System Prefs won't stay locked

My computer has all sorts of problems when I restart it, mostly regarding things in the System Preferences. The network settings don't remember my passwords for networks and when I have the lock clicked on to prevent further changes, it will be unlocked again after I restart. Do I just always get stuck with the freak computer, or does this happen to other people, too? Frankly, I'm kind of sick of nothing ever working right on my computer that's supposed to never have problems (if you believe everything you see on TV).

Hi
I think the way it works, at least in 10.3 which I am using, which incidentally is the focus of this forum, though maybe it is the same with Tiger, is that for an Admin account, the Sys. Prefs are unlocked based on the correct assumption that the administrator has the privileges to make changes to those preferences, like Sharing, and therefore is not required to unlock anything by default,
In a standard account (ie. no Admin privileges) the locks are always closed by default and can only be opened by supplying the Admin account name and password.
As you state that "sharing prefs in particular need to be accessible only to myself", I suggest having standard accounts for everyone whom you do not want to have access to the Sys. Prefs, so for them they will be locked and only your admin account will open unlocked.
This may not suit your particular requirements but is an attempt to explain the situation.

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The system drive won't stay unlocked

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Check this site for battery part numbers and sources.
Mac PRAM, NVRAM, CUDA/PMU & Battery Tutorial
http://www.geocities.com/texas_macman/pram.html
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System Prefs won't stick

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Hi Tom,
On the startup...
Might be time to replace the PRAM Battery, 4 years is close to their lifespan, far less if ever without AC power, & can cause strange startup problems...
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http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Newer%20Technology/CR2032/
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Newer%20Technology/BAA36VPRAM/
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Safe Boot , (holding Shift key down at bootup), use Disk Utility from there to Repair Permissions, test if things work OK in Safe Mode.
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/Users/YourUserName/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist
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/Users/YourUserName/Library/Preferences/com.apple.desktop.plist
/Users/YourUserName/Library/Preferences/com.apple.recentitems.plist
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System Prefs won't open from Apple Menu

Ay, ay, ay.
Gigabit G4, Tiger
I couldn't get rid of the blue label on Applications/System Preferences so I created an "archive" of it, tossed the original in the trash and opened the archive. The renewed Sys Prefs gave me permission to change the label, but now it won't open from the apple menu. I guess its an alias there. Where would it be? How to fix it?
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Hi,
In some cases "newer" version of an App will not run on Older OS software.
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baltwo swrote : "Move the com.apple.systempreferences.plist file out of your /Library/Preferences/"
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Catch22ish, huh ?

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I guess no one else is having this problem?
I still do.
Just this morning after logging in, my network settings were again unlocked.
I opened excel and it tried to open two documents I had previously opened.
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And I do have admin privileges to this computer.
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Some of my system prefs won't save...

I posted this in the MacBook forum to no avail, so I thought I'd try here. I got my new MacBook, used the migration assistant to copy my environment over, and for the most part all has been wonderful...
My problem is, at least two of my System Preference Panes are, as far as I can tell, unchangeable!
I go into Sound, turn off the "user alert" sounds (not fond of them), close System Preferences, and the sounds are still there. Open the Prefs, open the pane, that button is turned on again. Go look inside the Lib/Prefs folder, sure enough, that .plist file hasn't been changed... I've tried blowing it away, and it does recreate it, so it's not a permissions issue (I don't think)... but I can't change it in the GUI (and unfortunately, it's a binary .plist, so I can't just edit it by hand).
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Thoughts?

when you say that you don't think it's a permissions
issue, do you mean that you've already tried
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be necessary anyways since you've updated to 10.4.5,
unless it shipped like that.
I did run that... I meant more in the UNIX sense, looking at the settings on the files and directories (and the fact that it can create the .plist when I delete it, which suggests it should be able to write new settings into it)...
and have you made a 'test' account? cause it sounds
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That I haven't done... but I will, good idea!

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System Prefs "LOCK" will NOT STAY LOCKED... stuff changes... Help, please?

I have been using OS X since it first was introduced, and have noticed this behavior in all of the versions that I have run, up until and including 10.4.10, now. It was not too much of a concern to me until now, and I would like to resolve this once and for all if possible.
PROBLEM:
System preferences does not stay locked after I lock it. Internet sharing keeps turning itself OFF, after I start the service, and then LOCK system preferences. I go back and check later, and SYS PREFS is unlocked. Sometimes internet sharing is still on, sometimes it is off. Some other times I will go back and check after locking, and it will still be locked, but internet sharing now OFF!!! After a re-start, it is the same as described above. Sometimes OK, sometimes not. I leave the mac on most of the time and rarely turn it off.
I use the mac as a gateway for two other PCs, in my small network. My wife is the only other human user on the network, with her wireless laptop. I use the other PC (it's mostly off the majority of the time) and the "gateway" Mac OS X 10.4.10. If my wife wants to use her PC and I am not at home when the phenomenon occurs, she does not have internet access, as she is a computer novice and does not use the Mac at ALL.
When I have noticed the occurrence in the past, it is annoying, but I just check and the turn things on and re-lock what the "gremlins" have been playing with. Now In addition to wanting to keep my wife happy, and surfing when she wants, I would really like the system to operate the way it is supposed to.
Has anyone else been experiencing this sort of thing over the years of OS X and found a (hopefully) simple solution?
Thanks in advance.....
R. Andom

..."I am at a loss for what to do as in reality this might really be a security issue."...
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http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.4/en/mh1790.html
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Now that I updated my operating system my phone won't stay logged into my wifi

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Hi,
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Have same problem, plus other issues too....
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Cannot use System Pref's/Network -- dialog box won't go stay gone

G5 running Tiger, browsers, Mail and other internet functions (DSL, PPPoE) work fine BUT: if I boot the Network app in System Pref's, it shows a dialog box that says "Your network settings have been changed by another application." If I press OK the box goes away for a second and then returns -- there is no way to proceed, or use this app -- the only thing I can do is for Systems Pref's to quit. In other words, it won't take OK for an answer!
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Hi,
Check out this thread: file:///Users/carolynssamit/Desktop/Mac%20Troubleshooting/Your%20network%20setti ngs%20have%20been%20changed...%20%20fix.webarchive
And here: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?referrerid=59552&t=592305
And more here; http://forums.macworld.com/message/666874
Carolyn

*** System Prefs Locking Up ***

Anybody having problems with System Prefs locking up when left open for a while? I have to force quit it.
Am running 10.4.10
Mac Pro 2.66Ghz
Mac Pro Mac OS X (10.4.10)

I know this sound general, but did you repair your permissions? Create a different user account, and see if it still does it. It probably won't.

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System Prefs won't stay locked

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