<p>Best practices recommend not installing Sql Server to run as SYSTEM.  What is the bare minumum you need to give the user account you create for it?</p>

[{'answer_id': 57815, 'author': 'Mauro', 'author_id': 2208, 'author_profile': 'https://Stackoverflow.com/users/2208', 'pm_score': 1, 'selected': False, 'text': '<p>Typically I create a Domain User with only the specific rights on the network which I will require the server to have (i.e. to write to the network backup drive), I then add the account to local power users or local administrators depending on what needs to be done on the machine, however this isn\'t required.  I\'ve installed SQL a number of times using a standard user as a Service Account but you need to ensure that the user has access to write to the resources as listed at <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081223155956/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/283811" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://web.archive.org/web/20081223155956/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/283811</a> .  Its probably not as defined an answer as you wanted but I\'m only a developer (not a professional DBA / System Engineer).</p>\n\n<p>Mauro\nPS dont downmark me for saying "only a developer" :P</p>\n'}, {'answer_id': 58330, 'author': 'Jay Hofacker', 'author_id': 535, 'author_profile': 'https://Stackoverflow.com/users/535', 'pm_score': 3, 'selected': True, 'text': '<p>By default, SQL Server 2005 installation will create a security group called SQLServer2005MSSQLUser$ComputerName$MSSQLSERVER with the correct rights. You just need to create a domain user or local user and make it a member of that group. </p>\n\n<p>More details are available in the SQL Server Books Online: <a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms143504(SQL.90).aspx#Review_NT_rights" rel="nofollow noreferrer" title="Setting Up Windows Service Accounts">Reviewing Windows NT Rights and Privileges Granted for SQL Server Service Accounts</a></p>\n'}]
['https://Stackoverflow.com/questions/57800', 'https://Stackoverflow.com', 'https://Stackoverflow.com/users/1219/']