From a computer running Windows NT Server (domain controller or member server), you can manage local member server or workstation user accounts remotely with User Manager for Domains. You can manage user accounts locally from a computer running Windows NT Workstation with User Manager.
When Windows NT Workstation is installed on a computer or Windows NT Server is installed as a member server, the built-in Administrator account is created automatically. The Administrator account is used by the person who manages the computer’s overall configuration.
If a computer participates in a domain, the Domain Admins global group is by default a member of the computer’s Administrators local group, and members of the Administrators group can administer the computer. However, a member of Administrators can remove the Domain Admins global group from the computer’s Administrators group.
Administrators group members do not have automatic access to every file on the computer. If a file’s permissions do not grant access, the administrator cannot use the file.
Every file on a Windows NT volume has an owner who can set permissions on the file. If needed, an administrator can take ownership of a file and thus have access to it. But if the administrator does so and auditing of files is selected, this event is recorded in the security log and the administrator cannot give ownership back to the original owner.
To manage workstation or member server accounts instead of domain accounts, in User Manager for Domains, type the computer name as \\computername instead of selecting or typing a domain name. With the workstation or member server selected as the domain, you can perform all the functions using User Manager for Domains that can be performed at the computer itself.
For information about selecting a computer instead of a domain, see "Selecting a Domain" in User Manager for Domains Help.
For information about file auditing, see Chapter 7, "Monitoring Events."
Group accounts are collections of user accounts. Giving a user account membership in a group gives that user all the rights and permissions granted to the group. Group membership provides an easy way to grant common capabilities to sets of users.
This section discusses the following topics:
