URGENT!! - Can't access subfolders & files within - Permissions prob!! 1

[Neily]

Accidently permissions were changed/deleted for a folder and all its subfolders and files within on a Windows XP Home PC.

This means that the fodlers and files are not accessible anymore. I can go individually through the subfolders and readjust them back but I need to know if there is a quick way I can select them all and change them as required.

This is URGENT as we cannot work till this is complete!!

Thanks!!

 

[temporello]

When you change attributes of a folder,XP normally does ask if you want to apply the changes to the subfolders and files...

 

[Neily]

Well as I'm doing this through the Security Tab in Properties its not.

If I copied the files to another drive or CD or something will that help??

I need an answer quickly

 

[bcastner]

Under XP Pro, you can do a reset. Under XP Home I know of no utility to reset the permissions.

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

Your thought that a copy would help in this case. As I suspect the issue is permissions on all Folders, a backup of everything, a new install of XP Home, and a restore would like be your sanest if not quickest repair.

 

[temporello]

When you go to security,advanced then in the permissions tab can't you edit the "apply onto" field?

 

[jsauce]

Permissions can be modified in Windows XP Home by booting into safemode. In safemode the permissions become available.

John D. Saucier
jsauce@magicguild.com
Certified Technician
Network Administrator

 

[bcastner]

jsauce,

Yes, but note:

. the question was resetting all folder permissions; I hold to the argument that only XP Pro offers such a capability without a re-install;
. only the NTFS filestore, not FAT32;
. My workaround to get the Security Tab under normal XP Home is worth an investigation;

The questioner was hoping to avoid tediously resetting every Folder. A process described well in

http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...port/kb/articles/q308/4/21.asp&NoWebContent=1

 

[Neily]

If I put the HDD onto a win xp pro system and reset them would I then get access in XP home??

 

[bcastner]

Interesting option.

My guess is no, as the repair I linked above is tied to the use of .INF files created during Windows XP Pro installation.

Now, if you slaved the drive, and edited the .INF files discussed in my earlier link, I think you could pull this off.

 

[jsauce]

This is one of the reasons why Windows XP Home in my opinion is junk. Microsoft really disabled it when they made it. If Microsoft didn't charge so much for their OS it might be worth the cost of upgrading to XP Pro for most consumers. Or do what a lot of people do, get a copy from work for free. Most just have unopened disks lying around doing nothing.

John D. Saucier
jsauce@magicguild.com
Certified Technician
Network Administrator

 

[bcastner]

jsauce,

I have long admired your contributions here, and while I do not honestly believe XP Home is "junk", let me politely take exception to your suggested workaround.

Bill Castner

 

[jsauce]

I didn't mean steal a copy. A lot of companies don't care if you grab a copy of it. That's all I meant. Most of the software I have, I got from working in places where they had more copies than they will ever use and you can just grab one.

John D. Saucier
jsauce@magicguild.com
Certified Technician
Network Administrator

 

[bcastner]

Neily,

And old thread with a new solution that might help: thread779-772568

 

[Neily]

The take ownership method didn't seem to work. So I'm having to tediously go through each of the 69 subfolders and any subfolders from them and reset permissions.

Thanks to everyone who tried to help.

If anyone thinks of anything in the mean time let me know!!

TIA

 

[jsauce]

Do yourself a favor for next time if you can afford getting Windows XP Pro, its well worth upgrading over XP Home.

John D. Saucier
jsauce@magicguild.com
Certified Technician
Network Administrator

 

[linney]

The problem with Home is that it can inherit permissions from the parent but has no real separate option to pass permissions to the child folders or files. Sometimes you can sort of get around this by setting permissions for the drive and having them inherited all the way down the line, but you may not want the exact same permissions on child folders and files that you have on the drive.

Also in passing permissions down Home gets a bit lost and may miss some folder paths altogether or may fail to complete down to the very low level files.

Removing all the old users from the permissions box (after creating a new Administrator user and adding that to the list) and allowing child folders to inherit that setting, then replacing all the old users back and letting that permission setting become inherited may or may not work.

Copying the files and folders from a backup after deleting all the old files from a parent folder and resetting permissions of the parent folder before the copy process may also work.