asked on

Can't run runas from LOCAL SYSTEM ACCOUNT

I am trying to run "runas" from the Local System Account. I create the LSA cmd shell with the at command.

runas /user:administrator calc
Enter the password for administrator
Attempting to start calc
RUNAS ERROR: Unable to run - calc
5: Access is denied.

I get the above error running this on Windows 2003 or XP. I can get it to work Windows 2000.

I think it maybe Group policy but I'm not sure were to look

Thanks

H_Harry

Is this your own computer or a work one?
Reason I ask is that the administrator account could have been renamed without your knowledge if it is a work one.
An obvious point to raise I know but are you 100% supplying the correct password?
I don't know of any GPO's that can restrict who can use the runas command. Calc could be restricted though - have you tried with other programs, notepad etc etc.
I have just tried the exact syntax you used on my XP sp3 machine and it worked fine, so I am leaning towards an incorrect password or an issue with calc.

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H_Harry

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H_Harry

^ From XP SP0 onwards.

milesri

ASKER

This is a work computer and I have tried other commands. I have tried other accounts besides the admin account and I can run runas with out the Access Denied error. It just when its the LOCAL SYSTEM ACCOUNT that it won't run

milesri

ASKER

Thanks

H_Harry

Technically you should never really be interactively logged on as SYSTEM, although obviously there is a plethora of ways to do so if you are an admin. Due to this you can't impersonate the administrator from SYSTEM. You can do Admin to System but not vice versa.
Although you have an interactive command shell as SYSTEM so really you are above admin to all intents and purposes.

milesri

ASKER

I am using Altiris to deploy Applications and it uses the local system account. Everything works fine except for the Apache softare we are trying to deploy. It doesn't like being installed as system, hence the question. I'll change it use use admin account

Thanks for the help.

H_Harry

Not objecting to the post being closed but not sure why he has accepted his own post as the answer? Don't know if it makes a difference to anything.