Allow button doesn't work in Security & Privacy

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Level 1

5 points

Allow button doesn't work in Security & Privacy

I just installed Sophos Anti-Virus on the latest version of Mac OS High Sierra. Sophos requires that it's service is allowed to run in Preferences/Security & Privacy. I go to Preferences/Security & Privacy, I click on the lock to unlock it, and I click on the Allow button. No matter how many times I click the button, nothing happens. It is literally stuck.

The Sophos service will not run without this, and I can't do anything about it. I tried uninstalling Sophos, but this thing is still in the Security & Privacy, it won't go away.

Any suggestions how to fix this are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Mac Pro, macOS High Sierra (10.13.1)

Posted on Nov 9, 2017 4:07 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

alexbet Author

Level 1

5 points

Nov 9, 2017 7:41 PM in response to alexbet

In case someone else has this issue, here is what solved it for me. I connected to the computer via Remote Desktop. However, I connected a wireless mouse to that computer and I was looking at where I was clicking via RD. When I clicked the button like that (not thought RD), it worked immediately.

I hope that Apple will re-think this as a lot of computers are remotely operated without physical access to them. So, if you don't have physical access to the computer, this is literally impossible to do.

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Answer 2

waylife

Level 1

4 points

Dec 7, 2017 11:53 AM in response to John Galt

This so-called security feature, is causing this to happen in the native OS as well for many. Especially those with certain types of control peripherals connected, like Wacom systems. I keep trying to make this work on my MBP with no forward movement. It's borderline silly for a security feature not to be vetted better than this.

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Answer 3

alexbet Author

Level 1

5 points

Nov 9, 2017 6:40 PM in response to John Galt

Thanks John! But I already did that a few times and no luck. Sophos is still in the Security & Privacy tab in Preferences after uninstalling Sophos. REALLY frustrating! I honestly don't know what to do to take it out of there.

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Answer 4

John Galt

Level 10

147,246 points

Nov 9, 2017 7:12 PM in response to alexbet

Do you have a Time Machine backup that you can use to restore your Mac to its state prior to installing "Sophos"?

As an aside regarding installing things like that: I don't do it, and am unable to provide general instructions for uninstalling products that misbehave other than restoring a system from its Time Machine backup. Safe and effective general purpose uninstallation instructions universally applicable to all non-Apple software products don't exist.

If you don't have that backup, create one now. The recovery procedure I would use is somewhat time-consuming and would require completely erasing the Mac followed by migrating your User Account from the Time Machine backup. That would work but it's almost certainly overkill.

I'd suggest first contacting that product's developer to ask what to do about it, otherwise just live with the message in Security & Privacy. It's doing exactly what it's designed to do, which is to block junk from being installed on your Mac.

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Answer 5

alexbet Author

Level 1

5 points

Nov 9, 2017 7:36 PM in response to John Galt

Thanks John! I actually saw on the Sophos Forum that this is a Mac OS X High Sierra issue when you are accessing the computer via Remote Desktop. I guess Apple is preventing clicks on the Security and Privacy tab like this to prevent unauthorized clicks. It really is a stupid issue and I am surprised Apple is blocking these click even if you are using Apple Remote Desktop. This computer that I am accessing doesn't have a monitor, mouse, or keyboard, and I am using it as a server, so this is pretty frustrating.

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