QBDataServiceUser17 is added to my user account when installing QuickBooks QBi 2008/09

Legacy KB ID: 252

Question

Why is QBDataServiceUser17 added to my user account when installing QuickBooks QBi 2008/09?

Answer

What is this new user account for? What created it?

When QuickBooks is installed, it will install the Microsoft .NET Framework. This service creates it own user, called ASPNET. This is a special account that is created for running the Microsoft Internet Information Services. The reason it creates a separate user is for security reasons. The ASPNET user is a restricted user, so if something takes over your webserver, then it will not have full control of your system.

Similarly, QuickBooks creates its own user, called QBDataServiceUser17, for running the database process. Just like with the ASPNET user, the intention is to have a restricted user account to run the database for security reasons. If some malicious software were to take over the database software, the process would be limited to a restricted user account.

The aspnet_wp or ASP.NET Machine Account is created when the Microsoft .Net Framework 1.1 is installed onto a Windows platform. The user is created to run the asp.net worker process used in Microsoft's Internet Information Services, which allows ASP.net to run on your local web server.

The need for this separate login is because the database hosting process runs as a service. This is so that if you use QuickBooks in Multi-User Mode, you can be the server for the database even if you aren't logged in to Windows.  If the hosting process were to run as a process with your regular user's credentials, it would automatically stop running when you logged out of Windows (just like any other program you have running) and would boot all the other QuickBooks users out of the database.  Typically the database hosting process is run on a server, but in smaller peer to peer networks with no server, it would be a workstation that is hosting the file.

Both the ASPNET and QBDataServiceUser17 accounts are restricted so that nobody can actually log onto your computer with them.  To check this, from the Control Panel, select Administrative Tools > Local Security Policy. Once you have the Local Security Settings window open, select User Rights Assignment and double-click on "Deny logon locally".  You'll see both accounts listed here, which shows you that this isn't a username that gives anyone access to your computer.

If you are not using QuickBooks in Multi-User mode, then there is no need to have the database process running as a service.  You can turn this off by going to the File drop-down menu, selecting Utilities, then "Stop Hosting Multi-User Access".  Now, the database hosting process will run with your login name, and it will end when you log out of Windows.  If you make these changes, then you can get rid of the QBDataServiceUser17 login, if you still have concerns about it.  But if your computer is going to be the host for other clients to use the database in Multi-User Mode, then you'll have to leave it as is.

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