Software Conflicts with LockDown Browser on Mac (Complete Reference)
LockDown Browser maintains a "blacklisted application" list - running processes that prevent the exam from launching. Beyond the explicit blacklist, several Mac-side tools cause subtler conflicts. Below: every common conflict, the technical reason behind it, and the pre-exam neutralisation procedure.
How blacklist enforcement works
Before LDB launches the exam, it enumerates running processes via NSWorkspace.runningApplications + a sysctl probe and checks each against an institution-configured deny list. The default list, set by Respondus and overridable per-institution, includes:
- Screen-sharing daemons:
AppleVNCServer,ARDAgent,screensharingd. - Remote-control tools: TeamViewer, AnyDesk, GoTo Resolve, Citrix Workspace, LogMeIn, Splashtop, Chrome Remote Desktop.
- VM hosts: Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion, UTM, VirtualBox.
- Recording / capture: ScreenFlow, OBS Studio, Loom desktop, QuickTime Player (active recording), Camtasia.
- Streaming: Zoom (in meeting), Teams (in call), Discord (screen-sharing).
If anything blacklisted is running, LDB shows a "Close these applications" dialog naming each. Quitting them via the dialog is sufficient - LDB re-scans after each click.
Per-conflict dedicated pages
Beyond the explicit blacklist, four categories of subtler conflicts cause exam-flow problems:
- Grammarly desktop service
- Zoom + Teams + Discord (when active)
- Dropbox + OneDrive + Google Drive sync
- Malwarebytes + Bitdefender + Sophos antivirus
- Little Snitch + outbound firewalls
- VPN clients (corporate + consumer)
- Citrix Workspace + Parallels Desktop
Articles in this section
- LockDown Browser + Grammarly Conflict on Mac (Quit Before Launch)
- LockDown Browser + Zoom / Teams / Discord Conflict on Mac
- LockDown Browser + Dropbox / OneDrive / Google Drive Conflict on Mac
- LockDown Browser + Antivirus on Mac (Malwarebytes, Bitdefender, Sophos)
- LockDown Browser + Little Snitch / Outbound Firewall on Mac
- LockDown Browser + VPN on Mac (Detection + Disconnect Procedure)
- LockDown Browser + Citrix / Parallels / VMware Conflict on Mac