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Restart a FileVault Mac Without Unlocking It by Hand (fdesetup authrestart)

Reboot while temporarily passing the disk-unlock key to the firmware so the Mac boots straight through.

macOSmacossecurityfilevaultencryptionMedium risk
Run `sudo fdesetup authrestart`, enter the account password when prompted, and the Mac reboots past the FileVault unlock screen.

01Command

Command
$ sudo fdesetup authrestart

02What it does

Normally a FileVault Mac stops at the pre-boot screen and waits for a password before the disk can be decrypted, which breaks unattended restarts after updates or remote maintenance. fdesetup authrestart asks once for the account password, hands a one-time unlock key to the EFI firmware, and reboots — the disk unlocks automatically on the way up and then presents the normal login screen. If FileVault is not active, fdesetup reports that the command is unavailable. You can confirm FileVault state first with `fdesetup status`.

03Risk

RiskMedium risk
RequirementsFileVault enabled; admin privileges; interactive password prompt (or -key file for scripting).
!Warning: Use this only on a Mac you control physically — the bypass exists only for that single reboot; if you abort mid-boot, the normal unlock screen returns.

04Undo

✓No undo needed — this command does not change persistent state.

05Sources

  • fdesetup(8) - FileVault configuration
    ManPagez · technical · 2026-09-17
    Evidence: Mirrors the fdesetup man page: authrestart restarts the system and bypasses the FileVault pre-boot unlock, so no one has to enter the disk password at the login screen.
  • fdesetup(8) man page
    Xcode Man Pages (keith.github.io) · technical · 2026-09-17
    Evidence: Documents the `authrestart` verb: 'Restart the system, bypassing the initial unlock mechanism' — the Mac reboots and automatically unlocks the disk using the provided credentials.

Last verified: 2026-09-19 · Category: Security & Privacy

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