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How to block App Store

M

MikeGreo

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 15, 2019
62
0
I want to completely block App Store app from running, but so far nothing has worked.

I would appreciate a solution to this.

Many thanks.
 
bogdanw

bogdanw

macrumors 603
Mar 10, 2009
6,099
3,011
MikeGreo said:
I want to completely block App Store app from running, but so far nothing has worked.
Click to expand...
What do you mean? If you don’t open it, it doesn’t run.
Are you referring to notifications for app updates?
 
M

MikeGreo

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 15, 2019
62
0
I don't want any user to be able to install any programs through App Store. The user account is a standard account, not admin. And can't find a way to block App Store. This is to prevent user from circumventing settings in place. So many things can be circumventing by installing a program in App Store.
 
bogdanw

bogdanw

macrumors 603
Mar 10, 2009
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M

MikeGreo

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 15, 2019
62
0
Thanks for your response.

I've downloaded and installed iMazing Profile Editor and have checked those settings mentioned for "restrict-store-softwareupdate-only". However how do I make it take effect? Still App Store launching like nothing has changed. I restarted the machine but still the same.
 
M

MikeGreo

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 15, 2019
62
0
Hate to re-opened this thread once it was solved, but just faced a problem.

Literally just needed to update profile so I updated restrictions and installed profile again and I'm getting an error now. "Could not open profile".

How can I fix this?
 
M

MikeGreo

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 15, 2019
62
0
Now getting

The profile “Untitled (MacBook-Pro.5965F16AA609)” could not be installed due to an unexpected error.
<CPDomainPlugIn:101>
 
bogdanw

bogdanw

macrumors 603
Mar 10, 2009
6,099
3,011
Here is a profile created and tested in Monterey
Code: 
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>PayloadContent</key>
    <array>
        <dict>
            <key>PayloadDisplayName</key>
            <string>App Store settings</string>
            <key>PayloadIdentifier</key>
            <string>com.apple.appstore.0962BA35-1359-4E8E-9234-5B20B60FA6FD</string>
            <key>PayloadType</key>
            <string>com.apple.appstore</string>
            <key>PayloadUUID</key>
            <string>0962BA35-1359-4E8E-9234-5B20B60FA6FD</string>
            <key>PayloadVersion</key>
            <integer>1</integer>
            <key>restrict-store-softwareupdate-only</key>
            <true/>
        </dict>
    </array>
    <key>PayloadDisplayName</key>
    <string>BlockAppStore</string>
    <key>PayloadIdentifier</key>
    <string>MAC.3D38E81A-CD6E-46AF-8521-9A9520D32894</string>
    <key>PayloadScope</key>
    <string>System</string>
    <key>PayloadType</key>
    <string>Configuration</string>
    <key>PayloadUUID</key>
    <string>3D38E81A-CD6E-46AF-8521-9A9520D32894</string>
    <key>PayloadVersion</key>
    <integer>1</integer>
    <key>TargetDeviceType</key>
    <integer>5</integer>
</dict>
</plist>
You can create a plain text document in TextEdit, copy-paste it and save it as .mobileconfig
https://support.apple.com/guide/textedit/start-new-documents-txtee6663a0e/1.16/mac/11.0
 
M

MikeGreo

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 15, 2019
62
0
bogdanw said:
Here is a profile created and tested in Monterey
Code: 
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>PayloadContent</key>
    <array>
        <dict>
            <key>PayloadDisplayName</key>
            <string>App Store settings</string>
            <key>PayloadIdentifier</key>
            <string>com.apple.appstore.0962BA35-1359-4E8E-9234-5B20B60FA6FD</string>
            <key>PayloadType</key>
            <string>com.apple.appstore</string>
            <key>PayloadUUID</key>
            <string>0962BA35-1359-4E8E-9234-5B20B60FA6FD</string>
            <key>PayloadVersion</key>
            <integer>1</integer>
            <key>restrict-store-softwareupdate-only</key>
            <true/>
        </dict>
    </array>
    <key>PayloadDisplayName</key>
    <string>BlockAppStore</string>
    <key>PayloadIdentifier</key>
    <string>MAC.3D38E81A-CD6E-46AF-8521-9A9520D32894</string>
    <key>PayloadScope</key>
    <string>System</string>
    <key>PayloadType</key>
    <string>Configuration</string>
    <key>PayloadUUID</key>
    <string>3D38E81A-CD6E-46AF-8521-9A9520D32894</string>
    <key>PayloadVersion</key>
    <integer>1</integer>
    <key>TargetDeviceType</key>
    <integer>5</integer>
</dict>
</plist>
You can create a plain text document in TextEdit, copy-paste it and save it as .mobileconfig
https://support.apple.com/guide/textedit/start-new-documents-txtee6663a0e/1.16/mac/11.0
Click to expand...
Thanks for that info. After I created the file, how do I use it? Do I open Profiles and use it there?
 
M

MikeGreo

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 15, 2019
62
0
Still stuck. This is an error. The profile installation fails. Simply repeating the steps like first time which had worked, no longer working. I get:

"The profile “Untitled (MacBook-Pro.65F16AA609)” could not be installed due to an unexpected error.
<CPDomainPlugIn:101>"
 
bogdanw

bogdanw

macrumors 603
Mar 10, 2009
6,099
3,011
I don’t remember encountering this error when installing profiles.
I thought it might be a corrupted profile, so I’ve posted an example of a working one, so that you can compare with the one you have created.
Another cause might be that you are trying to install from a user account that is not an admin.
Or that it wasn’t properly uninstalled.
Try to run from Terminal
Code: 
sudo profiles list -all
to see if any profiles are still installed.
If a profileIdentifier (the string like MAC.3D38E81A-CD6E-46AF-8521-9A9520D32894) is identical to the one you are trying to install, you can remove it with
Code: 
sudo profiles remove -identifier MAC.3D38E81A-CD6E-46AF-8521-9A9520D32894
then try to install it again the normal way.
 
M

MikeGreo

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 15, 2019
62
0
I tried that command you sent and I get
"There are no configuration profiles installed"
 
bogdanw

bogdanw

macrumors 603
Mar 10, 2009
6,099
3,011
Could you share the updated profile you have created? The one that triggered the initial error "Could not open profile"
Have you tried logging out/rebooting?
 
M

MikeGreo

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 15, 2019
62
0
I'll try the reboot. Doesn't seem like any problem with the profile though as I'm using iMazing Profile Editor. In fact the last profile that I had used, I had saved. Literally just stopped the profile because I need to access one of the restrictions, but than just wanted to renable with same settings and it gave me error. Very annoying. I thought this sort of nonsense only happened in Microsoft.
 
M

MikeGreo

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 15, 2019
62
0
Profile was this btw:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>PayloadContent</key>
<array/>
<key>PayloadDisplayName</key>
<string>Untitled</string>
<key>PayloadIdentifier</key>
<string>Users-MacBook-Pro.D5E33AA3-F33B-4668-B378-F49ACA30AB36</string>
<key>PayloadType</key>
<string>Configuration</string>
<key>PayloadUUID</key>
<string>D5E33AA3-F33B-4668-B378-F49ACA30AB36</string>
<key>PayloadVersion</key>
<integer>1</integer>
</dict>
</plist>
 
bogdanw

bogdanw

macrumors 603
Mar 10, 2009
6,099
3,011
MikeGreo said:
Profile was this btw:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>PayloadContent</key>
<array/>
<key>PayloadDisplayName</key>
<string>Untitled</string>
<key>PayloadIdentifier</key>
<string>Users-MacBook-Pro.D5E33AA3-F33B-4668-B378-F49ACA30AB36</string>
<key>PayloadType</key>
<string>Configuration</string>
<key>PayloadUUID</key>
<string>D5E33AA3-F33B-4668-B378-F49ACA30AB36</string>
<key>PayloadVersion</key>
<integer>1</integer>
</dict>
</plist>
Click to expand...
It's missing the restriction restrict-store-softwareupdate-only
 
M

MikeGreo

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 15, 2019
62
0
I tried with restriction added, including copying and pasting the one you created, same problem.
 
M

MikeGreo

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 15, 2019
62
0
I created a new admin account and tried to install profile, still getting error. Looks like something is corrupted, or perhaps permission issues are not allowing it to work. But I would know which folders/files to check for permissions for Profile install to work properly. Anyone know?
 
M

MikeGreo

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 15, 2019
62
0
Finally got it working! I just uninstalled iMazing Profile Editor and installed it again. I then repeated the additional settings and the same problem happened! So there must be something wrong with my profile settings:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>PayloadContent</key>
<array>
<dict>
<key>PayloadDisplayName</key>
<string>App Store settings</string>
<key>PayloadIdentifier</key>
<string>com.apple.appstore.579B70AA-3C0A-409C-8F68-7A8F718471A1</string>
<key>PayloadType</key>
<string>com.apple.appstore</string>
<key>PayloadUUID</key>
<string>579B70AA-3C0A-409C-8F68-7A8F718471A1</string>
<key>PayloadVersion</key>
<integer>1</integer>
<key>restrict-store-disable-app-adoption</key>
<true/>
<key>restrict-store-mdm-install-softwareupdate-only</key>
<false/>
<key>restrict-store-require-admin-to-install</key>
<true/>
<key>restrict-store-softwareupdate-only</key>
<true/>
</dict>
<dict>
<key>DenyListURLs</key>
<array>
<string>2-01-37d2-0018.cdx.cedexis.net</string>
<string>akapinimg.net</string>
<string>pin.it</string>
<string>pinimg.com</string>
<string>pinterest.at</string>
<string>pinterest.ca</string>
<string>pinterest.ch</string>
<string>pinterest.cl</string>
<string>pinterest.co.kr</string>
<string>pinterest.com</string>
<string>pinterest.co.uk</string>
<string>pinterest.com.au</string>
<string>pinterest.com.mx</string>
<string>pinterest.de</string>
<string>pinterest.dk</string>
<string>pinterest.es</string>
<string>pinterest.fr</string>
<string>pinterest.ie</string>
<string>pinterest.info</string>
<string>pinterest.it</string>
<string>pinterest.jp</string>
<string>pinterest.net</string>
<string>pinterest.ph</string>
<string>pinterest.nz</string>
<string>pinterest.pt</string>
<string>pinterest.se</string>
<string>pinterestcareers.com</string>
<string>pinterestmail.com</string>
</array>
<key>FilterType</key>
<string>BuiltIn</string>
<key>PayloadDisplayName</key>
<string>Web Content Filter</string>
<key>PayloadIdentifier</key>
<string>com.apple.webcontent-filter.80AA495D-7AF0-450E-ABE8-43CB75963C3B</string>
<key>PayloadType</key>
<string>com.apple.webcontent-filter</string>
<key>PayloadUUID</key>
<string>80AA495D-7AF0-450E-ABE8-43CB75963C3B</string>
<key>PayloadVersion</key>
<integer>1</integer>
</dict>
</array>
<key>PayloadDisplayName</key>
<string>Untitled</string>
<key>PayloadIdentifier</key>
<string>MacBook-Pro.EB937420-D9DB-4DAE-A16F-7F68976F1E82</string>
<key>PayloadType</key>
<string>Configuration</string>
<key>PayloadUUID</key>
<string>52D90E9E-20B8-401A-97E0-5965F16AA609</string>
<key>PayloadVersion</key>
<integer>1</integer>
</dict>
</plist>
 
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