Permissions that are incorrectly granted to user accounts can cause programs to be unable to access files or folders. And vice versa, this can lead to unauthorized people having access. Have you ever made a mistake when changing NTFS permissions for a file or folder and wanted to restore it to its defaults?
The standard file system of the Windows NT family of operating systems is NTFS. NTFS supports the concept of configurable permissions to allow or restrict access to files, folders, and other objects locally and over the network.
You don’t need to think about file and folder permissions in Windows because Windows will automatically set its permissions to prevent illegal access to files and folders. Access Control Lists (ACLs) are lists of users with rights that can be used to categorize permissions.
In windows, each file or folder gets permission from the parent folder. You can set permissions for any file or folder. However, changing access permissions can cause problems, such as when you accidentally disable authorization on a file which can cause the system to become unstable. This article will help you to Reset File and Folder Permissions to default.
NTFS permissions
NTFS (New Technology File System) permissions are permissions granted to files or folders in the Windows operating system that use the NTFS file system. These permissions define what a user or group of users can do on a specific file or folder, such as read, write, modify, or delete a file.
Each file or folder in NTFS has configurable permissions for a specific user or group of users. By setting permissions correctly, system administrators can ensure that only authorized users can access, read, or edit specific files or folders, and prevent unauthorized users from accessing or modifying sensitive or important data.
Examples of setting NTFS permissions on a file or folder include granting full permissions to the file owner, restricting specific user or group user permissions to read only the file or folder, or allowing multiple users to modify or delete specific files or folders.
NTFS Permission Types
How many types of NTFS permissions can be configured on a file or folder in the Windows operating system:
- “Read”: This permission allows a user or group of users to read the contents of a file or folder, but cannot modify or delete it.
- “Write”: This permission allows a user or group of users to write or modify the contents of a file or folder, but cannot delete it.
- “Modify”: This permission allows a user or group of users to read, write, and modify the contents of a file or folder, but cannot delete it.
- “Full Control”: This permission grants full access to a file or folder, including the rights to read, write, modify, and delete it.
- Read & Execute”: This permission allows a user or group of users to read the contents of a file or folder and execute any program or script contained therein.
- “List Folder Contents”: This permission allows a user or group of users to view a list of files and folders contained in a folder, but cannot open or read the contents of the file or folder.
- “Traverse Folder/Execute File”: This permission allows a user or group of users to browse the folder and execute the files or programs contained within it.
- “Delete”: This permission allows a user or group of users to delete files or folders.