How to create ASPNET Account

The aspnet_wp or ASP.NET Machine Account(ASPNET) is created when the Microsoft .Net Framework 1.1 is installed onto a Windows XP computer. And a registry key is created at following location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList

You can aslo create it manually by creating a new key of DWORD called ASPNET and give it value 0 type Hexadec. under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList.

It can also be created by issuing the following command from the run dialog (changing the framework version number as appropriate):
%systemroot%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v1.1.4322\aspnet_regiis.exe -i

Although you can delete this account but than your asp.net applications may not function properly.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great. Thx alot

Unknown said...

So are we supposed to be able to see it as a User Account under Control Panel->User Accounts?

Also, how do we give ASPNET account permission to access a SQL Server database?

sanjay saini said...

No Ivan, its a special account it will not appear in the User Accounts list.
Why do you want to give ASPNET account permission to access sql server?

Ivan said...

If you are running IIS 5.1, remote connections to the server use the ASPNET service account to access SQL Server if you use SSPI integrated security. Unless you are specifying another account in the connection string, how else can you get remote connections to access the database?

sanjay saini said...

Ivan, what I understood if that you are using "Integrated Security=SSPI" in the connection string that means integrated windows authentication so want to know how to make ASPNET access sql server that might be happening in your case and getting access denied error.
There are couple of ways to do it depend upon the requirement.
1. give admin right to machinename\ASPNET account, which is not a good idea.
2. Create machinename\ASPNET account in the sql server and give it proper permission on the sql objects.
3. Use impersonation - create a window account for sql server, give it proper permission on sql server and use it in the impersonation tag in web.config file. Like - < identity Impersonate='true' username='username' password='password' />

I will suggest third option.
Hope this will solve your issue.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Man It works