Introduction to Windows 2003 User Accounts

User accounts are the fundamental building blocks of a Windows 2003 network. A user account consists of all the information that defines a Windows Server 2003 user. A user account includes the user name and password required for the user to log on, the group memberships, and the user permissions. A Windows Server 2003 user account equips a user with access to resources on that computer or network resources.

A Windows Server 2003 network has three types of user accounts:

Domain user account: Domain user account can be used to gain access to a Windows 2003 domain and its resources. A domain user account is the most common type of logon account.

Local user account: A local user account exists on a standalone or member server. A local user account allows a user to log on to the local computer and gain access to its local resources.

Built-in user account: Built-in user accounts are created for specific administrative tasks to ease the burden of Windows 2003 System Administration.