Can't turn off encryption in Fusion 5, MBP Air

[calgo]

I installed Ubuntu in Fusion 5.0.3 on my MacBook Air (latest Haswell) and turned on encryption. Now I have changed my mind and would like to only use FileVault in the Mac.

But I can't turn encryption off again. The password is correct (I can use the VM without problem), but I get a message box saying "Unable to decrypt virtual machine: Disk problem".

I have allocated 80GB disk to the VM (initially I accepted the default but I have increased it since). The checkboxes for preallocation and split into 2GB files are not checked. The size of the vm directory is 11G.

Am I doing something wrong here or should it be impossible to 'unencrypt' my drive? Is there another option if I don't want it encrypted (and don't want to reinstall Ubuntu, gah), it seems a bit of a waste to double-encrypt with both FileVault and in VMWare.

I would be very grateful for any help!

Best,

Carl

[WoodyZ]

Without the password you will not be able to decrypt it!

The only salvage option would be to boot the VM with a Linux Live CD/DVD and make a file level backup to restore to another unencrypted empty, but partitioned and formatted, VM and then repair the boot loader.

[calgo]

I don't know if I was unclear but I do have the password, of course. And it is correct, otherwise I wouldn't be able to even enter the settings for the VM.

Also, the error message for trying to unencrypt when I try another password is different, so the password seem to be very correct indeed.

To be extremely clear - I can use and run and manage my Ubuntu bubble without any problems at all, it's just when I try to turn encryption off that I get this message.

The file level backup procedure is not fully clear to me but somehow copying the contents of the virtual machine to an unencrypted bubble has crossed my mind.

I can't find any bug reporting facility (this is an evaluation license) so I might just ditch VMWare altogether and use something else instead, it doesn't feel very comfortable when things like this fail.

[ColoradoMarmot]

I think this is the key:  (initially I accepted the default but I have increased it since)

Did you decrypt it before altering the disk configuration?  If not, that's likely the issue.

But your original point is correct - encrypting with FV2 is much more secure.  Encrypting with Fusion leaves a lot of data at risk.

[calgo]

And how was I supposed to know that? Sounds like a serious flaw if true. Is there a way to contact VMWare to let them know about bugs?

Am I lost then, I can't get rid of the encryption in my bubble? It's very slow to suspend and I suspect I get other performance hits as well.

[WoodyZ]

calgo wrote: Is there a way to contact VMWare to let them know about bugs?

Have a look at: Reporting a Defect

Am I lost then, I can't get rid of the encryption in my bubble?

I already gave you the workaround solution, file level backup and restore to a normal disk and repair the boot loader.

[ColoradoMarmot]

Agreed, if it is the issue, then Fusion shouldn't allow changes to disks while encrypted.  I can't be sure that that's the issue, but encryption is finicky so it's a likely candidate.

Woody's right on the workaround.