[sdak]

Dave,

I am Inserting my Comments on every point in your Reply using Quotes Feature! Thanks!

FileVault 2 and formatting encrypted are the same thing.

So, are you saying that it • is • possible possible to • not • use FileVault 2 on my Internal Macintosh HD on my MacBook Pro, but

FileVault 2 and formatting encrypted are the same thing.

is that what Apple is using for the External HDs Ecryption?

If you're concerned about being able to boot to an encrypted drive, the best thing to do is to have an alternate. Install OS X to a thumbdrive, along with SuperDuper. Boot from that, and verify you can access your encrypted backup and your source. That way, you'll know the data can be read, even if you have a boot problem.

Regarding "OS X to a thumbdrive, along with SuperDuper"…

I've created a Thumbdrive Emergency Disk as per these Instructions:

How to make a bootable Mountain Lion install drive | Macworld http://j.mp/1bDKmQB

I was able to Restart from it, and Repair my Internal Macintosh HD. But…

How do I Install SD onto that 8 GB USB Disk?
BTW, I've also created an 8GB Partition my Other Partition that is on the same HD as my SD Clone!
Do I just do this:

Drag and Drop SD Application onto that 8GB Partition on USB HD, or elsewhere
Then Launch SD on that 8GB
Under SuperDuper Menu, Open "Register…"
Type in my Registration Number, and Click OK

Is that it?

As to

Boot from that, and verify you can access your encrypted backup and your source. That way, you'll know the data can be read, even if you have a boot problem.

This is how I understand it:

Boot from that 8GB USB Thumbdrive, that has SD on it.
See if it allows me to Read the Content on my Encrypted HD!
If YES, how do I Launch SD that is on that 8GB USB Thumbdrive?!

I just tested my 8GB USB Thumbdrive, it's 10.8.2, which I can Update later. But for now here is a Q:

When Launched from that 8GB USB Thumbdrive, I can't see a Desktop, I just see that Linen Background! So how do I Launch SD that is on that 8GB USB Thumbdrive?!

As I looked through the Menu Options on that 8GB USB Thumbdrive, I saw that I could Browse Safari, so I went to your SD Site http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDup...scription.html and I tried to see if I could Download SD on that 8GB USB Thumbdrive, even though I still can't figure out How Would I Launch SD from that Thumbdrive!

I got an Error:

Safari could not download the file "SuperDuper!dmg" because there is not enough disk space!

So now, as I am writing this after a Restart into my Main User, I did Get Info on that 8GB USB Thumbdrive, and it shows:

Capacity 7.87 GB
Available 3.39 GB
Used 4.47 GB

Then I did Get Info on SuperDuper! Application on my Mac, and it's 6.4 MB!!!!

So why did I get that Error, when 64 MB is a lot smaller than Available 3.39 GB of Free Space on my 8GB USB Thumbdrive?

And again - How Would I Launch SD from that Thumbdrive?!

Keep in mind that I have Firmware Password on my Internal HD! But I don't see how that would be related to that Error about Not Enough Space!

You're better off using Apple's encryption than Symantec's (or other 3rd party full-disk encryption).

I called Symantec # on this page

Symantec Drive Encryption (powered by PGP Technology) http://j.mp/1gGfi7S

After a long time on Hold, and being bounced between various extensions, where they were looking to make a Quick Sale, I spoke to their more Tech Savvy Reps.

I asked them about my Scenario, where I wanted to Encrypt an External HD with Symantec PGP, then Clone my Mac with SuperDuper! onto that HD and be able to Boot from that HD, in case I need to use SuperDuper or whatever else!

I asked them to look at their System Requirements Tab on that Page

Symantec Drive Encryption (powered by PGP Technology) http://j.mp/1gGfi7S where it said:

Mac OS X

Disks formatted using the APM partition scheme
Any type of server hardware, including RAID disk drives and software RAID drives
Diskettes and CD-RW/DVD-RWs
exFAT formatted disks
Any configuration where the system partition is not on the same disk as boot partition
Authentication Options

Then I focused their attention on this Bullet Point:

Any configuration where the system partition is not on the same disk as boot partition

Their Response was - you can NOT Boot from that HD, because Symantec Drive Encryption (powered by PGP Technology) wouldn't let the Mac see that it's a Bootable Drive!

They promised to look further into that Scenario and get back to me!

I hope they mis-spoke, so that product could be an Option for me, but… After that phone call, I now FEAR that product as much, if not more than FileVault 2, after all its sometimes Less Than Enthusiasm Inducing Perception!

Dave,

I hope all this Explicit Feedback gives you and others a More Vivid Picture of this Situation!

Bravo on this Discussions - Forum!

Keep in mind that I have Firmware Password on my Internal HD! It seemed very "Straight Forward", and Far Less Scary than FileVault and Symantec PGP!

I was able to Start from my SD Clone, so I assume that I'd be able to Restore from my Clone, and Firmware Password on my Internal HD will NOT get in the way, right? Please Confirm that!


It would be great if Apple Offered a Better Education with Show And Tell Videos about FileVault 2 and the rest of their Security Paradigm, so that Developers like you wouldn't have to be tortured with long Comments like this, ha ha ha !

Thanks as always for your Stellar Product, SuperDuper!


Thanks in advance for your help!

As to:

As far as Mavericks goes, there's a pointer to the announcement right in the forums (near the top).

Thank Your for The Happy News!

Shirt Pocket Watch - Mavericks
http://www.shirt-pocket.com/blog/ind...nts/mavericks/

I wonder why you didn't have that Happy News on your Main SuperDuper! Page
http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDup...scription.html ?!

Best Wishes!!!