title: SQL Server NETWORK SERVICE account permissions
body: <p>My SQL Server Windows service is set to use the NETWORK SERVICE account.</p>
  
  <p>The server is installed to <code>C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10_50.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL</code>.</p>
  
  <p>However looking at the permissions on that folder, NETWORK SERVICE does not have any permissions. The groups which are allowed access to that folder are...</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>CREATOR OWNER - who is this?</li>
  <li>SYSTEM - sounds fine - so that Windows can access the folder I presume?</li>
  <li>SQLServerMSSQLUser$Computer_Name$MSSQLSERVER - this is the interesting one - what is this?</li>
  <li>Administrators</li>
  <li>Users</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>If NETWORK SERVICE is a user with minimal permissions on the system and looks to the O/S as someone connecting from a network how does it have permissions to access any files in the SQL Server install folder?</p>
  
  <p>Thanks.</p>