What is SYSTEM in Properties>Security

Please forgive my ignorance for asking this question.

First off, I have Windows 2000. No matter what, any of the
Properties>Security I look at, I see Administrator and my
user account (as expected) but I also see a SYSTEM on all
of them. I know what Administrator, Group, and all of
those are if I see them here, but SYSTEM I do not know,
even after looking at Help to see what it is. When I try
to remove it, it says "Cannot remove because it's
inheriting permissions from the parent." I understand why
I can't remove Administrator, but why can't I remove
SYSTEM? Better yet, WHAT or WHO is this SYSTEM?

Thank you to whoever replies!

Lanwench
Wed Aug 04 11:47:30 CDT 2004

System=the internal system account. It isn't a person. :-)

What is it you're trying to change? You can change the permissions at the
higher level if you want, or change the properties of the folder so it
doesn't inherit from the parent (make sure to choose "copy" when prompted,
not "remove" or you will probably lock yourself out).

I usually set permissions so that administrators & system have full control,
and any other accounts/groups have Modify.

lllll wrote:
> Please forgive my ignorance for asking this question.
>
> First off, I have Windows 2000. No matter what, any of the
> Properties>Security I look at, I see Administrator and my
> user account (as expected) but I also see a SYSTEM on all
> of them. I know what Administrator, Group, and all of
> those are if I see them here, but SYSTEM I do not know,
> even after looking at Help to see what it is. When I try
> to remove it, it says "Cannot remove because it's
> inheriting permissions from the parent." I understand why
> I can't remove Administrator, but why can't I remove
> SYSTEM? Better yet, WHAT or WHO is this SYSTEM?
>
> Thank you to whoever replies!

lllll
Wed Aug 04 13:46:54 CDT 2004

Thank you for your reply, Lanwench.

I still don't fully understand what SYSTEM is or why it
needs access if it isn't a "person."

I'm concerned SYSTEM is an actual outside person that has
full access to my computer from a remote location. You
see, someone else has a computer in my household in
addition to mine, and I'm using the internet from
their "line," so to speak. Is that who SYSTEM is? I know
I'm the "Administrator," so is that other person I'm
sharing the internet line with SYSTEM? (They did have a
user account on my computer, but I disabled that, along
with Guest, just to be on the safe side.)

Your help/reply is greatly appreciated!

>-----Original Message-----
>System=the internal system account. It isn't a person. :-)
>
>What is it you're trying to change? You can change the
permissions at the
>higher level if you want, or change the properties of the
folder so it
>doesn't inherit from the parent (make sure to
choose "copy" when prompted,
>not "remove" or you will probably lock yourself out).
>
>I usually set permissions so that administrators & system
have full control,
>and any other accounts/groups have Modify.

Tom
Wed Aug 04 14:31:24 CDT 2004

Google is your friend:

How the system account is used in Windows:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;120929

Tom
"lllll" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:00fe01c47a53$69d50960$a501280a@phx.gbl...
| Thank you for your reply, Lanwench.
|
| I still don't fully understand what SYSTEM is or why it
| needs access if it isn't a "person."
|
| I'm concerned SYSTEM is an actual outside person that has
| full access to my computer from a remote location. You
| see, someone else has a computer in my household in
| addition to mine, and I'm using the internet from
| their "line," so to speak. Is that who SYSTEM is? I know
| I'm the "Administrator," so is that other person I'm
| sharing the internet line with SYSTEM? (They did have a
| user account on my computer, but I disabled that, along
| with Guest, just to be on the safe side.)
|
| Your help/reply is greatly appreciated!
|
| >-----Original Message-----
| >System=the internal system account. It isn't a person. :-)
| >
| >What is it you're trying to change? You can change the
| permissions at the
| >higher level if you want, or change the properties of the
| folder so it
| >doesn't inherit from the parent (make sure to
| choose "copy" when prompted,
| >not "remove" or you will probably lock yourself out).
| >
| >I usually set permissions so that administrators & system
| have full control,
| >and any other accounts/groups have Modify.

lllll
Wed Aug 04 15:14:12 CDT 2004

Ah, it was in Microsoft's website after all! I guess I
didn't search hard enough! :o)

Either way, thank you for that link. I will read it now.

>-----Original Message-----
>Google is your friend:
>
>How the system account is used in Windows:
>http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-
US;120929
>
>Tom