Locking the computer

[tom391]

OK, apologise in advance, another n00b question...

anyway back when I used windows (all of two weeks ago ) I used to frequently lock the computer by pressing the Windows and L keys. This kept the computer running, rather than logging out / putting it to sleep, but required password authentication before you could do anything.

How do you do this on OS X? Password-protecting your computer without logging out, putting it to sleep or turning it off altogether?

Many thanks in advance
Tom

 

[puckhead193]

i too want to know this. The only way i see to do something like this is to create a fake account and turn everything off and enable fast user switching...

 

[discoforce]

Not sure why sleep would be bad, but you could do the same with a screen saver.

 

[tom391]

i too want to know this. The only way i see to do something like this is to create a fake account and turn everything off and enable fast user switching...

yeah, already tried this. once you get over the cool cube thing, it seems a very messy way to go about it. surely there must be an easy way of doing it properly...

 

[x86]

You can password protect your computer when the screen-saver comes on. So if you bind the screen-saver to a corner of your screen you can have a similar feature.

 

[tom391]

Not sure why sleep would be bad, but you could do the same with a screen saver.

well because you might want to keep applications running, like if you were downloading a big file or something.

have to use the screensaver? is this some sort of functionality that Windows has and OS X doesn't?!

 

[puckhead193]

well because you might want to keep applications running, like if you were downloading a big file or something.

or to be on AIM all day and put away messages that says everything your doing...

 

[imacintel]

I loved that feature of windows.

Still:

OSX:9999999999999999999998\
Windows:2

 

[x86]

In the users menu in the top right-hand corner doesn't it give you the option to go to the Log In screen? I'm not anywhere near a Mac so I can't check myself.

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Open Keychain Access, go into preferences and check the "show status in menu bar" and you'll get a neat little tool:

 

[dcv]

Apart from using a password-protected screensaver, you can just lock the screen using Keychain Access. Of course someone could still come along and just turn your machine off and on again though.

 

[mad jew]

You can enable the screensaver with a hot corner so each time your cursor heads to a specified corner, your screensaver is enabled and a password is needed before access can be regained. If you really want, take a screenshot of the Windows locked screen page, and use it as your screensaver.

 

[tom391]

Open Keychain Access, go into preferences and check the "show status in menu bar" and you'll get a neat little tool:

Great, thank you so much, it would have been months before I'd found that myself!!!

Ok, related question to this, how do you rearrange the order of icons on the menu bar? I notice your 'lock' symbol is to the right of your airport, and mine defaults to the left of it...any way to play around with this?

 

[dcv]

Ok, related question to this, how do you rearrange the order of icons on the menu bar? I notice your 'lock' symbol is to the right of your airport, and mine defaults to the left of it...any way to play around with this?

You can rearrange the icons by dragging them whilst holding down the command (Apple) key.

 

[discoforce]

You can rearrange the icons by dragging them whilst holding down the command (Apple) key.

Awesome tip, I never knew that - thanks!

So is there a difference between "lock screen" and a screen saver that requires a password to login? Locking my screen opens my screen saver...

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

So is there a difference between "lock screen" and a screen saver that requires a password to login? Locking my screen opens my screen saver...

The difference is that if the screen saver comes on by itself it's not password protected (unless you're using password protection for screen saver and sleep from the Security prefepane, of course )

 

[discoforce]

The difference is that if the screen saver comes on by itself it's not password protected (unless you're using password protection for screen saver and sleep from the Security prefepane, of course )

Right... and so under those conditions it's the same? Lock screen = Screen saver (with password protection turned on).

I was simply confused why a locked screen via screen saver wasn't an acceptable solution but a locked screen via "Lock Screen" was.

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

I actually prefer not to have the screen saver password protected most of the time because it's just a hassle to turn it off, but occasionally I like to have the opportunity to lock the screen.

 

[stridey]

If you don't want to turn on screensaver protection, you can enter

/System/Library/CoreServices/Menu\\ Extras/User.menu/Contents/Resources/CGSession -suspend

into the terminal to go to the login screen (while remaining logged in).

Edit: I've also created a small applescript app of this for the terminal-feared.

 

[Eniregnat]

If you don't want to turn on screensaver protection, you can enter

/System/Library/CoreServices/Menu\\ Extras/User.menu/Contents/Resources/CGSession -suspend

into the terminal to go to the login screen (while remaining logged in).

Edit: I've also created a small applescript app of this for the terminal-feared.

Thanks Stridey. It's always nice when somebody shares a script.

Personally, I have my menubar way to filled (13 items on a 12" screen). So I either use my screen saver coupled with the "lock on wake or screen saver option" from Finder-->Sys Prefs->Security>Require Password on...

I also use a Dashboard called Locker that allows for Fast user switching with our enabling it.

To clarify, you don't have to have a second account to enable Fast User Switching. If anybody is looking for a fairly neat, but simple screensaver, I might suggest 5x5 by Volcano Kit. I like the Volcano Kit iTunes visualizer. Their screen saver is simply a 5 x 5 rotating grid that flips to spell out any message you want. It's rather abstract. I actually have it running as my desktop background when I am not running anything that requires much processing power.

I like threads like this. It shows that there are preferred ways to do tasks, but there are many ways to get the same effect.

 

[Counterfit]

Turn on Fast User Sharing, click the icon in the menubar, then choose "Go To Login Screen". I use this all the time on my parents' iMac