Extremely slow write speed to encrypted external drive on Mavericks

1. Why does it take so long to encrypt a hard drive?
2. Are encrypted drives slower?
3. Why is my external hard drive so slow on Mac?
4. How do I speed up Time Machine encryption on Mac?

Why does it take so long to encrypt a hard drive?

Resolution. Encryption is a time-consuming and CPU-intensive process. The larger the disk or partition being encrypted, the longer the encryption process can take.

Are encrypted drives slower?

The person who has the encryption key, however, can encrypt or decrypt the drive in just a few clicks. Because the encryption method uses the drive, rather than the CPU, there is no slow down in performance.

Why is my external hard drive so slow on Mac?

If there are more pieces of files on your system, the system performance will reduce, leading to external hard drive really slow on Mac. This process is referred to as fragmentation. To improve the system's performance, you must do the opposite which is to defragment the drive.

How do I speed up Time Machine encryption on Mac?

To speed up the process of TM encryption, go to Disk Utility, select your external HDD and erase and use the option journaled/encrypted. Once your external HDD is erased, you can redo the backup and the encryption will be as fast as a flash.