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Last Post
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Mar 25, 2007 3:52 PM
by: nilscrasher
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Posts:
21
Registered:
Mar 23, 2007
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My 14 year-old cat has beaten iBook security. Please help.
Posted:
Mar 23, 2007 9:28 AM
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I have this old cat that likes to sleep on my iBook while I'm not using it. I have set the screensaver to require a password in order to prevent her from entering random keystrokes into the documents I leave open while I'm away.
However, I've noticed that while the computer is still in the screensaver when I return, she has somehow managed to circumvent the password and, among other things, rename my hard drive, execute complex keystroke combinations changing my system settings and save over documents which I have minimized.
I mean, I'm not even smart enough to see what she's done without the password. How is this happening?
Any way to lock up my iBook so that the cat can't.. uh.. do this? Can't close the iBook, due to a cracked screen.. which I am dealing with. We all have our crosses to bear, right? I'm not complaining, I just want to stop the cat from trying to rewrite my novel.
Cheers.
iBook G4
Mac OS X (10.4.9)
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Posts:
3,919
From:
New York City
Registered:
Jan 12, 2003
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Re: My 14 year-old cat has beaten iBook security. Please help.
Posted:
Mar 23, 2007 9:28 AM
in response to: nilscrasher
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I can totally sympathise. In fact, I just bought one of these for my G5 for that exact reason...
Are you sure she hasn't done her creative writing before the screensaver kicks in? Do you have it on a timer, or set as a hot-corner when you go away from the computer?
Matt
2.5GHz|3.5GB G5, 1.5GHz|1.25GB PB12, 5G iPod
Mac OS X (10.4.9)
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Posts:
21
Registered:
Mar 23, 2007
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Re: My 14 year-old cat has beaten iBook security. Please help.
Posted:
Mar 23, 2007 9:40 AM
in response to: Matt Clifton
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I activate the screenaver, wait for it to kick in and then jiggle the mouse to make sure that it has locked up.
As for the cat, the creative writing isn't even an interesting read. That whole thing about monkeys and typewriters and Shakespeare, not so much true. She does have a certain fondness for the Caps Lock, though. Probably th shiny light.
Any other way I can lock the thing up? I'd just shut my iBook down, but these things happen while I'm making grilled cheese sandwiches or doing my dirty business in the bathroom.
iBook G4
Mac OS X (10.4.9)
Security not cat-proof.
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Posts:
1,884
Registered:
Sep 6, 2004
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Re: My 14 year-old cat has beaten iBook security. Please help.
Posted:
Mar 23, 2007 9:40 AM
in response to: nilscrasher
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You're sure there isn't a two-footed prankster around? That's quite a list of accomplishments for a cat!
Doug
iPod video / G2 Nano, PMac G5 1.8 SP, MacBook 13", Mac Mini Core Duo 1.66
Mac OS X (10.4.9)
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Posts:
21
Registered:
Mar 23, 2007
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Re: My 14 year-old cat has beaten iBook security. Please help.
Posted:
Mar 23, 2007 9:41 AM
in response to: Doug Eldred
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No. I live alone. With the cat. That darned sneaky cat.
iBook G4
Mac OS X (10.4.9)
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Posts:
89
From:
Philadelphia
Registered:
Feb 21, 2005
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Re: My 14 year-old cat has beaten iBook security. Please help.
Posted:
Mar 23, 2007 10:33 AM
in response to: nilscrasher
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Probably your best bet is to log out of the user when you leave. Or "Fast User Switch" to the login screen. You could make your password longer reducing the chance of an "accidental" login.
PowerBook G4 15in, Xserve, G5 Dual 2ghz,
Mac OS X (10.4.8)
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Posts:
1,884
Registered:
Sep 6, 2004
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Re: My 14 year-old cat has beaten iBook security. Please help.
Posted:
Mar 23, 2007 10:40 AM
in response to: nilscrasher
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Could you sleep the iBook instead of just triggering the screen saver?
Doug
iPod video / G2 Nano, PMac G5 1.8 SP, MacBook 13", Mac Mini Core Duo 1.66
Mac OS X (10.4.9)
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Posts:
21
Registered:
Mar 23, 2007
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Re: My 14 year-old cat has beaten iBook security. Please help.
Posted:
Mar 23, 2007 12:20 PM
in response to: Doug Eldred
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The problem with logging out is that I might as well shut down the machine every time I leave the room for 15 minutes. Sleep, same problem with the screensaver.
I just don't get how the cat is screwing with the stuff I have open, without unlocking the screensaver. I wait, make sure that it's on screensaver, jiggle the mouse to bring up the window asking for my password. I'm sure that it's locked.
I'll come back, the Caps Lock light is on.. and I know that the cat has been sleeping on the keyboard. I jiggle the mouse, then I put in the password. And there's all kinds of stuff open and messed with: System Prefs changed, random text typed into my open documents, screen inverted. It's random stuff.
But, the iBook has never been unlocked. I still have to put in the password to check it out. I went to screensaver myself. Tried to invert the screen colors without putting in the password.. couldn't do it. I'm just baffled.
I lock my computer at school sometimes, while I run to the jacks or go get a Coke.. Can people mess with my stuff even while it's locked. I mean, the cat can do it somehow.
iBook G4
Mac OS X (10.4.9)
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Posts:
5,747
Registered:
May 15, 2002
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Re: My 14 year-old cat has beaten iBook security. Please help.
Posted:
Mar 23, 2007 1:23 PM
in response to: nilscrasher
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I guess I'm not smart enough to follow everything here, but why not just sleep it by closing it? Surely the cat doesn't have enough muscle power to pry it open, even if s/he could figure out how to wake it by opening?
iSight iMac G5 2.1, flat panel imac 700, ibook G4 1G, Performa 6116CD
Mac OS X (10.4.9)
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Posts:
10,807
From:
Delaware USA
Registered:
Jan 15, 2004
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Re: My 14 year-old cat has beaten iBook security. Please help.
Posted:
Mar 23, 2007 1:37 PM
in response to: Barbara Brundage
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Barbara --
I think this is why . . .
Can't close the iBook, due to a cracked screen..
iMac Intel2 -1GB; Mac G4 17" FP, 1 GHz, 768 MB RAM, and Mac Mini upstairs
Mac OS X (10.4.9)
Cable I'net; LaCie Ext. HD
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Posts:
5,747
Registered:
May 15, 2002
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Re: My 14 year-old cat has beaten iBook security. Please help.
Posted:
Mar 23, 2007 1:43 PM
in response to: ~Bee
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Thanks, ~Bee. I missed that part.
iSight iMac G5 2.1, flat panel imac 700, ibook G4 1G, Performa 6116CD
Mac OS X (10.4.9)
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Posts:
10,807
From:
Delaware USA
Registered:
Jan 15, 2004
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Re: My 14 year-old cat has beaten iBook security. Please help.
Posted:
Mar 23, 2007 1:49 PM
in response to: Barbara Brundage
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Barbara --
We "B"'s have to stick together 
iMac Intel2 -1GB; Mac G4 17" FP, 1 GHz, 768 MB RAM, and Mac Mini upstairs
Mac OS X (10.4.9)
Cable I'net; LaCie Ext. HD
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Posts:
5,088
From:
Vancouver
Registered:
Feb 6, 2006
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Re: My 14 year-old cat has beaten iBook security. Please help.
Posted:
Mar 23, 2007 2:22 PM
in response to: nilscrasher
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I have noticed that sometimes the Mac will allow a wake from the screen saver without the password, even when the password option has been selected. Try going to homefolder/Library/Preferences/ByHost and deleting all of the com.apple.screensaver plist files. Then go back to System Preferences and reset it how you want.
You can also enable fast user switching, and switch to the login window before leaving the Mac unattended.
eMac (1.25GHz USB 2.0), 768MB
Mac OS X (10.4.9)
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Posts:
3,852
From:
Guess CA
Registered:
Apr 16, 2005
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Re: My 14 year-old cat has beaten iBook security. Please help.
Posted:
Mar 23, 2007 2:23 PM
in response to: nilscrasher
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Hi nilscrasher, Welcome to Apple's Users Help Users Forums.
Maybe putting it into mail or widgets temporarily would help. I would think mail would do it unless kitty has also learned how to use the mouse. ;~D
Joyous Computing, JP
11/06 Imac 17 Intel C2D 1 GB 667 MHz SDRam OWC Merc FWHD Dantz Retro Expr
Mac OS X (10.4.8)
Do not start vast problems with a half vast mind.
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Posts:
4,718
From:
UK
Registered:
Oct 31, 2005
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Re: My 14 year-old cat has beaten iBook security. Please help.
Posted:
Mar 23, 2007 2:31 PM
in response to: nilscrasher
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Hi
Just occurs to me that you can do everything you want by just putting the ibook into a drawer and closing the drawer. If you have to go to the washroom or kitchen and you have to leave it for 15-20 minutes then putting it in a drawer takes as much or as little time as waiting for the screensaver lock to kick in. Surely you must have a drawer (and face it an iBook is not that big) that is in the main room that you generally are in that you can put it in.
Its not surprising that your cat is drawn to your iBook it must see it as a nice warm toasty spot for it to laze its day away!
I wish I was a cat sometimes!
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