Delete a local group

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

To delete a local group

Open Computer Management.
In the console tree, click Groups.

Where?
- Computer Management/System Tools/Local Users and Groups/Groups
Right-click the group you want to delete, and then click Delete.

Notes

To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Power Users group, or the Administrators group on the local computer, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure. For more information, see Default local groups, Default groups, and Using Run as.
To open Computer Management, click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Computer Management.
The following default groups cannot be deleted:
- Administrators
- Backup Operators
- Guests
- Network Configuration Operators
- Performance Log Users
- Performance Monitor Users
- Power Users
- Print Operators
- Remote Desktop Users
- Replicator
- Users
A deleted group cannot be recovered.
Deleting a local group removes only the group; it does not delete the user accounts, computer accounts, or group accounts that were members of that group.
If you delete a group and then create another group with the same group name, you must set new permissions for the new group; it will not inherit the permissions that were assigned to the old group.

Notes

To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Power Users group, or the Administrators group on the local computer, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure. For more information, see Default local groups, Default groups, and Using Run as.
To open a command prompt, click Start, point to All programs, point to Accessories, and then click Command prompt.
The following default groups cannot be deleted:
- Administrators
- Backup Operators
- Guests
- Network Configuration Operators
- Performance Log Users
- Performance Monitor Users
- Power Users
- Print Operators
- Remote Desktop Users
- Replicator
- Users
A deleted group cannot be recovered.
Deleting a local group removes only the group; it does not delete the user accounts, computer accounts, or group accounts that were members of that group.
If you delete a group and then create another group with the same group name, you must set new permissions for the new group; it will not inherit the permissions that were granted to the old group.
For more information about the net localgroup command, see Related Topics.

Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.