How to 'lock screen' (request password)

If you go to system preferences>security there's a checkbox for requiring a password to wake from sleep or screensaver.

 

....and to go with that screensaver password unlock, select a "hot corner" where you can put the mouse to invoke the screensaver immediately (thus locking the console). The setting is with the screensaver settings. I use the upper-right-hand corner for this on my systems.

 

Open the program "Keychain Access".

Go to Preferences.

Go to "General".

Select "Show status in menu bar".

That gives you a little lock icon in the menu bar. You click on it and select
"Lock Screen".

 

You can setup your screen saver to ask for the password.
And to quickly activate screen saver there is a shortcut for this: Command+Option+Eject

 

Homeboy, that puts the computer to sleep.

I'd stick with WildCowboy's idea.

 

Yeah this is what I do too but I like the Keychain Access idea... have to give it a whirl.

 

Ditto - does the same thing, but now I won't accidentally invoke the screensaver like I sometimes do with the hot corner. The key lock is nice/better, I think. Although, I would think putting that in with the screensaver settings would make more sense than with Keychain Access, but that's just me.

 

Let me give my 5 cents here... I got SizzlingKeys installed, its for customizing keyboard shortcuts for itunes, but u can also set some key shortcuts for other stuff... one of them is to lock your computer. So, now whenever i want to lock my computer i just use the key shortcut i set up in sizzlingkeys, and i get that nice cube effect and my screen gets locked up. Now, because i also want to turn the display off most of the times that i lock it, after its locked u can always use the shortcut that mac has, ctrl+shift+eject and ur display instantly turns off... So actually u just need to press 2 keyboard shortcuts and u got ur mac locked and ur display off. Works nicelly for me at least

 

My bad

 

just another idea:

go to System Preferences>Accounts> and go to lower left corner, click on "Login Options" and check the box next to "Enable fast user switching"

this way you will have an account name on menu bar next to the clock.
Click the name and click on "Login Window"

you should see a dialog box asking you for password. there you can simply hit Control + Shift + Eject to sleep the screen...

 

Control + Shift + Eject turns off the screen but does not sleep the system.

 

Somewhat relevant suggestion: A program like MacLoc is a nice screen locking system.

 

Enable FAST USER SWITCHING.

You can then click and select "Login Window"
or assign keyboard shortcut to the function.