If you’re really going down the separate-user path (not, FWIW, what I personally recommend for a non-managed single-user box) and you want a nice and very user-visible approach to gaining privileges when all you have is non-privileged credentials, Privileges 2 was just released.
Well, no, you’d just log into recovery and run your intervention from there. I just feel like this prep scare is not in line with the way modern macOS is meant to be used. It feels to me like going through a lot of extra work without any tangible benefit. Sure, 90s Windows is one thing and I’m sure all this advice made sense back in the day or on another architecture. But a modern Mac just doesn’t work that way and isn’t intended to need this kind of coddling. Of the dozens and dozens of Macs I work with or get involved with supporting, I cannot remember when I last had a single user account that was hosed such that I could only resolve the situation with another previously prepared vanilla admin account. Usually, a fresh account is something I’d need to check if a problem lies with the system or a specific user account or setting. And that doesn’t need to be activated ahead of time just to check.
Now, don’t get me wrong, if you sleep better at night knowing there’s an extra account there should the unthinkable happen, go for it, quality sleep is important. I just don’t think it’s good general advice any Mac user needs to follow to remain safe or keep peace of mind. A modern Mac is designed in a way to relieve us of much of this prepper stuff and allow us to enjoy without getting paranoid. If things do go sideways, there are usually ample non-destructive options available. Cross that bridge when you get there. In the meantime, I think it makes more sense to emphasize making sure you have good and current backups, but mainly, enjoy your Mac. It was designed for that.
Edit: this is all with just a personal Mac in mind. Corporate computers are an entirely different matter. There, it’s not just extra accounts, but restrictions, mandatory profiles, and a whole lot more.
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Whatever works for you…but “the way modern macOS is meant to be used" is getting into hyperbole. The extra admin and regular accounts are lso useful for any troubleshooting one might need to do that doesn’t necessarily need recovery mode. Plus…recovery mode might be a little more scary for less sophisticated users…bottom line is there’s nothing wrong with either way.
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Why?? I’ve used nothing BUT my admin account on all my Macs from day one (decades ago) and never had a single issue. I’ve also never seen a single Apple Support page recommending otherwise.
Why??, here are two answers.
Second – Apple Support does not delve into Business Management issues.
First - I have used and supported multi-user operating systems on computers and routers since 1977… These include RSTS, RSX-11, VAX/VMS, VM/CMS, Ultriix, UNIX- many variants, Windows since XP, and OS X and macOS. I have diagnosed and remedied uncounted instances where an unblemished admin account, not the primary User account, was the means to recovery where the other option without this resource was rebuilding the system from scratch, often with loss of User data because of deficient backups. (Windows is always a special case.) And, Users are especially inventive in creating problems.
As there are two classes of users
a - Those who backup regularly
b - Those who should have
There are two classes of problems
a - Those which can be solved by and Admin account not tainted by daily use
b - Those which can’t.
In 3 1/2 decades, I have seen plenty of both. Your record of never having a single issue is commendable, but not convincing because of the limited sample base. The effort of creating a reserved Admin User and then creating the primary User in macOS Is negligible and the possible benefits large enough to easily make it a valid and good choice, even in the face of Apple Suppprt pages lacking useful advice for local support activities, and, even if the supported User is oneself.
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