lock to prevent further changes is not working

please help...
the lock to prevent further changes is not working on my macbook...
it becomes unlocked every time i restart my mac. i am using OS X 10.5.8
can anyone give me a solution? thanks

Welcome to the Forum. You mean the Lock in Sys Preferences/Accounts? and is this an Admin User Account?

Hello. yes I'm referring to the Lock in Sys Preferences. and this is an Admin User Account.

Could be something is wrong with SP plist file, found here: HD/Users/YourUserName/Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate.plist

To find out, move that to your Desktop.
Restart. Open SP. This makes a new default plist file.
If fixed, Trash the file on the Desktop.
If not fixed, to avoid having to set your preferences all over, put that file back and overwrite the default file.

Hi toMACsh. I've tried your suggestion but it doesn't work. Thanks anyway. I've even tried to do the same for com.apple.systempreferences.plist but it also don't work. Do you have any other idea what i can try?

How about setting up another Admin User and log in there to see if it too has the same issue?

Hi Collin Bl. I tried your method... not working either. Thanks for responding. I wonder what's wrong with my mac...

thelunaric said:

I've even tried to do the same for com.apple.systempreferences.plist but it also don't work. Do you have any other idea what i can try?

Click to expand...

Hmmm. That's what I meant to post. I must have grabbed the wrong one accidently. There is another one to try, (I just ran across it again last night) buried one level down:

HD/Users/YourUserName/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.systempreferences.0027cbad4c8b.plist

The final "number" is random, or tied to your account, and will be different.

Hey toMACsh. Tried and still not working.

Ok, maybe it's time to pull out the big trouble shooter: reinstall the OS.
I can't think of anything more that's less drastic. Maybe someone else can...