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What is a non-destructive way to prevent an app from opening?

  1. Command line code is OK (as long as it isn't "rm (appname))
  2. Applescript is OK
  3. The app may want to be used in the future, so corrupting it is not allowed
  4. Answers like "Just don't use (app)" should get you shot into the sun, but, alas, our space budget just isn't what it used to be
  5. Not a start-up issue.
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2 Answers 2

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Make an account managed by parental controls, and blacklist the app. Whenever you do need to open it, it's easy enough to enter your admin password and whitelist the app.

Alternatively, if you don't want to go to the hassle of moving all your stuff to another account, you can make another admin account that exists solely for the purpose of enforcing parental controls on your main account.

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  • Interesting. I like the answer, but sadly it would require another account (which is something I didn't specify).
    – n_b
    Sep 27, 2015 at 18:23
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    @n_b Oh, sorry, I didn't know we had to stick to the methods you specified. If you don't want to go to the hassle of moving all your stuff to another account, you could make another admin account that exists solely for the purpose of enforcing parental controls on your main account.
    – user24601
    Sep 27, 2015 at 18:25
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    Neat and clean.
    – KPM
    Sep 28, 2015 at 3:46
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Just change the name of the executable. Go into AppName.app/Contents/MacOS/ and change the name of the executable file to something else (such as AppName-Don'tLaunch.

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