Microsoft KB Archive/243330

= Well-known security identifiers in Windows operating systems =

Article ID: 243330

Article Last Modified on 2/28/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition (32-bit x86)
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition (32-bit x86)
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition (32-bit x86)
 * Microsoft Windows XP Professional
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Edition

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This article was previously published under Q243330



SUMMARY
A security identifier (SID) is a unique value of variable length that is used to identify a security principal or security group in Windows operating systems. Well-known SIDs are a group of SIDs that identify generic users or generic groups. Their values remain constant across all operating systems.

This information is useful for troubleshooting issues involving security. It is also useful for potential display problems that may be seen in the ACL editor. A SID may be displayed in the ACL editor instead of the user or group name.



MORE INFORMATION
Well-known SIDs:
 * SID: S-1-0

Name: Null Authority

Description: An identifier authority.
 * SID: S-1-0-0

Name: Nobody

Description: No security principal.
 * SID: S-1-1

Name: World Authority

Description: An identifier authority.
 * SID: S-1-1-0

Name: Everyone

Description: A group that includes all users, even anonymous users and guests. Membership is controlled by the operating system.

Note By default, the Everyone group no longer includes anonymous users on a computer that is running Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2).
 * SID: S-1-2

Name: Local Authority

Description: An identifier authority.
 * SID: S-1-3

Name: Creator Authority

Description: An identifier authority.
 * SID: S-1-3-0

Name: Creator Owner

Description: A placeholder in an inheritable access control entry (ACE). When the ACE is inherited, the system replaces this SID with the SID for the object's creator.
 * SID: S-1-3-1

Name: Creator Group

Description: A placeholder in an inheritable ACE. When the ACE is inherited, the system replaces this SID with the SID for the primary group of the object's creator. The primary group is used only by the POSIX subsystem.
 * SID: S-1-3-2

Name: Creator Owner Server

Description: This SID is not used in Windows 2000.
 * SID: S-1-3-3

Name: Creator Group Server

Description: This SID is not used in Windows 2000.
 * SID: S-1-4

Name: Non-unique Authority

Description: An identifier authority.
 * SID: S-1-5

Name: NT Authority

Description: An identifier authority.
 * SID: S-1-5-1

Name: Dialup

Description: A group that includes all users who have logged on through a dial-up connection. Membership is controlled by the operating system.
 * SID: S-1-5-2

Name: Network

Description: A group that includes all users that have logged on through a network connection. Membership is controlled by the operating system.
 * SID: S-1-5-3

Name: Batch

Description: A group that includes all users that have logged on through a batch queue facility. Membership is controlled by the operating system.
 * SID: S-1-5-4

Name: Interactive

Description: A group that includes all users that have logged on interactively. Membership is controlled by the operating system.
 * SID: S-1-5-5-X-Y

Name: Logon Session

Description: A logon session. The X and Y values for these SIDs are different for each session.
 * SID: S-1-5-6

Name: Service

Description: A group that includes all security principals that have logged on as a service. Membership is controlled by the operating system.
 * SID: S-1-5-7

Name: Anonymous

Description: A group that includes all users that have logged on anonymously. Membership is controlled by the operating system.
 * SID: S-1-5-8

Name: Proxy

Description: This SID is not used in Windows 2000.
 * SID: S-1-5-9

Name: Enterprise Domain Controllers

Description: A group that includes all domain controllers in a forest that uses an Active Directory directory service. Membership is controlled by the operating system.
 * SID: S-1-5-10

Name: Principal Self

Description: A placeholder in an inheritable ACE on an account object or group object in Active Directory. When the ACE is inherited, the system replaces this SID with the SID for the security principal who holds the account.
 * SID: S-1-5-11

Name: Authenticated Users

Description: A group that includes all users whose identities were authenticated when they logged on. Membership is controlled by the operating system.
 * SID: S-1-5-12

Name: Restricted Code

Description: This SID is reserved for future use.
 * SID: S-1-5-13

Name: Terminal Server Users

Description: A group that includes all users that have logged on to a Terminal Services server. Membership is controlled by the operating system.
 * SID: S-1-5-18

Name: Local System

Description: A service account that is used by the operating system.
 * SID: S-1-5-19

Name: NT Authority

Description: Local Service
 * SID: S-1-5-20

Name: NT Authority

Description: Network Service
 * SID: S-1-5- -500

Name: Administrator

Description: A user account for the system administrator. By default, it is the only user account that is given full control over the system.
 * SID: S-1-5- -501

Name: Guest

Description: A user account for people who do not have individual accounts. This user account does not require a password. By default, the Guest account is disabled.
 * SID: S-1-5- -502

Name: KRBTGT

Description: A service account that is used by the Key Distribution Center (KDC) service.
 * SID: S-1-5- -512

Name: Domain Admins

Description: A global group whose members are authorized to administer the domain. By default, the Domain Admins group is a member of the Administrators group on all computers that have joined a domain, including the domain controllers. Domain Admins is the default owner of any object that is created by any member of the group.
 * SID: S-1-5- -513

Name: Domain Users

Description: A global group that, by default, includes all user accounts in a domain. When you create a user account in a domain, it is added to this group by default.
 * SID: S-1-5- -514

Name: Domain Guests

Description: A global group that, by default, has only one member, the domain's built-in Guest account.
 * SID: S-1-5- -515

Name: Domain Computers

Description: A global group that includes all clients and servers that have joined the domain.
 * SID: S-1-5- -516

Name: Domain Controllers

Description: A global group that includes all domain controllers in the domain. New domain controllers are added to this group by default.
 * SID: S-1-5- -517

Name: Cert Publishers

Description: A global group that includes all computers that are running an enterprise certification authority. Cert Publishers are authorized to publish certificates for User objects in Active Directory.
 * SID: S-1-5- -518

Name: Schema Admins

Description: A universal group in a native-mode domain; a global group in a mixed-mode domain. The group is authorized to make schema changes in Active Directory. By default, the only member of the group is the Administrator account for the forest root domain.
 * SID: S-1-5- -519

Name: Enterprise Admins

Description: A universal group in a native-mode domain; a global group in a mixed-mode domain. The group is authorized to make forest-wide changes in Active Directory, such as adding child domains. By default, the only member of the group is the Administrator account for the forest root domain.
 * SID: S-1-5- -520

Name: Group Policy Creator Owners

Description: A global group that is authorized to create new Group Policy objects in Active Directory. By default, the only member of the group is Administrator.
 * SID: S-1-5- -533

Name: RAS and IAS Servers

Description: A domain local group. By default, this group has no members. Servers in this group have Read Account Restrictions and Read Logon Information access to User objects in the Active Directory domain local group. By default, this group has no members. Servers in this group have Read Account Restrictions and Read Logon Information access to User objects in Active Directory.
 * SID: S-1-5-32-544

Name: Administrators

Description: A built-in group. After the initial installation of the operating system, the only member of the group is the Administrator account. When a computer joins a domain, the Domain Admins group is added to the Administrators group. When a server becomes a domain controller, the Enterprise Admins group also is added to the Administrators group.
 * SID: S-1-5-32-545

Name: Users

Description: A built-in group. After the initial installation of the operating system, the only member is the Authenticated Users group. When a computer joins a domain, the Domain Users group is added to the Users group on the computer.
 * SID: S-1-5-32-546

Name: Guests

Description: A built-in group. By default, the only member is the Guest account. The Guests group allows occasional or one-time users to log on with limited privileges to a computer's built-in Guest account.
 * SID: S-1-5-32-547

Name: Power Users

Description: A built-in group. By default, the group has no members. Power users can create local users and groups; modify and delete accounts that they have created; and remove users from the Power Users, Users, and Guests groups. Power users also can install programs; create, manage, and delete local printers; and create and delete file shares.
 * SID: S-1-5-32-548

Name: Account Operators

Description: A built-in group that exists only on domain controllers. By default, the group has no members. By default, Account Operators have permission to create, modify, and delete accounts for users, groups, and computers in all containers and organizational units of Active Directory except the Builtin container and the Domain Controllers OU. Account Operators do not have permission to modify the Administrators and Domain Admins groups, nor do they have permission to modify the accounts for members of those groups.
 * SID: S-1-5-32-549

Name: Server Operators

Description: A built-in group that exists only on domain controllers. By default, the group has no members. Server Operators can log on to a server interactively; create and delete network shares; start and stop services; back up and restore files; format the hard disk of the computer; and shut down the computer.
 * SID: S-1-5-32-550

Name: Print Operators

Description: A built-in group that exists only on domain controllers. By default, the only member is the Domain Users group. Print Operators can manage printers and document queues.
 * SID: S-1-5-32-551

Name: Backup Operators

Description: A built-in group. By default, the group has no members. Backup Operators can back up and restore all files on a computer, regardless of the permissions that protect those files. Backup Operators also can log on to the computer and shut it down.
 * SID: S-1-5-32-552

Name: Replicators

Description: A built-in group that is used by the File Replication service on domain controllers. By default, the group has no members. Do not add users to this group.

The following groups will show as SIDs until a Windows Server 2003 domain controller is made the primary domain controller (PDC) operations master role holder. (The "operations master" is also known as flexible single master operations or FSMO.) Additional new built-in groups that are created when a Windows Server 2003 domain controller is added to the domain are:
 * SID: S-1-5-32-554

Name: BUILTIN\Pre-Windows 2000 Compatible Access

Description: An alias added by Windows 2000. A backward compatibility group which allows read access on all users and groups in the domain.
 * SID: S-1-5-32-555

Name: BUILTIN\Remote Desktop Users

Description: An alias. Members in this group are granted the right to logon remotely.
 * SID: S-1-5-32-556

Name: BUILTIN\Network Configuration Operators

Description: An alias. Members in this group can have some administrative privileges to manage configuration of networking features.
 * SID: S-1-5-32-557

Name: BUILTIN\Incoming Forest Trust Builders

Description: An alias. Members of this group can create incoming, one-way trusts to this forest.
 * SID: S-1-5-32-557

Name: BUILTIN\Incoming Forest Trust Builders

Description: An alias. Members of this group can create incoming, one-way trusts to this forest.
 * SID: S-1-5-32-558

Name: BUILTIN\Performance Monitor Users

Description: An alias. Members of this group have remote access to monitor this computer.
 * SID: S-1-5-32-559

Name: BUILTIN\Performance Log Users

Description: An alias. Members of this group have remote access to schedule logging of performance counters on this computer.
 * SID: S-1-5-32-560

Name: BUILTIN\Windows Authorization Access Group

Description: An alias. Members of this group have access to the computed tokenGroupsGlobalAndUniversal attribute on User objects.
 * SID: S-1-5-32-561

Name: BUILTIN\Terminal Server License Servers

Description: An alias. A group for Terminal Server License Servers.

Additional query words: security objects well known sid

Keywords: kbenv kbinfo KB243330

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