Setspn.exe: Manipulate Service Principal Names for Accounts

This command-line tool allows you to manage the Service Principal Names (SPN) directory property for an Active Directory™ directory service account. SPNs are used to locate a target principal name for running a service. SetSpn allows you to view the current SPNs, reset the "host" SPNs, and add or delete supplemental SPNs.

It is not usually necessary to modify SPNs. They are set up by a computer when it joins a domain and when services are installed on the computer. In some cases, however, this information can become stale. For instance, if the computer name is changed, the SPNs for installed services would need to be changed to match the new computer name.

The topic on Troubleshooting SetSpn lists a basic set of built-in SPNs that are always recognized for computer accounts.

SetSpn Topics

• SetSpn Syntax
• SetSpn Examples
• Troubleshooting SetSpn

Files Required

• Setspn.exe

For More Information

For more information about SPNs, see the Microsoft Platform SDK and the Windows 2000 Resource Kit books.

For more information about Active Directory, visit the
Active Directory Web page on the Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Server Web site.