Customer Groups - Default Group ?

Hi All
I'm a bit confused by the customer groups ....
I see in settings/options the default customer group is set to 'default' and that's the only thing available to select. I see under system/users/user groups where the groups can be added to / deleted / modifies etc but in there the only 2 groups are 'top admin' and 'demonstration' - there is no group called 'default'.
I tried creating a customer account while not logged in as admin and there is no customer group selection available, so I have to assume all accounts go into this 'default' group - but where is it hiding? Is it the case that all the correct permissions for this 'default' group are pre set / hard coded and I should leave them alone ? If so then if I where to create a group called 'customer account' in system/users/user groups (because it sounds and looks better than 'default') and set it to default in settings/options, would the data I need to import from my old cart (cs cart) automatically go in the new 'customer account' group instead of the 'default' group ? And what settings should I tick for that ? I mean under access permission and modify permission ? It seems to me that if the 'default' group was in there I could simply modify the group name or at least copy it's settings to the new group, but it isn't there so I can't.

Thanks in advance for any and all help
H

Ps: if it makes any difference I intend to use the cart2cart service for the data migration.

The Default customer group is for proverbial J. Q. Public. You can add customer groups, under their own names. Customers do not see the group, and cannot stupidly or maliciously claim the wrong group. The other groups are essentially for administrative reassignments, such as Joe Public is a Preferred Customer, or Billy Bob Texan is a Discount Buddy. As admin you're the only one who sees "default" and the cosmetic appeal of "default" is of no consequence. You should be able to register in the default as readily as any customer. [Edit, added: Users and user groups are admin rather than customer.] The primary admin group is admin, the demo group is just to show an added one. The Top admin is in the admin group. The admin [Edit, added: user] and customer groups are completely separate, and appear under separate admin menus. You can add, edit, and delete customer groups, customers, admin groups, and administrators inside the admin panel.

The permissions are of vital security consequence [Edit, added: for users, admins], and ideally only you and fully trusted others should even be administrators or have administrative access. If sometimes you may want someone to go into the admin panel to look at something, then you can give that person an admin name and set permissions so as to prevent access or modifications.

If the entirety is hacked or for any other reason goes completely belly up (you can actually break the whole thing yourself), then anyone resurrecting it for you might well need to be able to do anything; in the admin panel as well as in directories via ftp or scp and in the host panel. Complete confidentiality is required for going in those.

A migration service can be helpful, provided that what it offers is exactly what you need and is moreover sufficient for the particular transfer. The service will take care of "customer account" being equivalent to "default" and will ensure that the customers end up in what OC considers the proper place(s), among several database tables.

Hi butte
Thank you very much indeed for probably the best answer I've ever had on a forum - I think I understood everything you said !
Basically I'm worrying about nothing - no need to create a 'customer account' group or mess with any permissions.

Thanks again butte - your a star !
H

... To be really honest... I was a bit lost after reading butte long post...

My short comment is the following :
It seems you are confusing user groups with customer groups. They are completely separate. Customer Groups refer to customers of your Shop and can be manage in Sales - > customer and you can use them for discount, taxes and other needs.
User groups refer to admin users (allowing to specify different privileges for them).

Regards,
M

Sent from my DesireHD.

Yes I see it there - you are right I was confusing the two and things are making much more sense now.
To be honest it's been a while since I worked with opencart and I've either forgotten a few things or they've changed over the time, and I do appreciate the help

Cheers

Thank you, hillfish, I appreciate the thought. Last night you asked, got back, and understood BOTH whether and why, over a few basic worries. There really wasn't anything confusing as to BOTH in that light.

Strictly read, both answers were off the cuff, and above for the sake of a first-reading downward by others I've just added [Edit, added:] to emphasize the same distinction of "user" that I'd first emphasized by tearing it apart from the similarity to "customer" that had first concerned you. There were few basic worries. Customers do not see the group. The admin [user] and customer groups are completely separate, and appear under separate admin menus. The permissions are of vital security consequence. A migration service can be helpful. You got it the first time.