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The current version of SuperLock Pro does not directly support the use of programs, like Retrospect, that automatically launch and bring themselves to the front. However, with a bit of ingenuity, the two programs can peacefully coexist.


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When the Mac OS launches a standard application program, it can either simply launch it in the background, or it can launch it and simultaneously bring it to the front. Which launch method is used is dictated by the program doing the launching, which is usually the Finder but may be any program designed to launch other software.

SuperLock Pro's Client software is designed specifically to disallow bringing other applications to the front. It does this by preventing clicks on the desktop, preventing clicks in other applications' windows, preventing the use of the process menu, and preventing clicks within the Control Strip. Client also prevents the use of other software--for example, Application Switcher (whose window can be opened by tearing off the process menu in Mac OS 8.5 and higher)--to switch another program to the front. Were Client to permit other programs to be brought to the front, a serious security breach would be opened, as intruders would simply need to switch to another program to do whatever they wished.

Client's insistence on maintaining security through its unwillingness to let other programs assume the front-most position can prove to be problematic at times. This most often happens when a program needs to legitimately launch in automated fashion; the most common example is Retrospect, which is often set to do unattended nightly backups. If Retrospect (or any other program) were to launch without the bring-to-front option, Client would permit the launch. Unfortunately, Retrospect does use the bring-to-front option, and so Client blocks its launch.

Happily, all hope is not lost. With proper configuration, and perhaps a little help from outside software, SuperLock Pro can be configured to allow Retrospect to properly launch without sacrificing security to too great an extent. The simplest way to accomplish this is to set SuperLock's inactivity delay to a high enough value that the scheduled launch of Retrospect will occur within the time delay. For instance, if the last person to use the computer quits for the day at 6 PM, and Retrospect is set to launch at 6:30 PM, set SuperLock's inactivity delay to 35 minutes, so that the earliest Client will launch is 6:35 PM, after Retrospect launches. To maximize security, make the delay as small as possible, which may mean rescheduling Retrospect to an earlier time. SuperLock's inactivity delay is set in the Security window in Admin; note that it cannot be set to more than 60 minutes.

An alternative option is to use a macro program like Launch Key or QuickKeys to automatically log into Client a minute or so before Retrospect is set to launch, then re-launch Client immediately after. This method has the advantages that Client may be launched as usual by the computer's last user at the end of the day, and Retrospect's launch does not need to be rescheduled. A potential disadvantage is that the macro program might not store the SuperLock login information in a secure manner. This risk can be reduced by creating a new account in SuperLock specifically for this purpose, and setting its time limitations such that the account can only be used during the hour that it is required to permit the Retrospect launch. Set this way, someone who pulls the login information from the macro program will find it useless unless they come in at the right time after-hours to use it.

Once Retrospect is able to launch itself unattended, your backups should proceed in a normal fashion.