security permission different for each user

[randyQ]

We switched to active directory, and all of our student users are in the Users group. Our teachers are in the Admins group. the problem, is that when logged in as an administrator, an icon for Firefox on the desktop is just fine. When logged in as a user, the icon is dead, and the properties say "Invalid shortcut" and none of the fields have data.

I checked folder rights to the All Users/Desktop folder (where the shortcut is located), and the Users group has read access. I checked the Program Files/Mozilla Firefox folder, and the same is there (now). When I run the firefox icon from the start menu as a user, no problem! Just the all users/desktop icon is messed up as a user.

What is the deal with rights getting all messed up like that? Also, When I checked the rights for the Mozilla Firefox folder, it was initially set to:
Administrators, System, all of the checkboxes were empty.

Whats up with that? How could that have happened? I guess I'm just wanting to understand the nature of permissions in an Active Directory environment. Is it a user profile issue? should I dump all of the student profiles that have built up on the machine? sorry to ramble like this, but its a bit frustrating. Thanks!

 

[linney]

Are you saying you had a problem with the Shortcut for Firefox, but it is now fixed after correcting the Permissions of the Firefox Program Files folder?

Windows is pretty good at telling you when Permissions are incorrect. You can easily check your folder and files to see that the Permissions are what you expect them to be. If they are not then you can reset them.

As to why they would change, I don't really know but it is may be something to do with Inherited Permissions from further up the folder chain?

 

[randyQ]

I'm sorry about that, I was a bit frustrated.

The shortcut to firefox on the desktop remains broken when logged in as a user. when I log in as a administrator, it works just fine. The same shortcut in the same "all users/desktop" folder, but it is broke for the users group.

However, I have checked permissions on the Firefox program folder and the "all users/desktop" folder, and permissions are set to allow read and filescan to the users group. That's why it is weird. The users should have rights to the shortcut, but it appears as broken.

BTW, I used firefox as an example, but this is happening with all installed applications. The shortcuts just break, and then remain broken until I create new ones. and the reason they break, is because the rights over the program folder in the Program Files folder get all messed up. Remember how I said that the firefox program folder only had administrator and system as permissable users, but all of the checkboxes for permissions was blank? That happens randomly (it seems), and then the shortcuts break. Even after fixing the rights to the program folder, the shortcut remains broken.

Its a stupid little error that I can get around by making new shortcuts and fixing rights, but it is driving me crazy not knowing why this is happening. Plus, I can't keep fixing rights on each individual machine this happens to. Most of the ones that have this problem are laptops, and thats a whole other issue, trying to get GPOs to apply to them.

 

[linney]

You could try this on the local machines.

HOW TO: Reset Security Settings Back to the Defaults

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=313222#appliesto

 

[LordGarsdale]

I recently changed my browser to FireFox but found that all the previous desktop icons to web sites will only work if I go through the sidebar. I've read dozens, nay, hundreds of mails hoping to find the solution but I've either missed it or am getting too old for this computer lark (41).
Can someone out there please give me an answer, I tried the explorer version of dragging the little icon immediately before the http in the url onto the desktop but this doesn't work.
Here's hoping

John

 

[randyQ]

I have resolved the problem by creating a custom Firefox installer script that deletes all occurances of the program prior to installing a fresh copy. It also checks to see if it has rights to the Program files directory first, and if not, uses cacls with switches to set the appropriate rights.

This solved several issues, in that learning to write a custom FF installer let me set default options that applied to every user upon running FF for the first time. It also let me check, and correct, the rights on the Program Files folder.

Ultimately, I have since used scripts to remove all shortcut icons from the desktop only, since the Start Menu icons have always worked fine. I am forcing my users to learn to use the start menu!

We have also begun rolling out a rebuild of every system using a prepped ghost image. It is time consuming, but it is amazing how many tiny little issues that cropped up over the years are now gone after the new build. My users are happier than ever, and that makes my job much easier!

 

[linney]

What program is mentioned for File Types of URL in Folder Options/ File Types. And under Advanced/ Action what action is being performed?