Windows 7 - User Rights Assignment - Add or Remove Users and Groups

   Information

User Rights Assignment policies determines which users or groups have logon rights or privileges on the computer. This will show you how to add (assign) or remove users and groups for each User Rights Assignment policy in Windows 7 or Vista.

You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial.

   Note

If you remove a user or group, then that user or group will no longer be able to perform the policy on the computer.

If you add a user or group, then that user or group will now be able to perform the policy on the computer.

For more information about each specific user rights policy, see: User Rights

   Warning

This tutorial is not for a beginner to try.

I would highly recommend that you create a restore point before making changes to the User Rights Assignment. This way if you make a mistake and lock yourself, a user, or a group out of a policy that you didn't want to, you will be able to do a system restore at boot and select the restore point to undo the mistake.

1. Open the Local Security Policy window, expand Local Policies in the left pane, and select User Rights Assignment. (see screenshot below)

2. In the right pane of User Rights Assignment, double click on a listed Policy (ex: Shut down the system) that you wanted to add or remove a user or group, then go to step 3 and/or 4 below. (see screenshot above)

3. To Remove a User or Group from a User Rights Assignment Policy

A) Select (highlight) a listed user(s) and/or group(s) that you wanted to remove from the policy, then click on the Remove button. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: You can press and hold the CTRL key to select more than one listed user (user account name) and/or group.

B) Click on Apply. (see screenshot below)

C) Go to step 4 or 5 for what you would like to do.

4. To Add a User or Group to a User Rights Assignment Policy

A) Click on the Add User or Group button. (see screenshot above)

B) Click on the Advanced button. (see screenshot below)

C) Click on the Object Types button. (see screenshot below)

D) Check only the Users and Groups boxes, and click on OK. (see screenshot below)

E) Click on the Find Now button. (see screenshot below)

F) In the bottom pane under Search results, select the user(s) and/or group(s) that you wanted to add to the policy, then click on OK. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: You can press and hold the CTRL key to select more than one listed user (user account name) and/or group.

G) Click on OK. (see screenshot below)

H) Click on Apply. (see screenshot below)

5. When finished, click on OK. (see screenshots below steps 3B and 4H)

6. Close the Local Security Policy window. (see screenshot below step 1)

1. If you have not already, click on the Download button below to download the ntrights.exe file originally from within the Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools.

A) Save the ntrights.exe file to your desktop.

B) Right click on the ntrights.exe file, click on Properties, General tab, and click on the Unblock button if available.
NOTE: If you do not have a Unblock button under the General tab, then the file is already unblocked and you can continue on to step 1C.

C) Right click on the ntrights.exe file and click on Move.

D) Open Windows Explorer and navigate to and open the C:\Windows\System32 folder, then Paste the ntrights.exe file to move it here.

E) If prompted, click on Continue and Yes to approve moving the ntrights.exe file into the System32 folder, then close the Windows Explorer window.

2. Open a elevated command prompt, and do step 3 and/or 4 below.

3. To Remove a User or Group from a User Rights Assignment Policy

A) In the elevated command prompt, type the command below for what user or group that you would like to remove from what policy, and press Enter.
NOTE: See blue note box below step 4.

ntrights -U "User or Group" -R PolicyConstantName

For example: If I wanted to remove the standard users group "Users" from being able to "Shut down the system", then I would type the command below.

ntrights -U "Users" -R SeShutdownPrivilege

B) Go to step 4 or 5 for what you would like to do.

4. To Add a User or Group to a User Rights Assignment Policy

A) In the elevated command prompt, type the command below for what user or group that you would like to add to what policy, and press Enter.
NOTE: See blue note box below step 4.

ntrights -U "User or Group" +R PolicyConstantName

For example: If I wanted to add the standard users group "Users" to be able to "Shut down the system", then I would type the command below.

ntrights -U "Users" +R SeShutdownPrivilege

   Note

Substitute User or Group in the command with actual name of the user account or group within quotes.

Substitute PolicyConstantName in the command for the actual Constant Name at the link below for the Group Policy Name that you wanted to add or remove a user or group.

User Rights

5. When finished, close the elevated command prompt.