Impossible to turn off screen lock

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Level 1

4 points

Impossible to turn off screen lock

This never happened to me before.. I'm in System Preferences > Security & Privacy, I clicked the lock left-bottom and entered my admin password to unlock the lock. Then when I try to clear the checkbox at "Require password [5 minutes] after sleep or screen saver begins" it shows the popup "Are you sure you want to turn off screen lock?", where I click the [Turn Off Screen Lock] button.

OR, I trie to change the value in the dropdown in the first screen (change 5min to 5 seconds, for instance).

WHATEVER I do, it reverts back to the old settings?!

I've already tried to remove the file com.apple.systempreferences.plist followed by a reboot; no success.

I have this problem on my Macbook Pro Mid 2012, running macOS High sierra 10.13.6.

When I do EXACTLY the same things on my 2013 Mac Pro, which runs the exact same macOS, it allows me to change the Screen Lock setting...

I'm baffled..

Who knows the cause of this problem and the solution please??

Thanks in advance...

MacBook Pro

Posted on Jan 9, 2020 4:54 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

leroydouglas

Community+ 2024

Level 10

185,472 points

Jan 9, 2020 4:58 PM in response to kayazuki

Boot into Recovery (Command R) and from the dropdown menu: Utilities> Disk Utility> run the First Aid on your Macintosh HD If errors are found and repaired, run again until no errors reported.

Recovery: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204904

If the problem persist after you log back in—Try a SafeBoot https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201262

Takes noticeable longer to get to the login screen, does a 5-15 minute disk repair before it fully boots up, and certain system caches get cleared and rebuilt, including dynamic loader cache, etc. Login and test your changes.

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Answer 2

kayazuki Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 9, 2020 5:03 PM in response to leroydouglas

Thx leroydouglas for the lightning fast reply!!

I'm setting up my Macbook Pro for a meeting I have in the morning..

It's 2am here now in Belgium, I have to go to bed now badly..

I'll try those steps asap. Can't I also run First Aid via normal Disk Utility?

Or might that give different results?

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Answer 3

kayazuki Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 9, 2020 5:09 PM in response to leroydouglas

Hi again leroydouglas,

I ran a normal Disk Aid and that said my one and only volume appears ok.

The File System check code is 0, it says..

Everything else works just fine.. So weird..

Unchecking the option "Disable automatic login" works problem free.. That's on the same screen..

Time for bed.. I'll try your way later!

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Answer 4

Jan 9, 2020 5:12 PM in response to kayazuki

kayazuki wrote:

I'll try those steps asap. Can't I also run First Aid via normal Disk Utility?

Or might that give different results?

Normal DiskUtility is fine—the caveat, if errors are found here, you can not do any repairs because you are mounted to that volume.

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Answer 5

kayazuki Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 9, 2020 5:15 PM in response to leroydouglas

leroydouglas wrote:

Normal DiskUtility is fine—the caveat, if errors are found here, you can not do any repairs because you are mounted to that volume.

So First Aid saying all is fine says I shd do the Safe Boot option then...

So nuts given the fact that the machine operates just fine...

I'll give that one a try tomorrow.

Might a PRAM or SMC reset do something here too..?

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Answer 6

Jan 9, 2020 5:23 PM in response to kayazuki

You can always check

System Preferences > Security & Privacy>General> (Unlock the pad lock) >Advanced

verify admin psswd not checked here.

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Impossible to turn off screen lock

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