Is a backup on an external drive encrypted?

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Level 1

34 points

Is a backup on an external drive encrypted?

Hello,

I have a backup of my Mac on an external Hard drive that is not working on my Mac. The company that supplied it have agreed to refund me but want me to send the drive back to them. I am unable to erase the disk as it doesn't show in Finder, and whilst it occasionally shows in disk utility, it does not respond to first aid or erasing or reformatting. I am concerned about sending it back to them as I am not sure if the backup could be accessed by a third party. They have assured me they will erase my data, but I am still concerned.

Am I best to just accept the loss and not send it back for a refund?

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 12.7

Posted on Oct 13, 2025 6:41 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Phil0124

Level 10

216,842 points

Oct 13, 2025 7:12 AM in response to SallyP

That kind of depends on what kind of backup you made.

Was it a Time Machine backup? Or some other 3rd party software?

For Time Machine, it can be encrypted fi you enable the option but it's not enabled by default.

click here ➜ Keep your Time Machine backup disk for Mac secure - Apple Support

For other software you would need to verify whether the software encrypts the backup or not.

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Answer 2

Phil0124

Level 10

216,842 points

Oct 13, 2025 8:37 AM in response to SallyP

SallyP wrote:

Thanks Phil, it was a Time Machine back up but I don't remember specifically enabling an option for encryption and I don't remember setting a password... but it is a long time ago that I set up the backup options.

Then it's likely not encrypted.

With that said, if you can't access it, it portal failed and data cannot be accessed anyway. Also I doubt the company is interested in your data even if they could access it.

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Answer 3

SallyP Author

Level 1

34 points

Oct 13, 2025 7:31 AM in response to Phil0124

Thanks Phil, it was a Time Machine back up but I don't remember specifically enabling an option for encryption and I don't remember setting a password... but it is a long time ago that I set up the backup options.

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