Basic Administration > Managing Data > Preference Management > About Locking Preferences
  
About Locking Preferences
Preferences can be locked at any level above the individual user. If a preference is locked, then the locked icon displays next to that preference at all levels, and the preference value cannot be changed at lower levels.
For example, if a site administrator locks a particular preference at the site level, then that preference cannot be changed by the organization administrator, any application context administrator, or a user. If an organization administrator locks a particular preference at the organization level, then that preference cannot be changed by the administrator of any application contexts, such as a product or project, within that organization.
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Before locking a preference value at the site or organization level, it is recommended that you delete any existing child instances for that preference.
Locked preferences can later be unlocked.