[X4U] FileVault requiring WAY too much drive space?

[Kuestner, Bjoern]

> I get an error messages saying that it needs an additional 4059.9GB free > to turn on FileVault, to try deleting some files or emptying the trash.  > 4GB I could see, even 25GB, but not 4TB.  
> How can it require more that twice the space thats currently in use?

It doesn't. Your assumptions that it needs a little more than what's
currently in your home is correct. And 4 TB is absurd anyway. Oh those
creepy bugs.

Have you tried to restart and convert as the first thing?

In any way, usually when people have lots of data in their home, that is
often music, photos and movies that don't necessarily need to be encrypted.
For performance sake I recommend that you create a separate folder somewhere
else and "outsource" big data to that folder, leaving mostly mail and office
documents etc. in your home.

If you really want to encrypt these data, too, it might still be wiser to
create an encrypted disk image that is stored outside your home. I found
these easier to manage, because you have full control over the location of
that disk image and when you want to compact.

If you decide to leave everything in your home, you can move the big data to
another location. Try the conversion by turning FileVault on, then moving
them back (which now means that OS X will copy and you have to delete the
originals afterwards).

Björn


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