What does Windows error code 1371 (ERROR_SPECIAL_ACCOUNT) mean?

 
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ERROR_RXACT_COMMIT_FAILURE ERROR_SPECIAL_GROUP

ERROR_SPECIAL_ACCOUNT

The target is a built-in account with special security semantics

Windows defines well-known security principals whose identities and roles are established by the operating system. ERROR_SPECIAL_ACCOUNT means the requested generic account operation is not permitted for such a built-in account. The account can be discoverable and have a valid SID, yet still reject an operation that would be allowed for an ordinary user object.

Resolve and record the SID before deciding how to handle the failure. A localized display name is a poor way to identify built-in principals, while well-known SID structures remain stable. Do not clone or recreate a same-named account as a workaround; a new user with the same label does not acquire the built-in principal’s SID or security semantics.

What to inspect

  • Identify the account by SID, not only by localized name.
  • Determine which specific operation is prohibited for the built-in principal.
  • Use documented policy or membership configuration instead of deleting/recreating the account.

References


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