The Macintosh Operating System provides some protection from accidentally throwing away important files. The Macintosh Performa computers provide additional protection for the System and Application folders.
Types of File Locking
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There are two ways to lock files in the System folder and the Application folder:
*╩Performa Control Panel
*╩Using Get Info
Performa Control Panel
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All Macintosh Performa computers that have System software version 7.1P3 or later have the Performa control panel. (System 7.5 uses the general Control Panel to perform the same functions.) The Performa control panel lets you protect the System folder and the Application folder by "locking" files. This lets files go into the two folders, but they cannot be moved out of the folders or thrown away.
This is different from other methods of locking files. When files are locked from the Finder, you can still move them around, but you cannot totally remove them without a warning and without either unlocking them or holding down the Option key while choosing Empty Trash from the Special menu.
If System folder protection and/or Application folder protection is turned on in the Performa control panel, then when files in those folders are viewed by any view other than icon or small icon, a lock appears in the listing.
If you choose Get Info on a file that is locked from the Finder, an X appears in the Locked box. If you remove the X, the lock disappears from the file listing. However, the file is still locked. This is because the Performa control panel still has the folder protected.
Using System and Application folder protection is the easiest method of locking every item in those folders. The only disadvantage of using this method is that you cannot lock individual files. However, if you want to lock certain files, you can use the Using Get Info method.
Using Get Info
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The other method of locking items on a Macintosh Performa computer, is using the Get Info from the Finder - This method lets you select files you want to lock from anywhere on your hard disk or floppy disks, not just the System folder and Application folder.
Troubleshooting Tips
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SYMPTOM SOLUTION
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You cannot remove an item Turn off System Folder and/or Application
from the System or Folder protection in the Performa control
Application folder, panel. Or, from the Finder, highlight the
because it is locked. item and choose Get Info from the File
menu (Command-i). Remove the X in the
Locked box.
X removed from Locked box Open the Performa control panel and turn
in Get Info, but the item off System or Application folder protection.
still cannot be moved
or trashed.
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