Bypass OS Authentication

A recent upgrade to OS 10.8 has added a feature I'd like to avoid/disable. I'm the only startup user of this Mac, so I don't really need a block to my moving folders or files from one device to another, or from one folder to another.

How can I disable OS Authentication? I've searched SysPrefs, but can't find anything there.

Sorry Hugh but what exactly is happening ?? Im not sure what OS Authentication is ?? I get the Popup with my Admin name and then have to enter my Admin password when im moving certain files around, and deleting certain things. Is this what you mean ??

If so then as far as i know, it cant be disabled as its Apple Safety protocol stepping in, so noobs dont delete things, or move System Folders out of where they are meant to be, and if a noob see's this, they are more than likely not put in their password. . .

TattooedMac said:

what exactly is happening ?? Im not sure what OS Authentication is ?? I get the Popup with my Admin name and then have to enter my Admin password when im moving certain files around, and deleting certain things. Is this what you mean ?

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Correct. I understand why Authentication is there, but in SLpd, the previous OS version, the feature either didn't exist, it was Off by default, or I somehow turned it off.

Entering my password is no big deal, but as very few others use my computer, and certainly never start it up, the p/word feature is not really required.

Incidentally, my p/word is not required on startup in M-Lion - hmmm.

Thanks for your response.

hughvane said:

Correct. I understand why Authentication is there, but in SLpd, the previous OS version, the feature either didn't exist, it was Off by default, or I somehow turned it off.

Entering my password is no big deal, but as very few others use my computer, and certainly never start it up, the p/word feature is not really required.

Incidentally, my p/word is not required on startup in M-Lion - hmmm.

Thanks for your response.

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I think, and dont quote me on this, made it a Default feature when they started to hide the User's Library, because i reckon they where getting a lot of calls or visits to the Genius Bar with some people having moved a System File out of there Home Library and messing up the whole system. It doesnt take much for that to happen as it happened to me, way back at Leopard and i had to do a reinstall.
Ill do a little digging and see what i can come up with as Fact, but i think im right, and there could even be a Terminal command to stop it . .

And putting in your password on a restart CAN be done from System Preferences

TattooedMac said:

And putting in your password on a restart CAN be done from System Preferences

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Thanks again, Noting your emphasis, I don't particularly want password protection for my Mac on startup. I still have it on my precious old eMac with OS Tiger - and it's still a darned nuisance .

Hugh,

I'm assuming that you are referring to the required password entry after the computer is restarted or shut down (as opposed to the "no password required"...if you don't want it...when waking from sleep).

I don't know if this helps or not...but I seem to remember that when the OS is first installed...one of the steps is determining if the user wants a login password or not...which may also double as the admin password. And after setting this up...it may or may not be able to be disabled.

I was looking thru the "Users & Groups" and the "Security & Privacy" preferences...and I'm thinking that the answer has to be there somewhere (if possible).

I'm thinking that the "Security & Privacy" is the best area to check. Under the "General" tab there's a "Disable Automatic Login" check box...which I believe is checked by default. I'm thinking that if the check-box is "deselected"...that this would then mean "Enable Automatic Login".

So maybe you just enter your password once...and then it automatically logs you in when the computer is Restarted or is Shut Down.

Sorry...I would have tested this on my computer first...but it's getting late here...and I should be heading off to bed.

HTH,

- Nick

Let's assume someone has set up the jMac with a login password (content of the password is irrelevant). Going to the Security and Privacy settings and unchecking Disable Automatic Login is possible. The next time you turn on or reboot the machine you are not asked for a password. The Mac goes straight to the desktop.

If I remember correctly applying this option from an administrator account means that anyone who boots / reboots the machine is logged in as an administrator. I did not like that so I only applied it to a standard account.

If I remember correctly applying this option from an administrator account means that anyone who boots / reboots the machine is logged in as an administrator. I did not like that so I only applied it to a standard account.

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Yep, that's true. But if you're the only one who has access to the machine, it should be OK. Much less of a problem with a desktop than a notebook. I boot directly to the desktop of my iMac from startup or when it comes out of sleep. But it's here in my home office where I'm the only one who has access. My iPad is a different story. I have it protected with my PIN number but it's something I carry around and can easily get lost or stolen.

For what it is worth mate, I have yet to see that login screen. Under Security and Privacy none of the first three options are selected.

harryb2448 said:

For what it is worth mate, I have yet to see that login screen. Under Security and Privacy none of the first three options are selected.

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G'day Harry - long time, no comm, been busy with other things.

Thanks to all respondents, I appreciate it. Security and Privacy tells me a login password has been set for this computer, and booting into OS M-Lion does not require me to type in a password. That suits me just fine. None of my present computers, bar the eMac, which - dear old thing - hardly ever sees the light of startup, requires a login password. That's the way I like it.

The original question pertained to OS M-Lion and moving things about from the OS-installed folders, eg. Utilities, Apps, and so on. That's when Authentication is required, which seems to me to be overkill when I haven't been required to enter a password to log in to the Mac in the first place.

I understand the 'protection' factor, but I'm very careful, and have been around MacOS for over 25 years. Sure, I'll make mistakes from time to time, but backups are done regularly.

So, what about that Authentication, and how might I disable it?

hughvane said:

The original question pertained to OS M-Lion and moving things about from the OS-installed folders, eg. Utilities, Apps, and so on. That's when Authentication is required, which seems to me to be overkill when I haven't been required to enter a password to log in to the Mac in the first place.

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I don't know of a way to do that though I must confess I have not looked for a way to do it. There are times when this feature annoys me because it seems to ask when there is little or no need to do so. Having lost data on other systems where the requirements weren't as stringent I'll take the minor inconvenience rather than data loss.

BTW if you find a way to do this I suggest your backup strategy include cloning the startup drive if you aren't doing so already. Without a bootable clone getting back up ajnd running could take some time even with a good backup.

So, what about that Authentication, and how might I disable it?

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I don't think you can unless you want to log on to your machine as a Root user each time.

I wish you'd CLEARLY explain EXACTLY what you are mucking about with -- it would give us a WAY better handle on how to advise you ...