

Problem Reporting

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Details:

1. macOS version
2. Copy of IOReg

Screenshots:

• Clover menu

Clover Files:

• Compress EFI/Clover, exclude the themes folder. Do not include complete EFI folder.

Put all files in a folder with your name, compress files as Zip and attach files using site attachments only. Do not use any external links.

 

[KVyDavid]

I have a question: Does enabling FileVault make disk speed slower? I've read some post says that non T2 real-Macs' disk performance decreased when enable FileVault

 

[EliteMacx86]

I have a question: Does enabling FileVault make disk speed slower? I've read some post says that non T2 real-Macs' disk performance decreased when enable FileVault

Probably, yes. However, with a good SSD and modern hardware, i don't think there is such.

 

[St0kki]

NVRAM>UUID>4D1EDE05-38C7-4A6A-9CC6-4BCCA8B38C14>Add

Key*	Value	Type	Notes
UIScale	02	DATA	Required for 4K/UHD/QHD Displays

My Laptop have 1080p Screen. Am i good to go with UIScale 01? Because on 02 the Picker and first Apple logo is double big as the rest of the boot screen. Like first half of boot, the Apple logo is twice the size as the second half. I would like to have the aesthetics without loosing the ability to activate FileVault.

 

[EliteMacx86]

My Laptop have 1080p Screen. Am i good to go with UIScale 01? Because on 02 the Picker and first Apple logo is double big as the rest of the boot screen. Like first half of boot, the Apple logo is twice the size as the second half. I would like to have the aesthetics without loosing the ability to activate FileVault.

Yes, correct. UIScale=2 is required for 4K/UHD Displays only.

 

[KVyDavid]

Probably, yes. However, with a good SSD and modern hardware, i don't think there is such.

I'm using SATA SSD, will the speed be affected much?

 

[EliteMacx86]

I'm using SATA SSD, will the speed be affected much?

I don't think so. Could you test it and report?

 

[KVyDavid]

I don't think so. Could you test it and report?

I measured the boot time and disk speed using Blackmagic disk speed test before and after enabling FileVault. The boot time and disk speed is about the same. Looks like disk performance is not affected much when enabling FileVault.
I tested on a KingDian 120GB m.SATA SSD

 

[EliteMacx86]

I measured the boot time and disk speed using Blackmagic disk speed test before and after enabling FileVault. The boot time and disk speed is about the same. Looks like disk performance is not affected much when enabling FileVault.
I tested on a KingDian 120GB m.SATA SSD

Thanks for reporting. As mentioned previously, this was expected due to the reason being SSD