SYSTEM user?

[Guest]

Recently, I found a video on YouTube explaining how to access the SYSTEM user
account. I followed the steps, and successfully logged in. Can someone please
tell me what this user does and why it doesn't show up anywhere, including
using the net -> user command in CMD.
PS I am running Windows XP Home SP2, and no consequences came from logging
in as SYSTEM, other than a slightly slower start-up time next time I booted
up. Why was this?

 

[Ed Metcalfe]

Recently, I found a video on YouTube explaining how to access the SYSTEM
user
account. I followed the steps, and successfully logged in. Can someone
please
tell me what this user does and why it doesn't show up anywhere, including
using the net -> user command in CMD.
PS I am running Windows XP Home SP2, and no consequences came from logging
in as SYSTEM, other than a slightly slower start-up time next time I
booted
up. Why was this?

The SYSTEM user is used by the operating system to run certain processes and
services.

In many circumstances it has the same rights as accounts within the
Administrators group. I believe there are some scenarios where it has higher
priveleges.

More information is available here:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/120929

No idea why your next startup was slower....

Ed Metcalfe.

 

[Harry Johnston]

Recently, I found a video on YouTube explaining how to access the SYSTEM user
account. I followed the steps, and successfully logged in. Can someone please
tell me what this user does and why it doesn't show up anywhere, including
using the net -> user command in CMD.

SYSTEM isn't a user account, so it shouldn't be expected to show up via "net
user" or other similar tools. Arguably it isn't an account at all, just a
security identifier used by operating system processes. However it is also
closely associated with the computer's account, so there's some linguistic
ambiguity there.

I'm not sure what you mean by "logging in" as SYSTEM. There are a number of
ways to make use of SYSTEM, usually via a command-line window, but I don't see
how you would log in as SYSTEM. Can you provide a reference, or instructions?

Depending on exactly what you do mean, this might not be a safe process; SYSTEM
doesn't have many of the things associated with user accounts, such as a
profile, so attempting to use it in the same way you would use a user account
could cause subtle (or not so subtle) damage to the OS.

Harry.

 

[Guest]

SYSTEM isn't a user account, so it shouldn't be expected to show up via "net
user" or other similar tools. Arguably it isn't an account at all, just a
security identifier used by operating system processes. However it is also
closely associated with the computer's account, so there's some linguistic
ambiguity there.

I'm not sure what you mean by "logging in" as SYSTEM. There are a number of
ways to make use of SYSTEM, usually via a command-line window, but I don't see
how you would log in as SYSTEM. Can you provide a reference, or instructions?

Depending on exactly what you do mean, this might not be a safe process; SYSTEM
doesn't have many of the things associated with user accounts, such as a
profile, so attempting to use it in the same way you would use a user account
could cause subtle (or not so subtle) damage to the OS.

Harry.

Sorry, I thought I'd included the link.

Nevertheless, here it is:
<a href>

</a>

 

[Harry Johnston]

<a href>

</a>

OK, the first part is safe; starting a command window as SYSTEM is OK, though
there are more efficient ways of doing it. Starting explorer.exe as SYSTEM is
dangerous and could potentially damage the operating system. (I don't know for
a fact that it does but it certainly has the potential to do so. Explorer is
not designed to be run in system context.)

In any case, unless you really know what you're doing (in which case you can use
the command window) there isn't any advantage to being in system context.

Harry.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Harry, didn't realise that any harm could come from "logging in" as
SYSTEM, thought it would be similar to Administrator, but since there are no
advantages, I shall not be doing this anymore