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iMac admin lockdown - how to?

K

kokoruz

macrumors newbie
Original poster
I hope I'm posting to the right area.

My son has an iMac running OS9

I enjoy that he likes to explore all over the computer and open the control panel and do various things but he is only 4 (just barely) and he knows how to drag stuff to the trash and empty the trash. Is the a way to lock the system down so he can't throw things out or move files around. I want him to be able to play his games but I have to do a clean install just to get this iMac running correctly.

The long and short of it is to not stifle his exploration but to be able to lock down sections and files.

Thanks
K.
 
You can lock specific files to keep them from emptying with the trash. Just hilight the file (or a bunch of files) and select get info from the edit menu (or command I). There should be a lock button/icon on the bottom of the window that pops up. Click it. The file now cannot be deleted untill you unclick it.

I know that is not quite what you are looking for, but it is a start.

Just remembered OS 9 has a simple finder mode that shouldn't allow access to the system folder. Don't remember how to enable it though. I'll try to find it.
 
Multiple users

Hi

You should be able to set up multiple users, and just allow him access to certain apps etc that way. In OS9 so far as i remember you don't need to have a password, he can just click on his name / picture to login. I can't remember exactly how to do it.

The link below gives some info on the stup. It is from the apple web site OS9 support section.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=60477
 
Finder Prefrences, click on Simple Finder
Also, under the (maybe same place) you can select "Lock the System Folder" as well as "Lock the Application Folder." I have done work on an iMac G3 for special-ed kids... it wouldn't start unless I had the CD in the drive and told it to use the drive. And even then the Software Restore CD had some issues. After I had everything all sorted out, I locked it down by enabling the Launcher, locking the System Folder and Application Folder, and also by cleaning up the desktop some.

Dang, when I was 6 I had a Classic Mac (Fat Mac maybe, don't remember) and I thought that was really neat... but then again, a write protected floppy made it so I couldn't mess up anything. 🙄
 
I remember when I was maybe 4-5, and I had just learned how to use a computer. It was around January, and I was using my day's Quadra (don't remember the exact model) and I accidentally dragged his entire folder having to do with taxes to the trash.... he wasn't happy. 😀
 
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