Filevault: What am I doing wrong?

blackbeard

I would like to use filevault to encrypt a handful of business documents and files worth no more than 20 megs. When I try to turn it on, it tells me that it needs 4000 gigs free to do the process. How can I fix this so that my 20 megs of files are securely stored with Filevault? Or alternatively, what other utility can do the same trick?

thinkingdifferent

You can use Disk Utility to create an encrypted disk image.

jwink3101

I agree with the above. I just want to add that you should look into sparseimages rather than regular images. They are done exactly the same way except they grow when you add stuff. When you delete stuff, you need to shrink it. Check Macosxhints.com for info on shrinking them and creating them. You could also check Apple's help for creating them.



FileVault actually uses these rather than a normal DMG. the whole shrinking them thing is why you need to log out and relog in to recover old space

ichiban_jay

File vault encrypts your entire home folder (desktop, documents, movies, music, pictures, anything that is under your screen name under Finder). Unfortunately, file vault can't do just one file or folder. You'll want to use Disk Utility to created a encrypted and mountable image for something small like that... I don't know the particulars, but I've heard of it.



Hope that helps a bit.

blackbeard

wow thats so helpful, thank you all very much!