public class WindowsIdentity : IIdentity, System.Runtime.Serialization.ISerializable, 
        System.Runtime.Serialization.IDeserializationCallback {
// Public Constructors
   public WindowsIdentity(IntPtr userToken);
   public WindowsIdentity(IntPtr userToken, string type);
   public WindowsIdentity(IntPtr userToken, string type, WindowsAccountType acctType);
   public WindowsIdentity(IntPtr userToken, string type, WindowsAccountType acctType, bool isAuthenticated);
   public WindowsIdentity(System.Runtime.Serialization.SerializationInfo info, 
      System.Runtime.Serialization.StreamingContext context);
   public WindowsIdentity(string sUserPrincipalName);
   public WindowsIdentity(string sUserPrincipalName, string type);
// Public Instance Properties
   public virtual string AuthenticationType{get; }
// implements IIdentity
   public virtual bool IsAnonymous{get; }
   public virtual bool IsAuthenticated{get; } 
// implements IIdentity
   public virtual bool IsGuest{get; }
   public virtual bool IsSystem{get; }
   public virtual string Name{get; } 
// implements IIdentity
   public virtual IntPtr Token{get; }
// Public Static Methods
   public static WindowsIdentity GetAnonymous(  );
   public static WindowsIdentity GetCurrent(  );
   public static WindowsImpersonationContext Impersonate(IntPtr userToken);
// Public Instance Methods
   public virtual WindowsImpersonationContext Impersonate(  );
// Protected Instance Methods
   protected override void Finalize(  );        
// overrides object
}

The WindowsIdentity class provides an IIdentity implementation that represents a Windows user. Because WindowsIdentity is Windows-specific, it implements members useful for working with Windows user accounts in addition to the minimum functionality defined by IIdentity.

The static GetCurrent( ) method returns a WindowsIdentity object representing the currently logged-on Windows user, and the staticGetAnonymous( ) method returns a WindowsIdentity object representing an anonymous Windows user. The WindowsIdentity constructors support creation of WindowsIdentity objects that represent users other than the active user. Each constructor requires a Windows access token representing the desired user. A handle to the Windows access token is passed to the constructor wrapped in a System.IntPtr object. The Windows access token is usually obtained through a call to unmanaged code, such as the LogonUser( ) method of the advapi32.dllWin32 library. The access token for an existing WindowsIdentity is available through its Token property. Starting with .NET 1.1, however, it is possible to construct a WindowsIdentity using a string argument containing the user Principal Name of the user, such as the value that would be passed to the LogonUser( ) API. However, this functionality is only available on Windows 2003 Server or later platforms; on any other platform, it will throw an ArgumentException.

Calling the Impersonate( ) method changes the Windows access token of the current thread to that of the user represented by the WindowsIdentity object. By creating a WindowsIdentity that represents a user other than the active Windows user, Impersonate( ) allows code to perform operating system-level impersonation. The Impersonate( ) method returns a WindowsImpersonationContext object representing the Windows access token prior to impersonation; this object must be kept in order to revert to the original access token once impersonation is no longer required.

The IsAnonymous, IsGuest, and IsSystem properties provide an easy-to-use mechanism for determining if a WindowsIdentity object represents an anonymous, guest, or system Windows user account. Determining if a WindowsIdentity represents a normal account is a process of elimination; there is no IsNormal property.

The Name property of a WindowsIdentity object will return a name in the form DOMAINNAME\USERNAME, where DOMAINNAME specifies the authority used to validate the user; for example, COMPANY_X\Gary or MY_MACHINE\Peter.

Passed To

WindowsPrincipal.WindowsPrincipal( )