How does one change the security setting on an application in a managed user if “Always Allow” was accidentally selected?

The computers are in a student lab. In the Parental Controls, System Preferences is deselected. A teacher in a hurry to change a setting accidentally selected “always allow” for System Preferences on som eof the stations.  Now, even though I have made sure System Prefs is still off under the Parental Controls control panel, these stations still allow System Preferences to open.  All the other stations still require an admin user and password.

Is there an easy way to reverse the “always allow” selection?  Is there a specific plist involved I can throw away?

Thanks in advance.

Maha - 23 March 2010 07:45 AM

hmm…interesting… I prefer to use ActyMac DutyWatch for parental control

The problem with working in a school district is we cannot always (darned seldom, actually….) afford to sink a bunch of money into 3rd party software.

Additionally DutyWatch simply monitors activity. We do not have the manpower to peruse the logs from 130 student computers (and that’s just one middle school) looking for policy violations. It’s far easier (and better) to simply use the parental controls, which are already paid for in the software package that comes with each Mac, to lock out access to those applications and activities we do not want students engaging in on district computers. If they are not able to use them, we don’t have to spy on them to make sure they are not.

If you’re using OS X server and managing users on the server, you should be able to manage Parental Settings from the server by user or group.  That will also help keep ‘helpful’ teachers out of the settings.  If you aren’t using OS X server, you may want to consider one of the Mac Mini servers.

Good Luck!