MacOS 26 and up install for Engineering

In MacOS 26, Apple change System Preferences to System Settings, and signficantly change the number of sections and their names. These instructions will use the new sections.

Legend:

  • to indicate the path to a command, I will use the syntax: 'ProgramName > MenuCommand > MenuSubCommand > MenuSubSubCommand > etc'

Author: Marlon A. Griffith

Modified: * Wed. 2026-05-28

Created: Thurs. 2022-09-01

Assumptions

  1. pristine mac with basic OS

  2. no accounts on the system

Create the Engineering Computing admin account

  • turn on the mac

  • follow the intro screens to setup the first account

  • select NO or 'not now' for the Apple services, i.e. AppleId, location services etc.

  • fullname: Engineering Computing

  • account/short name: ecadmin

  • password: as our department requires

Update the MacOS

Preferably using a wired connection:

  • Turn off Finder > Menu Bar > Wireless.

  • System Settings > 'Software Update'.

  • this can take a half hour to an hour or longer.

ecadmin System Settings

For maximum security and ease of use.

Finder > Preferences…​ >:

  • General >

    • Show these items on the desktop: check all 4 options

    • New Finder windows show: select Utilities

    • check Open folders in tabs instead of windows

  • Sidebar > Favorites:

    • select the admin user

    • deselect Recent and AirDrop

  • Sidebar > Locations:

    • deselect iCloud Drive and Cloud Storage

    • select all the others

  • Sidebar > Tags:

    • deselect Recent Tags

  • Advanced >

    • select Show all filenames extensions.

System Settings > presented in the order that they appear:

  • Bluetooth >

    • turn off for admin account

  • General > Software Update > turn off:

    • 'Download new updates when available' (especially if it is a laptop that only uses wireless)

    • 'Install macOS updates'

    • Local hostname > Edit…​ >

      • use a name like deptMac##, i.e. edmac01

      • for engineering dean mac 01

    • turn on Content & Media > Screen Sharing >

      • Allow access for > select Only these users > select Administrators

    • turn on Advanced > Remote Login >

      • Allow access for > select Only these users > select Administrators

      • select Allow full disk access for remote users

  • Appearance >

    • Show scroll bars >

      • select Always

  • Desktop & Dock >

    • Desktop & Stage Manager > Show items >

      • only select 'On Desktop'

    • Widgets > Show Widgets >

      • deselect the two options

    • Hot Corners >

      • on the lower left dropdown, choose Lock Screen

      • click OK to save

  • Menu Bar >

    • select None for 'Recent documents, applications, and servers'

  • Spotlight, since I only use spotlight as an app launcher and calculator >

    • toggle off 'Show Related Content'

    • toggle off 'Help Apple Improve Search'

    • Results from Apps > check:

      • Calculator

      • Dictionary

      • System Settings

    • Results from System > toggle on:

      • Apps

      • Files

      • Folders

      • Menu Items

  • Wallpaper >

    • Screen Saver…​ >

      • Start screen saver after > choose 10 Minutes

      • select whichever screen saver that you like, by selecting Custom

      • I prefer Flurry (which is in the bottom row)

    • select whichever wallpaper that you desire

  • Lock Screen >

    • Turn display off when inactive >

      • choose 10 minutes

    • Require password after screen saver begins or display is turned off >

      • choose Immediately

    • When Switching User > Login window shows >

      • select 'List of users'

  • Privacy and Security >

    • turn off Location Services

    • as apps are installed, other settings may be changed here

  • Mouse >

    • toggle off 'Natural scrolling'

Safari > Preferences…​ >:

  • General >

    • New windows open with: Empty Page

    • New tabs open with: Empty Page

    • Remove history items: After one day

    • Remove download list items: When Safari quits

    • deselect Open "safe" files after downloading

  • AutoFill >

    • deselect all 4 options on Autofill web forms

  • Search >

    • Search engine: DuckDuckGo

    • Smart Search Field: deselect all 4 options

  • Advanced >

    • Smart Search Field: select Show full website address

    • select Show Develop menu in menu bar.

Install basic software

I have four utils that I add to the standard setup:

For workstations, I would add:

I strongly suggest using a wired connection in coordination with the main computer user, since MS requires a login to update the software:

Optional Settings

For more security and ease of use, these are the changes that I make in the ecadmin account.

Firefox > Preferences >

  • General >

    • Tabs >

      • uncheck everything but 'Open links in tabs instead of new windows'

    • Browser Layout >

      • check 'Show sidebar'

    • Applications > What should Firefox do with other files?

      • select 'Ask whether to open or save files'

    • Firefox Updates >

      • select 'Check for updates but let you choose to install them'

    • Browsing >

      • check only the following:

        • Use autoscrolling

        • Use the tab key to move focus between form controls and links

        • Enable Picture-in-Picture video controls

        • Control media via keyboard, headset, or virtual interface

  • Home >

    • New Windows and Tabs >

      • Homepage and new windows > choose Blank Page

      • New tabs > choose Blank Page

    • Firefox Home Content >

      • uncheck all items

  • Search >

    • to add the Search Bar:

      • right click on the browser toolbar

      • a drop down menu will appear

      • select 'Customize Toolbar'…​ to see the advanced options that can be added to the toolbar

        • drag and drop the search section onto the toolbar in an empty area

    • Default Search Engine >

      • choose DuckDuckGo (or whichever you prefer)

    • Address Bar >

      • select only Bookmarks

    • Search Engine Suggestions >

      • select 'Provide search suggestions' but deselect the sub items below it

    • Search Shortcuts >

      • select DuckDuckGo, Wikipedia and Google

      • remove amazon, ebay and any others that you don’t want

  • Privacy & Security >

    • deselect everything else and only select what is indicated below.

    • Enhanced Tracking Protection >

      • select Standard

    • Cookies and Site Data >

      • select Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed

    • Passwords >

      • only select 'Show alerts about passwords for breached websites'

    • History >

      • Firefox will: choose Use custom settings for history

        • select Remember browsing and download history

        • select Clear history when Firefox closes and click Settings…​

          • ensure all options are checked and click Ok

    • Permissions >

      • check 'Block pop-ups and third-party redirects'

      • check 'Show warning when websites try to install extensions'

    • Security > and DNS over HTTPS >

      • keep the defaults for now.

  • AI Controls > On-device AI >

    • Translations is set to Available

    • everything else is set to Blocked.

  • adding Utility extensions >

    • open a new blank tab

    • in the address bar type about:addons and press return

    • you will be presented with the Manage Your Extensions screen

    • click the 'Extensions' link on the upper left with the four link options

    • in the Find more addon-ons field, type the name of the extension that you want

    • here are two useful ones:

      • uBlock Origin, the best ad blocker

      • WX Download Status Bar, presents an obvious status bar allowing more control of your downloads

    • be sure to allow them to 'Run in Private Windows' and pin to the bar

    • from the little wheel icon on the upper right, I deselect Update Add-ons Automatically.

Optional Installs

LibreOffice:

Neo Network Utility:

Thunderbird:

TinkerTool:

The official university Font:

  • get from central admin.

  • you will have to locate the person who can give it to you.

Install Printer Drivers

Prerequisite:

  • Mike Hurst’s printer server setup instructions.

What printers does the user need?

Most of the Engineering Dean’s office uses Xerox C7030 printers and copiers as of the time of this writing:

Setting up the printer queue:

  • in System Settings > Printers & Scanners

  • to add a new printer, click the plus sign on the lower left corner below the list of printer queues

  • follow the specific print server instructions that Mike has

  • type in a name for the printer, i.e. Engcomp Copier

  • in the 'Use' dropdown, choose 'Select Software…​'

  • in the filter field of the popup window, type the printer driver that you want, i.e. 'C7030'

  • select the printer driver

  • while the queue is being created, you may be prompted to indicated whether the printer has a duplexer; choose the appropriate option

To test the newly created queue:

  • in System Settings > Printers & Scanners

  • to open the newly created queue, double click on it’s icon in the queue listt

  • the printer queue’s menu, will be on the upper left

  • select and hold Printer

    • third from the bottom is 'Print Test Page,' select it

    • a test page will be displayed in the queue for about 5 to 10 seconds

    • if the page disappears, the queue is working

    • if the page remains, troubleshoot the queue’s settings

    • you may need to delete the queue and recreate it

  • you may need to ask Mike or myself for advice.

UW Security Software

Sentinel One and Qualsys:

Optional: Create a dean’s office admin account

In System Settings > Users & Groups:

  • on the lower left is the padlock to unlock

  • to open the padlock, click it and enter an admin username and password

  • on the lower left of the list of accounts, is the plus sign

  • to create a new account, click the plus sign

  • a dialog will be displayed with several dropdowns and fields:

    • New Account: Administrator

    • Full Name: Eng Dean Admin

    • Account Name: edadmin

    • Password: 'check with Karen Dubois for the password that she wants to use'

    • Verify: "verify Karen’s password"

    • Password Hint: 'the hint that Karen wants'

    • click 'Create User'

  • to change the accounts icon, double click the image and select from defaults or photos.

Logout and into the new account, to ensure that the password is working.

Adjust any other settings that Karen might require for:

  • the Finder

  • the folder navigation

  • the default browser

  • showing scrollbars

  • etc.

Create the user’s standard account

SOMETIMES, the user needs an admin account. If so warn them about the dangers of installing their own software and then, use the same procedure as for the dean’s office. Otherwise, use the following.

In System Settings > Users & Groups:

  • on the lower left is the padlock to unlock

  • to open the padlock, click it and enter an admin username and password

  • on the lower left of the list of accounts, is the plus sign

  • to create a new account, click the plus sign

  • a pop will be displayed with several dropdowns and fields:

    • New Account: Standard

    • Full Name: "the user’s full name"

    • Account Name: "the user’s watiam id!"

    • Password: 'have the user enter a password'

    • Verify: 'have the user verify their password'

    • Password Hint: 'have the user enter a hint, if desired'

    • click 'Create User'

  • to change the accounts icon, double click the image and select from defaults or photos.

Logout and into the new account, to ensure that the password is working.

Adjust any other settings that the user might require for:

  • the Finder

  • the folder navigation

  • the default browser

  • showing scrollbars

  • etc.

Your department’s network shares:

  • I don’t have access to them and thus can’t initially log into them

  • here are instructions to:

1) ensure that you are connected to UW through the vpn

2) Instructions from https://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-to-connect-your-macos-device-to-an-smb-share/:

Open up the Finder and click Go | Connect to Server. In the resulting window, type smb:// followed by the server name of the server containing the share, a forward slash and then the share name, i.e. smb://ecfile1.uwaterloo.ca/userName. Click Connect, and then when prompted enter the credentials for the share - your nexus id and password. Click Connect, and then when prompted select the share you want to use. Click OK and the share will appear in Finder, ready to use.

During the connection to the share, you can opt to retain the credentials, by clicking Remember this password in my keychain. ...

Also, 'How to connect a macOS device to an SMB share,' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZw6qhjR-HE, shows the procedure well.

Install software that requires a purchase account

The user must be present since they will need to update these software with their AppleId:

  • MS remote desktop.

  • any other software from the App Store.

Log into the user’s account.

In App Store:

  • the upper left has a search field

  • type the name of the software that you are looking for, i.e. MS remote desktop

  • the search results hopefully will display the desired program

  • click the get button for the program

  • you will be prompted for an AppleId

  • have the user enter their AppleId.

Note, that each AppleId has to have a credit card associated with it.

Adobe Pro:

  • IST says that the user will have to purchase the cloud version

  • the user’s department will pay

  • the user must install it

  • to update, the user has to login with a Creative cloud account.

Finally, turn on Disk Encryption

System Settings > Privacy and Security > Security > Filevault:

  • toggle to turn on and, the computer will encrypt for a few seconds and then present
    the Recovery Key

  • keep that value in a safe place

  • at any time, you can return to this panel and view the recovery key.

WARNING: user leaving the department

Any software that they installed using their AppleId must be removed by them before they leave!