Folder Permissions

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

In addition to Read-only, there are specific file/folder permissions that may be at issue here. For XP Home, by default, you can only access the Security tab (File/Folder properties) via Safe Mode. See Help and Support for more information on Safe Mode.

Additionally, you can add the Security tab in XP Home, outside of Safe Mode.

How Do I Get the Security Tab in Properties - XP Home (makes the Security tab appear outside of Safe Mode)
http://www.dougknox.com, Win XP Tips section

HOW TO: Set, View, Change, or Remove File and Folder Permissions in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308418

HOW TO: Set, View, Change, or Remove Special Permissions for Files and Folders
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;308419

--
Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows Media Center\Windows Powered Smart Display\Security
Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
http://www.dougknox.com
--------------------------------
Per user Group Policy Restrictions for XP Home and XP Pro
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_securityconsole.htm
--------------------------------
Please reply only to the newsgroup so all may benefit.
Unsolicited e-mail is not answered.

"N" <N@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:43D37D27-C999-499F-A957-B40241F289D0@microsoft.com...
> Hello,
>
> I'm using XP SP2 home edition with the NTFS filesystem. I've only started
> using Windows a week ago, so I'm sure this is very basic, but... this is the
> "basics" group, right? I have three users set up, one administrator and two
> normal ones. When I tried to install an application as the normal user,
> Windows refused and said I needed to do it as the administrator. So I did
> that. The problem is that now, when the normal users run the application,
> they can't save their settings because all of the application-specific
> folders installed by the administrator account are read-only.
>
> When I right-click on the folder and bring up the Properties I see a
> checkbox for "Read Only" so I uncheck that and click Apply. A second dialog
> box then comes up asking if I want to apply the change "unset readonly" to
> just the folder or to the folders and all subfolders and files. I choose all
> subfolders and files, click OK, OK on the main dialog box, and everything
> appears to succeed. There are no error messages, anyway.
>
> But the normal users still can't save their settings. What's worse, when I
> go back to the same folder(s) and look at their properties, the "read only"
> checkbox is checked again! What's the solution to this? Ideally what I want
> is to keep most of the application read-only but allow write access to the
> folders that contain per-user settings information.
>
> I looked around at the support documents, but they're either obsolete or
> ignore the separation between "home edition" and "professional," so they talk
> about assigning permissions to specific users and groups, which I can't do
> with Home Edition. If upgrading is the only solution, I'll do that, but would
> rather save my pennies for other things.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Tim
>
> PS Can anyone recommend a good book? I write kernel code for embedded
> systems, so I don't need the touch-feely "Wow! This is a window!" sort of
> thing. I need to know how to make XP a usable tool, and do the kind of stuff
> here that I could accomplish with a few keystrokes in any other OS. Any
> suggestions would be very helpful.

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

Dunno if this will help you or not, but Windows won't let Limited User
Accounts access certain files. As the other folks have said, you'll have to
start changing permissions on the files/directories that are locked.

Now, doing this enables the Limited User to have access to files/directories
that are normally reserved only for Administrators. This can cause problems,
especially with technically oriented users who want to mess around in these
directories.

Most well-behaved programs will allow the user to save things to areas that
are pre-defined by the software developer. I'd suggest you talk to the
softwere manufacturer for a solution.

"N" wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I'm using XP SP2 home edition with the NTFS filesystem. I've only started
> using Windows a week ago, so I'm sure this is very basic, but... this is the
> "basics" group, right? I have three users set up, one administrator and two
> normal ones. When I tried to install an application as the normal user,
> Windows refused and said I needed to do it as the administrator. So I did
> that. The problem is that now, when the normal users run the application,
> they can't save their settings because all of the application-specific
> folders installed by the administrator account are read-only.
>
> When I right-click on the folder and bring up the Properties I see a
> checkbox for "Read Only" so I uncheck that and click Apply. A second dialog
> box then comes up asking if I want to apply the change "unset readonly" to
> just the folder or to the folders and all subfolders and files. I choose all
> subfolders and files, click OK, OK on the main dialog box, and everything
> appears to succeed. There are no error messages, anyway.
>
> But the normal users still can't save their settings. What's worse, when I
> go back to the same folder(s) and look at their properties, the "read only"
> checkbox is checked again! What's the solution to this? Ideally what I want
> is to keep most of the application read-only but allow write access to the
> folders that contain per-user settings information.
>
> I looked around at the support documents, but they're either obsolete or
> ignore the separation between "home edition" and "professional," so they talk
> about assigning permissions to specific users and groups, which I can't do
> with Home Edition. If upgrading is the only solution, I'll do that, but would
> rather save my pennies for other things.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Tim
>
> PS Can anyone recommend a good book? I write kernel code for embedded
> systems, so I don't need the touch-feely "Wow! This is a window!" sort of
> thing. I need to know how to make XP a usable tool, and do the kind of stuff
> here that I could accomplish with a few keystrokes in any other OS. Any
> suggestions would be very helpful.

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

Hi Tim,

First off, ignore the "read only" attribute on the folder. The system does
and so should you, it is not the root cause of your problem. The problem, as
Doug has mentioned, is in the folder permissions. As your users need to
write to the folders, you will need to give them "read and execute" and
"write" permissions. Probably easier to just give them "full control" (one
shot deal). As this is WinXP Home, you need to restart in Safe mode and
logon as administrator to do this.

How to start in Safe mode:
http://www.rickrogers.org/fixes.htm#Safe%20mode

Also: http://rickrogers.org/xpsware.htm on software in WinXP.

Quick and dirty way from the command prompt:

cacls C:\Program_path /g username:F

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

"N" <N@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:43D37D27-C999-499F-A957-B40241F289D0@microsoft.com...
> Hello,
>
> I'm using XP SP2 home edition with the NTFS filesystem. I've only started
> using Windows a week ago, so I'm sure this is very basic, but... this is
> the
> "basics" group, right? I have three users set up, one administrator and
> two
> normal ones. When I tried to install an application as the normal user,
> Windows refused and said I needed to do it as the administrator. So I did
> that. The problem is that now, when the normal users run the application,
> they can't save their settings because all of the application-specific
> folders installed by the administrator account are read-only.
>
> When I right-click on the folder and bring up the Properties I see a
> checkbox for "Read Only" so I uncheck that and click Apply. A second
> dialog
> box then comes up asking if I want to apply the change "unset readonly" to
> just the folder or to the folders and all subfolders and files. I choose
> all
> subfolders and files, click OK, OK on the main dialog box, and everything
> appears to succeed. There are no error messages, anyway.
>
> But the normal users still can't save their settings. What's worse, when I
> go back to the same folder(s) and look at their properties, the "read
> only"
> checkbox is checked again! What's the solution to this? Ideally what I
> want
> is to keep most of the application read-only but allow write access to the
> folders that contain per-user settings information.
>
> I looked around at the support documents, but they're either obsolete or
> ignore the separation between "home edition" and "professional," so they
> talk
> about assigning permissions to specific users and groups, which I can't do
> with Home Edition. If upgrading is the only solution, I'll do that, but
> would
> rather save my pennies for other things.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Tim
>
> PS Can anyone recommend a good book? I write kernel code for embedded
> systems, so I don't need the touch-feely "Wow! This is a window!" sort of
> thing. I need to know how to make XP a usable tool, and do the kind of
> stuff
> here that I could accomplish with a few keystrokes in any other OS. Any
> suggestions would be very helpful.

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

Thanks very much for all your help! This has gotten me MUCH closer to where I
wanted to be!

Tim

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

"Rick "Nutcase" Rogers" wrote:
> Quick and dirty way from the command prompt:
>
> cacls C:\Program_path /g username:F

Ohhhhh... There's a command line interface? Very interesting.

Thanks!

Tim