Understanding the SYSTEM User

Many users have reported difficulty creating "Unsecure system user" applications with ZEN20 to successfully run applications from the server because the application can not find the file to execute. The reason for this is in the name "system user". The user who is logged into the workstation is not running the application, but rather the "system user" is running the install. The "system user" must be assigned rights to the network to read the files which need to be run.

To assign rights to the "system user", you must assign rights to the workstation object. This is accomplished by assigning rights to the workstation object or a workstation group of which the workstation is a member. To do this simply….

1. Start NWADMIN32
2. Locate the volume to which you wish to assign rights
3. Drill down to the desired subcontainer
4. Select "trustees of this directory"
5. Add the workstation/workstation group with the desired rights

The question now occurs to all those of use who administer mixed NW/NT shops…..

How do I add rights to run from an NT server?

The key to this answer is changing the identity of the "system user" to a user that NT recognizes.

1. Open the control panel
2. Open the "services" applet
3. Locate the "Workstation Manager Service"
4. Change the service to "Log on as" to a Domain Account
5. Assign the Domain Account the Necessary NT Server file rights.

These changes to the workstation manager service can be captured via a snapshot and forced out to all workstations to automate the process on all workstations. When the workstation manager is set to log on as any user other than the system account, rights assigned to the workstation object will no longer function. To allow the workstation to continue to access NW servers using ZEN apps using a "system user" impersonation, a user must be created in the users current context with same name and password as used by the NT Domain account that has the desired rights.