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How can I prevent non-admin users from renaming their Macbooks on MacOS Sonoma?

  • June 17, 2024
  • 7 replies
  • 83 views

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We track Macbooks by name in Jamf but students are easily able to rename their Macbooks by going to System Settings - General - About, and then just clicking and typing over the name that we set. When I look in restrictions, there's an option to restrict the entire General section but we don't want to do that. I just want to restrict the About section in General to prevent them from renaming the Mac.  

Best answer by AJPinto

Removing admin access blocks most methods of changing the hostname. As for changing it in general, it's a configuration profile deploying the restrictions payload disallowing modifying the device name.

 

 

7 replies

AJPinto
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  • Legendary Contributor
  • Answer
  • June 17, 2024

Removing admin access blocks most methods of changing the hostname. As for changing it in general, it's a configuration profile deploying the restrictions payload disallowing modifying the device name.

 

 


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  • Author
  • Contributor
  • June 17, 2024

Removing admin access blocks most methods of changing the hostname. As for changing it in general, it's a configuration profile deploying the restrictions payload disallowing modifying the device name.

 

 


You have to uncheck that box, right? Our restrictions policy has that box unchecked, so they should NOT be able to change the name.


DBrowning
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  • Esteemed Contributor
  • June 18, 2024

You have to uncheck that box, right? Our restrictions policy has that box unchecked, so they should NOT be able to change the name.


Correct.  Also need to make sure the device is running macOS 14 or higher.  


AJPinto
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  • Legendary Contributor
  • June 18, 2024

You have to uncheck that box, right? Our restrictions policy has that box unchecked, so they should NOT be able to change the name.


Yep, sorry I was lazy with my screenshots. And as @DBrowning pointed out the devices need to be on macOS 14 or better (This will apply to macOS 15 when it comes out later this year).


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  • New Contributor
  • December 27, 2024

Removing admin access blocks most methods of changing the hostname. As for changing it in general, it's a configuration profile deploying the restrictions payload disallowing modifying the device name.

 

 


Very Helpful!

Question: this won't prevent the IT Admin profile i have pushed out over policy from having admin rights, will it?

Thanks!


AJPinto
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  • Legendary Contributor
  • January 2, 2025

Very Helpful!

Question: this won't prevent the IT Admin profile i have pushed out over policy from having admin rights, will it?

Thanks!


Locking the hostname has nothing to do with removing admin access, it simply limits the ability to change the hostname locking it down to the MDM.

 

Food for thought, macOS must have at least one admin account. If you try to remove admin access from the only admin account you will get an error.


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  • New Contributor
  • January 3, 2025

Locking the hostname has nothing to do with removing admin access, it simply limits the ability to change the hostname locking it down to the MDM.

 

Food for thought, macOS must have at least one admin account. If you try to remove admin access from the only admin account you will get an error.


I didn't think so, and i got a little gun-shy, but I pushed the policy and it's working as expected. 

 

Thanks!