# OSX Dock Customization



## zoombini (Aug 18, 2003)

Does anyone know if there's third party utility that 'locks the dock' in OS 10.3??

Obviously, this can be set up using limited user accounts, however, I only have the one admin account and I dont want to password-protect the account as it's in a secure environment.

Ideally, I would scrap the dock but it's a integral part of the OS.
I'd like to stop the dock icons from being deleted, moved or re-sized.
It's strange how certain programs in system preferences can be locked in the bottom left hand corner and others can't (ie. the dock)

Thanks for any help.


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## MSY-Houston (Dec 5, 2004)

Found the following by typing in "Lock Dock" in search box under Help.


Restricting what users can do with the computer

If other people use your computer, you can restrict the access they have to the Mac OS X disk and applications you have installed. For example, you can prevent users from:

Opening System Preferences
Removing items from the Dock
Changing their passwords
Burning CDs or DVDs
Using certain installed application
Choose Apple menu > System Preferences and click Accounts.

If some settings are dimmed, click the lock icon and type an administrator name and password.

Select the user account you want to restrict and click Limitations.

Click a button (No Limits, Some Limits, or Simple Finder) to set the level of access you want to allow the user.

Select the actions you want to allow the user to do. For the greatest restriction, select Simple Finder.

IMPORTANT: Make sure the level of access you want for this user account is selected when you close the pane. The button that's selected is the one that is in effect.


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## zoombini (Aug 18, 2003)

Yeah, I guess the best way to do it would be to create an admin account and an 'everyone else' account. That way I could restrict the usage to certain apps and set the 'everyone else' account to log in automatically.

I just wondered if there was a way to do using only the one 'admin' user account.

Thanks for the info Houston


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## MSY-Houston (Dec 5, 2004)

By the way, if you don't know this...

You can set your Account Preferences to log-in automatically under your name, without having to sign in each time you turn on your computer. (Account settings--look for log-in options).

You also can set preferences for individual folders so that they can be read-only or read-write priviledges for select people. Select a file or folder (highlight it). Get Info (File/Get Info or Command Key + the letter i). Look for Ownership & Permissions and Details.

I actually like having two log-in options. We have two people who share a computer. One is advanced, the other is a beginner. It helps keep the computer up and running smoothly--believe me!


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## zoombini (Aug 18, 2003)

Yeah, as we both said, the automatic log-in seems to be the best way to do it although I've found it to be be buggy in the past.......certainly during the Jaguar-phase it was very hit and miss.

Cheers


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## MSY-Houston (Dec 5, 2004)

Panther is definitely better and less buggy.


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