This article describes how to restrict access to applications using multiple users, a Mac OS feature introduced in Mac OS 9.0.

The owner or account manager can restrict the applications to which a Limited or a Panels user has access.

To set user access to certain applications:

1. Open the Multiple Users control panel.

2. Double-click the name of a Limited or Panels user.

3. Click Show Setup Details and select the Applications tab.

4. In the User Applications list, select the checkbox next to each application the user will use.

Tip: After you have selected the applications, you can use the Show pop-up menu to view just those items to which the user has access.

5. To add a file that is not an application, such as a template for a document or a control panel, to the list of applications, click Add Other.

6. To allow access to most applications and restrict only a few, use the Select All button. If you have selected "All but AppleScripts" in the Show pop-up menu and click the Select All button, the list of applications will not include any AppleScripts. Use the Select None button to set the list of applications back to the default.

Note: To restrict or enable access to "sub-applications" (applications that are part of a larger set of applications), select the sub-application and not just the main application. For example, to give access to Microsoft Word, make sure you select MS Word in the list, not just Microsoft Office.

Troubleshooting

If you aren't notified when new applications are installed:

1. Click Options.

2. lick the Other tab.

3. Make sure that the "Notify when new applications have been installed" checkbox is selected.

4. Log in as the Owner before you install new applications. If any other user has installed a new application, you (the owner) will be notified only when you log out. This will ensure that only you can allow other users access to any new application.

If Limited and Panels users see error messages the first time they use certain applications:

You (the owner) must open all the applications in the system access environment at least one time before the applications are opened by the Limited and Panels users.

Some applications may rely on 'sub-applications' for features such as spell checking. If you experience difficulties using a certain application's feature (for example spell checking), log in under the owner account, open the application, and perform the function. The feature should now function as expected for Limited and Panels users.

If applications fail to work in the Limited or Panels environment:

You (the owner) need to give the users who need to use these applications normal user privileges to access the hard disk.

If aliases of applications deleted from the hard disk remain in the User Applications list:

To remove aliases of deleted applications, click Select None in the Applications tab, choose All Applications from the Show pop-up menu and then click the Select All button.

If Limited users open applications to which you have not given them access:

Limited users can use the Script Editor (an application program for creating AppleScript scripts) to open applications to which they do not have access. To avoid this, you must deny the user access to the Script Editor.