Multiple Users GuideSetting up your computer for multiple usersYou can set up your computer to be used by multiple users by creating a unique environment for each user. You (the computer's owner) can control which applications and locations each user can access. You can create up to 40 different user accounts and one guest user account. You can also assign another user the privilege to create and manage user accounts. To create and manage user accounts on your computer, use the Multiple Users control panel. Note: Before using the Multiple Users control panel, you must make sure you've entered an owner name and password in the File Sharing control panel. For more information, see the following topics below: Creating user
accounts Creating user accountsTo create and edit user accounts on your computer, use the Multiple Users control panel. You can assign users one of three different user environments. To create a new user account:
To create multiple users with the same settings:
To edit a user account:
To set up a guest account:
Users and environmentsThe Multiple Users feature of your operating system offers three different user environments and a full system access environment (accessible only to the owner of the computer). In all the user environments, when a user attempts to open or save a document, the computer automatically points the user to the user's documents folder, and in some restricted cases, the user cannot move away from that location. PanelsThe Panels interface is simple and easy to use. The user has limited access to the computer's hard disk. The user's approved items appear on one panel and the user's documents on another. The environment features large one-click buttons. You can customize the interface to allow large or small icons, and to display the open panels side by side or overlapping, with tabs at the top or the bottom. Limited userThe Limited user environment allows users access only to some parts of the Finder. Usually, users can save items only in their own folders and can only open approved applications. Normal userA normal user can access the Finder and all applications
on the startup disk but usually cannot see the contents of
another user's documents folder. OwnerWhen you log in as the owner, you gain access into the full system access environment. Only in this environment, can you install applications, set up printers, access other users' documents, or turn Multiple Users access on or off.
Logging in and outWhen you start up your computer, you may see a login dialog box. Depending on the login selections made by your account manager or owner, you log in to your computer by selecting or entering your name and password or simply by speaking your name and password. Note: If you are the owner or the only user of your computer, you may not see the dialog box when the computer starts up. However, you can choose to have the login dialog box appear, to prevent any other user from logging in to your system. To log in:
To change your password:
Note: If the Change Password button is not available, your account manager may have made this feature unavailable to you. To log in using your voice password:
To log out of your computer, do one of the following:
To turn Multiple Users on or off:
Note: If you (the owner) are the only user of your computer, you can prevent other users from logging in to your computer by turning Multiple Users on.
Creating a voiceprint passwordYou can create your own voiceprint password, or the owner or account manager can assist you in creating a voiceprint password. To create a voiceprint password:
Note: If your computer does not have a built-in microphone, use an Apple PlainTalk microphone.
TroubleshootingIf the Alternate Password tab in the user account window is unavailable:In the Multiple Users control panel, click Options, then click the Login tab and make sure the Allow Alternate Password checkbox is selected. Restricting access to certain applicationsThe owner or account manager can restrict the applications to which a Limited or a Panels user has access. To set user access to certain applications:
Note: To restrict or enable access to "sub-applications" (applications that are part of a larger set of applications), select the sub-application and not just the main application. For example, to give access to Microsoft Word, make sure you select MS Word in the list, not just Microsoft Office. TroubleshootingIf you aren't notified when new applications are installed:Click Options, then click the Other tab and make sure that the "Notify when new applications have been installed" checkbox is selected. Log in as the Owner before you install new applications. If any other user has installed a new application, you (the owner) will be notified only when you log out. This will ensure that only you can allow other users access to any new application. If Limited and Panels users see error messages the first time they use certain applications:You (the owner) must open all the applications in the system access environment at least one time before the applications are opened by the Limited and Panels users. If applications fail to work in the Limited or Panels environment:You (the owner) need to give the users who need to use these applications normal user privileges to access the hard disk. If aliases of applications deleted from the hard disk remain in the User Applications list:To remove aliases of deleted applications, click Select None in the Applications tab, choose All Applications from the Show pop-up menu and then click the Select All button. If Limited users open applications to which you have not given them access:Limited users can use the Script Editor (an application program for creating AppleScript scripts) to open applications to which they do not have access. To avoid this, you must deny the user access to the Script Editor.
Setting privileges for Limited and Panels usersYou can set certain privileges for Limited and Panels users in the Privileges tab of the user account window in the Multiple Users control panel. To set privileges for these users:
The privileges you can change are these:
TroubleshootingIf Limited users can't do certain tasks included in Mac Help:Mac Help includes some tasks such as changing the desktop appearance, that require the use of control panels and applications on the hard disk. If users can't complete these tasks,you may not have given the users access to the necessary items. If CDs to which users don't have access play before being ejected:Turn off the CD Autoplay feature in the QuickTime Settings control panel.
Managing global user optionsYou can manage settings that affect all users of your computer using the Multiple Users control panel. To manage global user settings:
Login settings
CD/DVD-ROM Access settings
Note: If you restrict user access to only certain content in the discs, while allowing user access to any disc (as selected in the Privileges tab of the user window) the users will still have access only to specific content in all the discs. Other settings
TroubleshootingIf you've turned on the idle timeout option but users are'nt logged out (or their screens locked):Make sure the user has a password. If a user does not have a password, he or she will not be logged out or the screen locked after an idle timeout. To avoid security risks, it is recommended that all users have passwords. Copyright ©2000 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Multiple Users, and Mac are trademarks of Apple Computer , Inc., registered in the U.S and other countries. Finder is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. |