User Account Management

From Mac vs. Windows

Contents 1 Overview 2 Adding & Removing Users 2.1 Mac OS X 2.2 Windows Vista 3 Restricting Users (Parental Controls) 3.1 Mac OS X 3.2 Windows Vista

Overview

Both Mac OS 10.5 (Leopard) and Windows Vista are multi-user operating systems. Both allow for various levels of restrictions as to what a particular user may do on a particular computer system. Both systems also offer various parental controls so that an parent or other administrator may restrict how their kids or other non-adminstror users may use a computer and the internet.

Adding & Removing Users

Mac OS X

Mac OS X requires at least one administrator account by default. You cannot delete the default administrator account unless your are logged in under an alternate administrator count you've created to replace it. In addition to the default administrator account, you may create additional accounts either Administrator, Standard, Managed with Parental Controls, Sharing Only, and Group accounts. The privileges allowed in each level of account are as follows:

• Administrator: Can add and delete accounts, change system and other users settings, and add and remove applications from the Applications folder.
• Standard: A regular user account. A standard user can only install software for their user account. They cannot make changes to locked system preferences or create accounts.
• Managed with Parental Controls: Similar to the standard account except that parental controls are turned on for this account by default.
• Sharing Only: This account allows for users to access files in a specific location remotely but prevents them from changing files or logging in via the login window on the computer where the account exists.
• Group: An account that consists of several different users. Allows access to shared files as a group but not logging in under the group account.

Users accounts are added via the "Accounts" preference pane in System Preferences. The pane is divided up into two boxes, a list of users accounts on the computer located on the left side and settings area on the right where account settings are configured. By default, their will be an administrator account that was created when the OS was installed and a guest account that is a "Sharing Only" account by default.

When logged in as an administrator, clicking on the + (Plus) button just below the user account list presents a new account box in which you select the account type, user name, password, and password hint. You may also turn file vault protection for a user account here, which encrypts the account's home folder. Users account may also be added when logged in as a regular user by clicking on the padlock icon on the bottom left corner of the pane, then entering the user name and password of a administrator account. Administrators may also delete accounts by clicking the - (negative) button. The system will ask wether one wishes to save the account's home folder to a disk image, leave it alone, or delete it.

For already existing accounts, various settings may be changed, some only if one has an administrative account. If one is an administrator, they may change a standard or Managed with Parental Controls account's user name, .mac user name (if they have a .Mac account), upgrade/downgrade the account to/from administrator, change the user's account picture, and enable/disable the parental controls feature for that account. For "Sharing Only" accounts, only the user name and password may be changed. The "Guest Account" allows for turning on guest login ability, parental controls, and access to shared folders only. For the account one is currently logged in as, one may also access their own address book card and change which programs automatically launch when they log on.

The accounts preference pane is also where settings that effect all users are set. Such settings include:

• Whether to automatically log in a specific user after boot-up
• Whether users log in by selecting from a list of users then entering their password or by typing a name and password in text boxes.
• Whether multiple input languages should be available to user's to select from when logging in.
• Whether VoiceOver should be available in the login window. VoiceOver describes aloud what appears on the screen, and speaks the text in documents and windows.
• Whether to enable fast user switching, which allows switching to another account while one account still logged in.

Windows Vista

Restricting Users (Parental Controls)

Mac OS X

Mac OS X has a parental controls preference pane within system preferences. The parental controls preference pane is divided up into two boxes with a list of user accounts appearing on the left and the parental controls settings options appearing on the right. The settings are divided into tabs for the System, Content, Mail & Chat, Time Limits, and Logs area of parental controls.

The System tab allows for restricting a user to running only allowed applications, as well as blocking of printer administration, burning of CDs and DVDs, changing one's password, and dock modification. This is also where the "Simple Finder" feature may be enabled for an account. "Simple Finder" is a simplified version of the finder for young or inexperienced users in which only approved applications may be run and no modification of the dock is allowed.

The Content tab allows for hiding profanity in the built-in Mac OS X dictionary and restricting access to certain websites. Websites may be restricted only to those not deemed by the parental controls feature an "adult website" or only to sites that have been added to a list of allowed sites. When restricting "adult websites" specific websites may be added via the "Customize..." button to either always be allowed or always be restricted.

The Mail and Chat tab allows for restrictions to be placed on use of Mac OS X's Mail and iChat programs, particularly who the user is allowed to communicate with via email and instant messaging. Their is also a setting which sends an email to a selected recipient notifying them that the this user has attempted to exchanged email with a contact not on the allowed contacts list.

The Time Limits tab allows for time limits to be placed regarding how long per day and during what hours a user may use the computer. Time limits may ranged from 30 minutes to 8 hours and may be set separately for weekdays and weekends. Restrictions on what hours an account may be used during can also be set separately for weekdays and weekends.

The Logs tab allows for settings to be changed regarding the logs created for users under parental control restrictions. Logs are group by websites visited, websites blocked, applications, and iChat. Within each log collection activity shown can be limited to one day on up to one year. Also how items are grouped may be set to either by website/application/contact or by date. Also within each log collection, you may block or unblocked sites, applications, and contacts listed.

Windows Vista

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