ASP.NET Machine A...'s

[Dave]

I reciently ran a bunch of microsoft updates on my system
to bring it up to date. I had not previously run many
updates due to dialup service kept disconecting. I now
have DSL so dicsonect and time are no longer an issue.
Now I have a user account listed in control panel/user
accounts that I did not create : ASP.Net Machine A...'s
this account is listed as limited and password protected.
Is this account something automaticaly generated by one
of the Microsoft updates?
Operating system is WinXP Pro SP1 with every update
available.
Any info will be appreciated.
~Dave

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I reciently ran a bunch of microsoft updates on my system
to bring it up to date. I had not previously run many
updates due to dialup service kept disconecting. I now
have DSL so dicsonect and time are no longer an issue.
Now I have a user account listed in control panel/user
accounts that I did not create : ASP.Net Machine A...'s
this account is listed as limited and password protected.
Is this account something automaticaly generated by one
of the Microsoft updates?
Operating system is WinXP Pro SP1 with every update
available.
Any info will be appreciated.

You installed all updates.
You installed then, the .NET Framework.
When you install the .NET Framework 1.1, a hidden local user account that is
named ASPNET is created.

Now - others please correct me if I am wrong:

This is only needed if you are developing .NET apps and serving them on your
computer. It allows outside people to connect via this account in order to
view webpages, use databases, and so on. It is similar to the one IIS
creates when you install Internet Information Server. If you aren't running
a webserver, you can disable or delete the account. (Disable is more
"reversable".)

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Dave;
The account was created when you installed the Windows .NET Framework
1.1
update from Windows Update.
The account is used by .NET Framework enabled applications to run in a
lower
and therefore a more secure context then running under your account
(which
may be an administrator or some other highly privileged account).
Removal or modification of this account may break any .NET Framework
applications if IIS is installed. (There are already a few out there
and significanlty more on
their way).
Borrowed from Mike Brannigan [Microsoft]

See also:
http://www.mvps.org/marksxp/windowsxp/aspdot.htm

 

[Roger Abell [MVP]]

If you have XP Home this account is completely unused.
If you have XP Pro without IIS this account is completely unused.
If you have XP Pro with IIS this account is only used if you
have developed Asp.Net pages.
You may mask the account from the login screen with
TweakUI. The account is not allowed to be used from
the network in its install default config.

 

[Dave]

Thank you all for the information.
I will likely disable the account as I am not currently
doing web page development.

~Dave>-----Original Message-----

 

[wlundin3]

XP Home. Shortly after doing the same installation of
asp.net,
on 2/11, after reboot, The Windows Welcome Login screen
came up, showing one user account (my master one).
Great, I only have one account, why bother I thought.
But yes, in User Profiles, there was the asp.net account.

I left it alone. I tried to move a sub folder to a new
parent ( folder "a" in d:\download\a to d:\temp\a ).
After moving, the folder was 0 bytes and inaccessible.

I found that on both my hard drvies, every folder and
file was marked as Read-Only. Program Files directory
was also marked as Hidden.

Worse, my main account (the only one I wanted) was
prevented from changing the read-only status.

In the event log view for security, I have numerous
failed login attempts ... appears that asp.net tried to
login 3 times, wrong or no password provided, so the lock-
out feature was preventing my master account from
accessing files too!

I did a point restore to 2/10, before asp.net installed.
I made sue in user Profiles to turn off Welcome Screen
and Fast-User switching (there was a kb article on fast-
user switching that helped me diagnose the lock-out
issue, thanks)
However, the read-only, hidden files thing is still
there. I CAN mark folders as not read-only, and files
too, but if I try the method for Folders\files, and
subfolders, I get permssion denied. Dos cmd line also,
can not do subdirectories and files, just one directory
or files in one directory at a time. Sure, I did a
dir /s and made a batch file to reset the read-only
attributes, but what a PAIN.
I am about to re-boot. I hope my troubles are over ...