If a local account access problem arises, what is the first thing to check?

When dealing with a local account access problem, the first area to investigate is account expiration. This is because an account could be configured to expire after a certain period or under specific conditions set by the system administrator. If the account has expired, the user will not be able to log in or gain access to resources, as the system will treat the account as inactive.

Checking for account expiration is a fundamental step because it directly addresses the core functionality of the user account itself. If the account is found to be expired, the administrator can take appropriate actions to reactivate or extend the account status, allowing the user access once again.

While network connectivity, file permissions, and disk space issues can also lead to access problems, they are secondary considerations when compared to the status of the user account. An expired account will immediately prevent access, making it the most critical factor to check first.