rskern

Q: Can't unlock security and privacy

I downloaded an app from the mac app store, BetterSnapTool. The app is asking to access the security and privacy on my computer. My computer doesn't have a password on it. I have verified this by going to users and groups, clicked the lock to make changes and didn't enter a password, just clicked on unlock. It unlocked. But when I access security and privacy, privacy tab, click to unlock the computer doesn't give access allowing me to select the BetterSnapTool to add a check mark to it to use it. Any suggestions?

MacBook Pro with Retina display, Mac OS X El Capitan 10.11

Posted on Jan 31, 2016 8:25 AM

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Q: Can't unlock security and privacy

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  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Jan 31, 2016 8:34 AM in response to rskern
    Level 9 (60,702 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 31, 2016 8:34 AM in response to rskern

    If you want to use that tool, it sounds like you will need a password on your Admin account. (if you have only one account, you are the Admin.)

     

    I have my Mac set up with a separate Admin account, that does have a non-trivial password, and my daily use account is a "regular" User account, not an Admin.

     

    You could add a similar setup to your Mac by creating a new Admin account with a non-trivial password, logging in to the new Admin account, and demoting your daily-use account to a "regular" User account.

     

    When Admin authorization is needed, instead of asking for your admin password, the same box would ask for both the Admin User-ID AND password. The slight increase in typing is worth the added protection, in my opinion.

  • by Karl Pfeiffer (.at),

    Karl Pfeiffer (.at) Karl Pfeiffer (.at) Jan 31, 2016 8:43 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 3 (633 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jan 31, 2016 8:43 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

    GRant, so I did, called the admin pasword, a user with more rights on the machine.

    But is there not an additional security against installation apps which does not meet the prescriptions from apple?

     

    | german:  Grant, ich machte es genau so mit einem User (Admin), der mehr Rechte hat.

     

    Doch: gibt es nicht jetzt einen zusätzlichen Schutz gegen das Installieren von Applikationen, die nicht die Vorgaben von Apple erfüllen? |

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Jan 31, 2016 12:20 PM in response to Karl Pfeiffer (.at)
    Level 9 (60,702 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 31, 2016 12:20 PM in response to Karl Pfeiffer (.at)

    Your regular Userid does not have write access to system directories, although it can still execute from the important ones.

     

    Your Admin Userid has more access to certain system directories, which is why I prefer to have it be separate from my regular userid.

     

    In 10.11 ElCapitan, more system directories are double-locked, and it is more difficult to install items that are not signed by the developer. It is not impossible to install unsigned Apps, but you need to understand how to tell GateKeeper, "this one is OK to Install".

     

    That is described in this article about GateKeeper, also available in many languages:

     

    OS X: About Gatekeeper - Apple Support


    Look under the heading:

    How to open an app from a unidentified developer and exempt it from Gatekeeper

     

    The simple version: Find the icon for the Application. Right-Click on it and choose Open. Read the message and tell GateKeeper it is OK to open/Install this one.