Creating a user named 'Service'

[Guest]

Can someone tell me why you cannot create a user profile named 'Service' in
Windows XP Pro SP2? You can add this name to the user list during the
initial OS configuration but it does not show up in the user account list.
When you try to add it through the User Account dialoge page it says the
account already exists and won't add it. If you look at the user list in the
Users folder of the computer management console, it's not there but try to
add it and it says it already exists. If you try to find it using the net
user command it's not there; try to delete it and it says the account can't
be found but try to add it and it says it already exists. I checked this
issue on several XP Pro SP2 computers and can replicate it on each. What's
up with this?

 

[David H. Lipman]

From: "davegcsa" <[email protected]>

| Can someone tell me why you cannot create a user profile named 'Service' in
| Windows XP Pro SP2? You can add this name to the user list during the
| initial OS configuration but it does not show up in the user account list.
| When you try to add it through the User Account dialoge page it says the
| account already exists and won't add it. If you look at the user list in the
| Users folder of the computer management console, it's not there but try to
| add it and it says it already exists. If you try to find it using the net
| user command it's not there; try to delete it and it says the account can't
| be found but try to add it and it says it already exists. I checked this
| issue on several XP Pro SP2 computers and can replicate it on each. What's
| up with this?
|

Because it is a reserved name.

 

[Guest]

Why, or for what purpose, is it reserved? And why does the initial OS
configuration screen let you enter it? It rejects the names Administrator
and Guest, which are built in accounts, so why does it not also reject
Service?

 

[David H. Lipman]

From: "davegcsa" <[email protected]>

| Why, or for what purpose, is it reserved? And why does the initial OS
| configuration screen let you enter it? It rejects the names Administrator
| and Guest, which are built in accounts, so why does it not also reject
| Service?
|

Many names are "reserved" like; LPT1, COM1, PRN

Guest and Administrator are already constructs of the OS. Why create what the OS already
provides.

 

[Guest]

If you try to create a User account named LPT1, COM1, etc. the dialoge screen
will tell you that those names are reserved. In the case of Service, it says
the account already exists not that it is reserved. So where does it exist
and who does it exist for? I understand the constructs of Administrator and
Guest; I was just using those as examples and trying to figure out why the OS
doesn't behave the same way when entering the name Service in the initial OS
configurtion account set up.

 

[David H. Lipman]

From: "davegcsa" <[email protected]>

| If you try to create a User account named LPT1, COM1, etc. the dialoge screen
| will tell you that those names are reserved. In the case of Service, it says
| the account already exists not that it is reserved. So where does it exist
| and who does it exist for? I understand the constructs of Administrator and
| Guest; I was just using those as examples and trying to figure out why the OS
| doesn't behave the same way when entering the name Service in the initial OS
| configurtion account set up.
|

It exists as what is called a "service account". It pre-exists and is reserved account
name.

 

[Harry Johnston]

From: "davegcsa" <[email protected]>

| If you try to create a User account named LPT1, COM1, etc. the dialoge screen
| will tell you that those names are reserved. In the case of Service, it says
| the account already exists not that it is reserved. So where does it exist
| and who does it exist for?

It exists as what is called a "service account". It pre-exists and is reserved account
name.

More precisely it's what's called a "well-known security identifier". Others
include "Everyone", "World", "CREATOR_OWNER", "INTERACTIVE", and so on.

There is no actual account or group called "Service" but the name can appear in
permission lists, where it refers to any process running a system service.

Harry.