ARCHIVED: In Mac OS X, how do I password-protect my computer?
Because Mac OS X is based on Unix, it provides native support for a password-protected, multiple-user environment. By default, you are required to create a single user account with a password. If you have only one user account created, your computer will not prompt you for a password when your computer starts. However, you may secure your computer with a password as follows:
- From the Apple menu, select .
- From the menu, select (Mac OS X 10.7) or (Mac OS X 10.6 and earlier).
- In Mac OS X 10.5 and later, at the bottom of the left panel, click
In Mac OS X 10.4 and 10.3, at the bottom of the left panel, click
, and in the right panel, uncheck . If is grayed out, click the padlock icon in the bottom of the preference window, and then authenticate to log into your account. . In the right panel next to "Automatic login:",
select or from the pull-down menu. If is grayed out, click the padlock icon in the bottom of
the preference window, and then authenticate to log into your account.
When starting your computer, you will have to authenticate to access your account. You may also log out of your computer without restarting. From the Apple menu, select
.Locking your screen
Mac OS X also allows you to lock your screen when the screen saver becomes active. You will then have to enter your password to regain access to your computer. To activate this feature:
- From the Apple menu, select .
- From the menu, select (10.7) or (10.6 and earlier).
- In 10.7 or 10.6, under the
In 10.5 or 10.4, check
. tab, check , and then choose
how long the computer can be asleep, or the screen saver active,
before a password is required.
To add an item to your menu bar that allows you to quickly lock the screen and turn on the screen saver:
- From your
Applications
folder, open yourUtilities
folder, and then openKeychain Access
. - From the menu, select . Under the tab, check (10.7) or (10.6 and earlier).
- The padlock icon will appear in your menu bar in the upper right corner of your screen. To lock your screen, click this icon, and then from the menu that appears, select .
This is document ajqx in the Knowledge Base.
Last modified on 2018-01-18 13:04:37.