[adamk]

selecting "Lock Screen" from the Security MenuItem does not implicitly require a password, which is unfortunate. i usually don't leave my desk during the day, but when i do (ie lunch), i used to just lock the screen for security.

i know there is a checkbox to require a password but it seems a pain to type in your password every time you don't pay attention to your computer for a few minutes, especially when you are sitting at the same desk as the computer.

and i know, i can just not have the screensaver run turn on, but it was elegant how it worked before, but no longer.

i don't see any added benefit to this new system.

adam

[adamk]

also, looking around there doesn't seem to be away to lock the screen, not that it would do anything (see above), after a certain amount of inactivity. the only option is logout, which has the potential to cause data loss if you haven't saved and leave your desk.

going to apple feedback...

adam

[Geobunny]

Lock screen works absolutely fine for me. Assuming you have a password set for your account (sounds like you do) "Lock Screen" should work nicely.

Are you sure you're running the right version of keychain access? I keep getting tripped up by older versions of software I've still got on here by virtue of having done an "archive and install"

[adamk]

Originally posted by Geobunny:
Lock screen works absolutely fine for me. Assuming you have a password set for your account (sounds like you do) "Lock Screen" should work nicely.

Are you sure you're running the right version of keychain access? I keep getting tripped up by older versions of software I've still got on here by virtue of having done an "archive and install"

i did a clean install, and have, obviously, a password set. hmmm... glad (in a way) that the problem is isolated to my installation and not a general thing.

thanks, i guess i will test it some more.

[edit: i restarted my computer and it seems to work properly again. odd.]

[Switched2Mac]

Works great for me too.

Try this. Set your screensaver to require your password. Then set the screensaver to like 60 minutes. Then configure a screensaver "hotspot" (mine is bottom left of screen) to trigger the screensaver.

So you can raise the screensaver timeout if it annoys you but still quickly lock your screen by dragging the mouse to the hotspot.

Excellent tradeoff IMHO.

[Tritium]

you don't need the "lock screen" option. enable fast user switching and from the user menu choose "login window"

that'll drop you off at a login prompt and you need your password to switch back to your programs.

[keston]

i hate suggestions like this... The man asked about his screensaver and a password. He does too need "lock screen".

Originally posted by Tritium:
you don't need the "lock screen" option. enable fast user switching and from the user menu choose "login window"

that'll drop you off at a login prompt and you need your password to switch back to your programs.

[kentuckyfried]

Isn't there an option where you put a little padlock on the top menu bar, and when you want to leave your desk, you just click on it and select "lock screen"?

You can enable this thing under keychain program, under "view" menu I think. The whole thing is discussed in the laptop issue of Macworld.

[RayX]

Originally posted by kentuckyfried:
Isn't there an option where you put a little padlock on the top menu bar, and when you want to leave your desk, you just click on it and select "lock screen"?

You can enable this thing under keychain program, under "view" menu I think. The whole thing is discussed in the laptop issue of Macworld.

In Panther, go to Security in System Preferences, tick 'Require password to wake this computer from sleep or screen saver'

Then assign a hot corner to activate the screen saver.

To lock your screen, flick the cursor into the corner you chose. Can't get much easier than that.

[asdasd]

Logout from the auto logout pref pane does not quit unsaved apps, it is just a normal logout.

Thus no data loss, but no guarantee ou success either.


It should really give the option to switch to the loginwindow screen.

The real way to lock your screen these days is to use the login window... option from the user menu.

[jokell82]

Why does everyone here chime in with a workaround instead of giving an answer to the question????

Here's how you lock the screen: in your /Applications/Utilities folder, launch the Keychain Access app. Under the View menu, select Show Status in Menu Bar. A padlock will appear in the top right of your screen. Click on the lock and select "Lock Screen" to lock your screen. This will launch your screensaver and will require a password to log back in, even if you do not have your screensaver password protected.

[Xeo]

Originally posted by jokell82:
Why does everyone here chime in with a workaround instead of giving an answer to the question????

Here's how you lock the screen: in your /Applications/Utilities folder, launch the Keychain Access app. Under the View menu, select Show Status in Menu Bar. A padlock will appear in the top right of your screen. Click on the lock and select "Lock Screen" to lock your screen. This will launch your screensaver and will require a password to log back in, even if you do not have your screensaver password protected.

I think he was doing that, but it wasn't working for him and he thought it was the new implementation in Panther. After restarting, he found out it does work as expected. Others have just been giving their input as to what else one can do do "lock" their screen.

[adamk]

Originally posted by Xeo:
I think he was doing that, but it wasn't working for him and he thought it was the new implementation in Panther. After restarting, he found out it does work as expected. Others have just been giving their input as to what else one can do do "lock" their screen.

yes. thanks. this is what happened. i edited my previous post to include this information. maybe it got overlooked.

thanks for the other suggestions too.

Originally posted by asdasd:
Logout from the auto logout pref pane does not quit unsaved apps, it is just a normal logout

i am not sure what this statement means though. by normal logout, do you mean, just switching to the login window, leaving your processes running? i don't normally think of that as logging out. rather, logging out is when all your processes are terminated (and data conceivably lost).

however, if it's the former, that's great.

adam

[Tritium]

Originally posted by keston:
i hate suggestions like this... The man asked about his screensaver and a password. He does too need "lock screen".

wtf? what is the difference between the two aside from the fact that your computer is useful to someone else while it's at the login screen?

from my understanding, he had no screensaver password set (he didn't want a password when the screensaver came on by timeout) but wanted to be able to lock his computer from a menu option, did I misunderstand?

[keston]

twenty extra characters in your menubar eating up space... when you're juggling those other extremely useful menu extras, its starts to get crowded. Not the only reason, but an answer to your Q. If they had an icon for the F.U.S. i wouldn't mind as much.

Originally posted by Tritium:
wtf? what is the difference between the two aside from the fact that your computer is useful to someone else while it's at the login screen?

[Amorya]

Originally posted by Tritium:
you don't need the "lock screen" option. enable fast user switching and from the user menu choose "login window"

that'll drop you off at a login prompt and you need your password to switch back to your programs.

That's not quite the same. What if you're in a lab situation and want to use Lock Screen to keep someone else from being able to use the machine while you get up to (for example) collect a printout?

Amorya

[adamk]

Originally posted by Tritium:
wtf? what is the difference between the two aside from the fact that your computer is useful to someone else while it's at the login screen?

for the sake of completeness. i have been playing around with it and after you "Lock Screen" when you activate the computer again, there is an option to switch user (if F.U.S. is, in fact, turned on) in addition to entering the password of the currently logged in user.

adam

[cybergoober]

Originally posted by keston:
twenty extra characters in your menubar eating up space... when you're juggling those other extremely useful menu extras, its starts to get crowded. Not the only reason, but an answer to your Q. If they had an icon for the F.U.S. i wouldn't mind as much.

Or at least an option to have the short name used instead of the full name.

Hmm. May have to start tinkering…