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OK to delete a user account?

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9 replies

by teke

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I've deleted user accounts in the past then recently someone told me that once a user account was deleted it could never be put back. I've since tested this out with an account and it seems to work fine, but is there any concerns here? I realise that all associated folders, etc cannot be connected to the newest user name. I usually delete the old associations anyway.

9 replies

by coreyjo

It is best to disable the account for at least 60 days to make sure that you will not be needing it later.

by curacao_dejavu

If you delete an account you are actually delete it's SID (security IDentifier) wich is unique for each account. Even is you create a new account exactly the same the SID will be different (thats what they are refering to , when they say it can not be created back) , that's why you have to add the account back on the shares , etc.
Sometimes it's difficult to create a account back with the same level of permissions etc for a new user. That's why most people rename the account, others disable the account.
It's really dependent of you are auditing your network and if you audit by name or by SID, and how much effort you want to do to create a new account.
I delete them. I don't like my usermanager to get crowded , with unused accounts.
Hope you hreceived enough info.

regards,

Leopold

by mpmohan

I disable the account for 90 days. Then if it is not needed any longer then delet it.

by nettek

To simplify this, let's say you create a username of JSmith. NT goes and gives JSmith an identifier of, let's say, abc123. When you assign folder permissions to JSmith, you are really assigning them to abc123. When you delete JSmith as a user, youare deleting abc123. If you then go and recreate JSmith, NT will then create a different identifier of, say, def456. If new JSmith (def456) tries to access a folder that the old JSmith (abc123) had access to, he will be unable to do so. So when someone told you that you cannot put back an account, they were only partly correct. You can put back JSmith, but not the original identifier of abc123.

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