---
id: external-drives.forgot-password-for-encrypted-external-drive
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/forgot-password-for-encrypted-external-drive
category: "External drives"
subcategory: "Passwords and encryption"
question: "What happens if I forget the password to my encrypted external drive?"
alt_questions:
  - "Forgot encrypted external drive password Mac"
  - "Can't unlock encrypted drive"
  - "Recover data from encrypted drive without password"
  - "lost password apfs encrypted disk"
  - "encrypted drive password hint"
short_answer: "Without the password the drive's data can't be read by anyone, Apple included. Check Keychain Access and the password hint first; if it's truly lost, the only option is to erase the drive and restore your files from a backup."
tags: ["encryption", "password", "external drive"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/stop-encrypted-drive-asking-for-password", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/does-storage-studio-work-with-an-encrypted-external-drive", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/how-do-i-make-a-backup-of-my-fast-drive"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# What happens if I forget the password to my encrypted external drive?

Without the password, the data on an encrypted drive can't be read — by you, by Apple or by anyone else. That's the point of encryption, so there's no reset button. Check first whether your Mac saved it: open **Keychain Access** and search for the drive's name, or use the password hint macOS shows when you try to unlock it.

If the password is truly lost, the only way to use the drive again is to erase it in Disk Utility, which deletes everything on it. Restore your files from a backup afterwards.

To avoid this, store drive passwords in your password manager or keychain when you create them — see [how to stop a drive asking every time](https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/stop-encrypted-drive-asking-for-password).