Locker Manager

Free for every school

Download Locker Manager

The newest version is on the releases page.

Your computer

Windows

Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit. One installer for Intel, AMD and ARM computers.

Download for Windows Locker-Manager-Setup-<version>.exe
Your computer

Mac

One download for Apple silicon (M1 and later) and Intel Macs.

Download for Mac Locker-Manager-<version>-universal.dmg

Free for schools. Registration required. Register your school to get your key.

Already using Locker Manager? You do not need to download anything: it updates itself.

Expect a security warning the first time

Locker Manager is free and open source, and it is not yet registered with Microsoft or Apple. So the first time you download and open it, your computer warns you that it does not recognise the app. This is expected. Follow the steps below for your computer. You only do this once.

The app runs entirely on your own computer and sends no student data anywhere. Download it only from this page or from the project's GitHub page.

Before you start

  • On a school-managed computer, check with your IT team first. Many schools block new apps until IT allows them. IT can install Locker Manager for every staff member at once (see the section for school IT below).
  • You do not need an administrator password on Windows. The installer puts the app in your own account.
  • On a Mac, you need to be allowed to add apps to the Applications folder. If you are not, ask your IT team.
  • Your school's data is not in the download. Each school keeps its own data file in a folder it chooses. You can try the app first with a demo school of made-up students.

Installing on Windows

  1. Download the installer. Click Download for Windows above.
  2. If your browser warns you, keep the file.
    • Microsoft Edge may say the file "isn't commonly downloaded". Point at the download, click the … button, then Keep. If it asks again, click Show more, then Keep anyway.
    • Google Chrome may show a similar warning. Click the download, then Keep or Download anyway.
  3. Open the downloaded file. It is called Locker-Manager-Setup-…exe and is in your Downloads folder.
  4. Get past the blue "Windows protected your PC" screen. Click the small More info link, then Run anyway.

    Run anyway only appears after you click More info.

  5. Follow the installer. If it asks who to install for, choose Only for me. That needs no administrator password.
  6. Open Locker Manager from the Start menu. Windows does not warn you again, and later versions install themselves.

Installing on a Mac

  1. Download the disk image. Click Download for Mac above. The file ends in .dmg.
  2. Open it and drag Locker Manager into Applications. Then eject the disk image (click the eject button next to it in Finder).

    Always run the app from your Applications folder, not from the disk image. Otherwise it cannot update itself.

  3. Try to open it once. Open Locker Manager from Applications. macOS says it cannot check the app and offers only Done. Click Done. This step is needed: it makes the next step's button appear.
  4. Allow it in System Settings. Open System Settings, then Privacy & Security. Scroll to the bottom and click Open Anyway next to the line about Locker Manager.
  5. Confirm. Click Open Anyway once more, and enter your Mac password or use Touch ID if asked.
  6. That's it. From now on, open it like any other app. Later versions install themselves when you start the app.

After it is installed

Try the demo school first

On the first screen, choose the demo school. Every student in it is made up, and it starts fresh each time you open it, so you can practise freely. A short tour shows you around.

Updates install themselves

Locker Manager checks for a new version a few seconds after it starts. It never restarts while you are saving, printing or importing. On a Mac, keep the app in Applications so it can replace itself.

If something goes wrong

Windows shows no "Run anyway" button

Click the small More info link first; the button appears after that. If there is still no button, your school's settings block apps Windows does not recognise. Ask your IT team to install it for you.

The Mac has no "Open Anyway" button

The button only appears for about an hour after you try to open the app. Open Locker Manager from Applications again, click Done, then go straight back to Privacy & Security. If it still does not appear, the Mac may be managed by your school; ask your IT team.

The Mac says the app is "damaged" or "can't be opened"

Delete the copy you have, download it again from this page, and follow the Mac steps from the start. Do not copy the app from another computer or a USB stick. If it still happens, report it on GitHub.

The app says it cannot update itself
  • Mac, running from the disk image or Downloads: quit it, drag it into Applications, and open it from there.
  • Mac, account not allowed to change Applications: the app tells you when a new version is out and opens the download page. Install the new version over the old one, or ask your IT team.
  • Mac, version 0.10.0 or older: these copies cannot update themselves. Install the newest version from this page once; after that it updates itself.
Is it really safe to click past the warning?

The warning means the app is not registered with Microsoft or Apple, not that anything is wrong with it. Registration (called code signing) is planned; once it is in place, the warnings go away. Locker Manager is open source, so anyone can read exactly what it does. It has no server and no accounts, and the only thing it ever asks the internet is whether a newer version exists.

Will installing a new version touch our school's data?

No. The data file lives in the folder your school chose, and it has its own backups. Installing, updating or uninstalling the app does not change it.

For school IT

  • Windows silent install for every user: Locker-Manager-Setup-<version>.exe /S /allusers (installs to C:\Program Files\Locker Manager).
  • Managed Macs: an MDM profile that allows the bundle identifier au.com.dandsarmstrong.lockermanager avoids the first-open prompt.
  • Updates come from github.com and release-assets.githubusercontent.com. They can be turned off with managed settings.
  • Everything else, including managed settings and the security model, is in the IT guide.

Looking for an older version or the release notes? Every version is on the releases page.