Skip to main content

I recently changed the MCX setting for screensaver idle time from 300 to 600 seconds. One user is reporting to me that it's sticking to 300 and no matter what he does it wont change to 600. Any ideas on how to fix this? This is the com.apple.screensave.ByHost file.

Thanks
Allen

has that user rebooted or re enforced the MCX policy since it was re-created?

sudo jamf mcx

Dan De Rusha

Yes and yes. com.apple.screensaver is correct, but com.apple.screensaver.ByHost is not. IdleTime is stuck at 300. I've checked other machines and they are at 600.

I've had issues where MCX preferences were just not getting updated
On 10/8/10 3:34 PM, "GolbigA at mskcc.org" <GolbigA at mskcc.org> wrote:
properly. Using the JAMF commands didn't work and removing everything from
"/Library/Managed Preferences" didn't help either.

Finally, this command plus a reboot cleared the issue:

sudo dscl . -delete /Computers

This page on Apple's site has other good information about flushing MCX
caches:

<http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3540>

--

William Smith
Technical Analyst
Merrill Communications LLC
(651) 632-1492

Try deleting the Managed Preferences folder and possibly also clearing the
On Fri, Oct 8, 2010 at 3:45 PM, <GolbigA at mskcc.org> wrote:
Computers tree in local directory:

sudo rm -rf /Library/Managed Preferences/*

sudo dscl . delete /Computers

Reboot afterwards.

That has worked for me in the past.

Steve Wood
Director of IT
swood at integer.com

The Integer Group | 1999 Bryan St. | Ste. 1700 | Dallas, TX 75201
T 214.758.6813 | F 214.758.6901 | C 940.312.2475

Any MCX that is set on a machine level (ie applies to all users) will be a computer policy. To refresh that, you can delete the computer record as listed below using the dscl command. If you browse over at www.afp548.com there are countless forum posts, white papers, and articles about MCX settings.

Thanks for the suggestions, but it's still not working. com.apple.screensaver is set properly but the com.apple.screensaver.ByHost is not.

Emptied Managed Preferences and ran dscl . delete /Computers

Thanks
Allen

I just did jamf mcx -username <username> and it updated the byhost file. Not sure where it was pulling the info from before, since it's supposed to be getting it from JAMF, but now it's working on his machine.

Thanks
Allen

You used "-delete" and not "delete", right?
On 10/8/10 4:29 PM, "GolbigA at mskcc.org" <GolbigA at mskcc.org> wrote:

--

William Smith
Technical Analyst
Merrill Communications LLC
(651) 632-1492

Terms & ConditionsCookie settingsAccessibility statement