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I have a Mac with one user using File Vault. I am enabling Time Machine. How do I make sure the File Vaulted directory gets backed up?

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  • If my answer helped you, please accept it by clicking the tick mark next to it. Otherwise, please comment on what is missing. Thanks!
    – Daniel Beck ♦
    Oct 18, 2010 at 21:24
  • @daniel it did. and i did (and upvoted). sorry for the delay...
    – hvgotcodes
    Oct 22, 2010 at 14:19

2 Answers 2

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Log out with the Time Machine disk attached. It will first recover disk space, then backup. This is the only method supported by Apple.

If you only want to encrypt some files, you can create encrypted disk images using Disk Utility and copy those files there, trashing and secure deleting the originals afterwards. The Sparse Bundle format is the technology underlying FileVault.

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  • I've been suffering for years because of this. Once a week at least, I log off, so it backs up my ~.
    – Daniel Beck ♦
    Oct 14, 2010 at 21:33
  • How long do you have to log out for? Do you know of any alternatives?
    – hvgotcodes
    Oct 14, 2010 at 21:40
  • You only have to log out while it backs up, the time varies depending on the amount of changes.
    – Rwky
    Oct 14, 2010 at 23:01
  • @hvgotcodes: It's just another step during logout, like recovering FileVault disk space. It displays a progress bar during logout just like with recovering disk space. Once it's done, you see the login screen, and if the screen lighting is dimmed because of the long idle time, it goes back to full.
    – Daniel Beck ♦
    Oct 15, 2010 at 8:15
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    @hvgotcodes: Added info you asked in your duplicate question to my answer.
    – Daniel Beck ♦
    Oct 15, 2010 at 13:22
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FileVault 1 in Snow Leopard

Logging out

The method supported by Apple is as described in the accepted answer.

In addition: if using a laptop you should use AC power, or prefer to backup while on battery power (the default to not backup while on battery power probably began in Mac OS X 10.5.3).

Without logging out

See answers to the Ask Different question:

FileVault 1 in Lion

Logging out

No different from the routine for Snow Leopard.

Without logging out

Work in progress, broader than FileVault 1:

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