In future, please use the “Reply” link when replying to comments. This way the conversation stays together and remains in context.

But, I noticed one thing… Whenever I lock the computer, it turns airport off, and the computer loses internet connection. Is there a way not to do that?

Aditya

I like this much more better.

I also used the keychain access trick, and it works fine too. Is there any disadvantage using that versus your script?

If you create the folder /Library/Services (that’s the global Library folder in the top level of your hard drive) and move the files into there from ~/Library/Services (that’s the Library folder in your user home folder), they will show up for all users of the computer. Only catch is the keyboard shortcuts still have to be set on a user by user basis, but this at least cuts out at least half your work.

Any way that this can be a “global” (for all user accounts) setting?

I had to go into each user account (4 of them) and create the new service and keyboard shortcut.

I tried putting the created service in /Users/Shared/Library/Services directory (the Services folder had to be created).

It’s no big deal if it can’t be done for all users, just would make it a lot easier if I were make a change in the future.

Thanks in advance if you come up with something.

You’re definitely doing something wrong. Automator DOES NOT have to be running for this to work. I’d suggest looking over the instructions again carefully and maybe starting from scratch. Make sure you’re choosing Service in step 1.

You can delete your old service by looking for it in ~/Library/Services (that’s the Library folder in your Home folder). If you don’t see a file with the name of your service in there, then you didn’t select Service in step 1 when you created it.

Is that expected, or am I doing something wrong?

thanks in advance,
Limore

Also, it seems to me cmd + opt + eject is different from the prior – it sets to sleep, while shift+control just turns off the display.

Another thing to consider is saying that when we close the lid, the computer goes to sleep. And if I don’t want to set a password in THAT, it’s just the way I want to. Choose when to “lock” rather than anything else. You can also add “lock computer after X minutes of being sleep / screensaver on”, and that’s actually how i have it set up. But sometimes I want to lock immediately.

Yet another idea: the file should be called “Login Screen.workflow”. It’s not the same as the screensaver lock – as I wished to. So, here’s my first question: would you know another line command for just locking rather than going to login?

Well, anyway, suggestions aside, I’ve got a question: how the f*ck do I delete / rename / find the “.workflow” file? I can’t find it anywhere, and can’t do any of those actions! Nor could I find info on google / help or apple! I’m amazed at this, lol.

Thanks again! And, please, if this doesn’t notify automatically when you reply, if you do, be kind to send me an e-mail. I’d appreciate it. I wouldn’t take more than 1 day, normally, to see I’ve got any e-mail. Sorry for the long and boring comment!

if there is any way of doing so, it would be most appreciative of you to post what needs to be done to attain such awesomeness…

This would be the prerfect setup for me then, this way if I am doing something and walk away/get side tracked, it will automatically go to the login window so a guest or another user can use it.

It was mentioned by commenter “Arthur” above and again, the key thing about this hint is the ability to activate it using a keyboard shortcut as in Windows. There doesn’t seem to be any built-in way to set a keyboard shortcut to activate the Keychain lock feature.

In the KeyChain Access app, open Preferences, choose ‘Show Status in Menu Bar’, check out the new PadLock icon you have in your menu bar:

Lock Screen

It uses built in controls, works on all versions of OSX, and is independent of any screen saver/fast-user switching configurations.

Cheers~
Sean Constantine

Unfortunately it looks like I am going to go back to using ctrl+shift+eject method instead, mostly because I found this alternative method too “laggy”. The delay between hitting my services shortcut and the actual cube rotation effect was too long to bear (up to 10 seconds). I am on a relatively fast Macbook Pro, although often with lots of programs open. By comparison, ctrl+shift+eject is satisfyingly snappy.

Has anyone else experienced this?

I did it slightly differently. Built an Automator Application rather than a Service which I invoke via Spotlight. I did this only because my keyboard shortcuts pane keeps crashing…. grrr.

Thank again!

Great post btw, but the command line doesn’t work on 10.6.2 in Terminal unless i’m in bash first. Hence, my automator script doesn’t work. Any ideas?

Cheers

I just find the answer to my question!

There is an “Ask for Confirmation” atop “Run Shell Script”. I drag it to the right hand pane and put it above the lock script section. Then save and it works as exactly what I want!

Great toolkit that Apple provides to us.

Hahaha!

But I have a small request, is it possible when I start to run the script by pressing keyboard shortcut or clicking menu item, that a confirmation window appears and asks me “You are going to lock your computer while all your applications will continue running, are you sure to do this?”?

So I can click ‘Yes’ to lock and ‘No’ to cancel.

This will help me undo my accidental invoking of the script.

After all, the script helps me a lot. Thank you!

The mistake was – I chose the WorkFlow template instead of the Services template – as soon as Automator is started.
Hence all these issues.

Thanks for your reply and wish you loads of fun with your Mac.

2) You’ll have the General Category, when you create the lock-the-screen “service”.

2)”Scroll down to the bottom and under the General category, you should see your newly created service listed there.” —- I DONT HAVE A GENERAL CATEGORY!?

I am new to MAC world – my MBP is just 3 days old.
So bear with me

Pe@ce

Any suggestions?
Thanks!

PS: I’m on Mac OS X v.10.6.2

Go to System Preferences–>Security and choose Require Password Immediately After Sleep

Then press Control+Shift+Eject to sleep/lock your Mac. When you wake the Mac, it will ask for a password. Easy peazy.

“Finally, and I’m really not trying to be a dick here, but this whole article was somewhat superfluous and unnecessary. In Snow Leopard, the key combo Control-Shift-Eject is built in to lock the screen.”

The article is superfluous only if you WANT to have to enter your password every time the screensaver engages. A lot of people don’t. I for instance don’t want my computer to lock when I’m at home, only when I’m at work. Using the screensaver password doesn’t give me a choice without changing settings back and forth between work and home, which is inconvenient. The solution I’m using in this tip allows me to easily lock my computer only when I want to while retaining the ability to still have the screensaver activate when the computer is idle.

In short, there’s no reason why Apple should make the screensaver and screen lock features one and the same. They are two distinct functions that should be able to be activated exclusive of each other.

Point ‘b’ is also incorrect. If the screensaver crashes, you get a Black Screen of Death. The computer will become unusable. The password dialog that appears with a locked screensaver is part of the loginwindow process, which the screen saver will invoke on a normal exit. If the screen saver crashes, however, it becomes impossible to get the login window up. This was not an infrequent problem in Leopard, but I haven’t experienced it much in SL.

Your point ‘c’ is misinformed a bit. When you hit the Switch User button on a password dialog brought up from a locked screen saver, it brings you to the normal login window. The restart and shut down options will be available, but you will need administrator access to do either if other users are logged on.

Your point ‘d’ is likewise affected by these cascading errors. The switch user button from a locked screen saver will indeed have the rotating cube effect.

Finally, and I’m really not trying to be a dick here, but this whole article was somewhat superfluous and unnecessary. In Snow Leopard, the key combo Control-Shift-Eject is built in to lock the screen.

This tip does the same thing as choosing “Login Window…” from the Fast User Switching menu extra. Only difference is we’re executing it via a terminal command (in step 5, above) rather than the GUI. We’re not touching your user account or password in any way.

No I always enter my password – hence wanting it as an option. For some reason it just wouldn’t accept it. I then switched off the machine and restarted – logged in fine, as usual. Haven’t tested it again as I fear the results!!

Is this the first time? Sorry to be a pain in the ass!

In any case, this Apple Knowledgebase Article explains how to reset your password. Good luck, and please post back your results.

Is this a crafty hack??

Just run Keychain Access, go to Preferences and check ‘Show Status in Menu bar’. This will show a “Lock” symbol next to the clock in the OS X menu bar.

If you click on the lock, simply select “Lock Screen”. The screen goes black and will not unlock until the correct password is entered.

Granted, no nice animations but you do get a cool lock icon in the menu bar.

You most likely missed a step or made a mistake somewhere. I’d just delete the service and start again from the beginning. I can’t think of any reason why it would work from Terminal but not the service.

It’s not working here, could that be because of Filevault?
When entering the command in the terminal it does work.

Any clue’s?

Do have any idea how many people in other forums/blogs are looking for this?
I’m glad I happened to find yours!

Thank you for this great tip…

This will execute the applescript code within the single quotes to put the system to sleep.

here’s a question -> is there any similar script I could use to make a shortcut to LOCK + SLEEP? I’d really like that option. (keep in mind I don’t want to lock at every sleep.)

Thanks

Please see this previous article comment for more details about iChat and the correct network settings to work with fast user switching.

Here’s what I wanted:
- sleep without having to log back in
- screen saver without having to log back in
- a selective shortcut to lock before sleeping (which this trick provides me)

Given the above, really what benefit is there to using the screensaver engine over the login screen?