Mac Tips Daily! #172 - Locking the Screen

Mac OS X offers the option to require a password when you wake your Mac up from a screen-saver or Sleep. This is nice, but you have to use both - the screen-saver and sleep mode. If you choose this option, and don't want to keep entering your password every-time the screen-saver starts, you are out of luck. Here is how to setup your Mac so that you will only be prompted for your password when you wake your Mac from sleep. It's a bit of a work around, but it does work. 1. Open 'System Preferences' 2. Click on 'Security'. 3. We want to remove any check marks next to 'Require password to wake this computer from sleep or screen saver'. Our goal is to disable this feature. When you are done, close the windows. 4. Click on the 'Finder' icon on your Dock. 5. Go to the menu and choose 'Go->Utilities'. 6. Select 'Keychain Access'. 7. From the menu, choose ' Keychain Access -> Preferences' 8. Click on the 'General' tab, and select 'Show Status In Menu Bar'. 9. Close the window. 10. Now, notice at the top of the menu bar, there should be a 'padlock'. Click on it, and choose the option 'Lock Screen', and then close your notebook lid to put your Mac to sleep. Now, when your Mac wakes up, you will be prompted for a password. Another use for this: - Lock the screen when you are going to be gone for more than a few minutes.