OPTION ONE
Change Access Permissions in a Elevated Command Prompt
NOTE: You could also type icacls /? in the elevated command prompt for a complete list of availble switches and options that you could use with the icacls command.
1. If you have not already, you must be the
owner of the file, folder, or drive, before you will be able to change access permissions for it.
2. Open a
elevated command prompt, and do
step 3 or 4 below depending on what object you would like to grant permissions of users amd groups for.
3. To Allow or Deny Permissions for a File in a Command Prompt
A) In the elevated command prompt, type the command below and press Enter.
NOTE: Substitute full path of file with the full path of the file that you want to set permissons for within quotes.
Substitute user name or group with the name of the user account or group that you want to grant permission to within quotes.
Substitute switch with a switch letter in the table below for what permission you would like to set.
Switch | Permission |
N | Deny all access |
F | Allow full access |
RX | Read and execute access |
R | Read only access |
W | Write only access |
D | Remove user or group for no access |
icacls "full path of file" /grant "user name or group":switch
B) Go to step 5.
4. To Allow or Deny Permissions for a Folder or Drive in a Command PromptNOTE: This command will set permissions for the folder or drive, and all files and subfolders in the folder or drive.
A) In the elevated command prompt, type the command below and press Enter.
NOTE: Substitute full path of folder or drive with the full path of the folder or drive that you want to set permissons for within quotes.
Substitute user name or group with the name of the user account or group that you want to grant permission to within quotes.
Substitute switch with a switch letter in the table for what permission you would like to set.
icacls "full path of folder or drive" /grant "user name or group":switch /T
B) Continue on to step 5.
5. When finished, close the elevated command prompt.
OPTION TWO
Change Access Permissions in Security Properties
NOTE: This option only has basic permissions that can be set for the file, folder, drive, or registry key.
For both basic and advanced permissions, see OPTION THREE below instead.
1. If you have not already, you must be the
owner of the file, folder, drive, or registry key before you will be able to change access permissions for it.
2. Do
step 3 or 4 below depending on what object you would like to take ownership of.
3. To Change Access Permissions of a File, Folder, or Drive in Properties
A) Right click on the file, folder, or drive that you want to grant a user or group permissions for, and click on Properties.
B) Go to step 5.
4. To Change Access Permissions of a Registry Key in Properties
A) In the left pane of Registry Editor (regedit), right click on the registry key that you want to grant a user or group permissions for, and click on Permissions. (see screenshot below)
B) Continue on to step 5.
5. In the
Security tab, and click on the
Edit button. (see screenshot below)
6. If prompted by UAC, then click on
Yes.
7. Do
step 8 or 9 below depending on if you need to add or remove a user or group. If you do not need to add or remove a user or group, then go to
step 10 below.
8. To Add a User or Group to Set Access Permissions of this Object for
A) Click on the
Add button. (see screenshot below)
B) Click on the
Advanced button. (see screenshot below)
C) Click on the
Find Now button. (see screenshot below)
D) At the bottom under the
Name column, select a user (username) or group that you would like to set permissions of this object for, and click on
OK. (see screenshot below)
E) Click on
OK. (see screenshot below)
F) Go to step 10, or go to step 9 if you would also like to also remove a user or group.
9. To Remove a User or Group to have No Access Permissions for this ObjectWARNING: This is if you do not want to have a user or group listed that does not currently have inherited permissions. Removing a user or group will also remove all access permissions for this object.
See WARNING at the top of the tutorial.
A) Select the user or group that you want to remove, and click on
Remove. (see screenshot below)
B) Continue on to step 10.
10. Select a user or group that you want to change the permissions for, then check the
Allow or
Denyboxes for the items that you want to allow or deny permissions for the selected user or group. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: Checking Deny will override a checked Allow. Checking Full Control will also check all items under it. See WARNING at the top of the tutorial.
11. When finished, click on
OK. (see screenshot above)
12. If prompted, click on
Yes. (see screenshot below)
13. Click on
OK. (see screenshot below step 5)
OPTION THREE
Change Access Permissions in Advanced Security Properties
NOTE: This option has both basic and advanced permissions that can be set for the file, folder, drive, or registry key.
1. If you have not already, you must be the
owner of the file, folder, drive, or registry key before you will be able to change access permissions for it.
2. Do
step 3 or 4 below depending on what object you would like to take ownership of.
3. To Change Access Permissions of a File, Folder, or Drive in Properties
A) Right click on the file, folder, or drive that you want to grant a user or group permissions for, and click on Properties.
B) Go to step 5.
4. To Change Access Permissions of a Registry Key in Properties
A) In the left pane of Registry Editor (regedit), right click on the registry key that you want to grant a user or group permissions for, and click on Permissions. (see screenshot below)
B) Continue on to step 5.
5. In the
Security tab, and click on the
Advanced button. (see screenshot below)
6. If here, click on the
Change permissions button. If prompted by UAC, then click on
Yes. (see screenshot below)
7. Do
step 8 or 9 below depending on if you need to add or remove a user or group. If you do not need to add or remove a user or group, then go to
step 10 below.
8. To Add a User or Group to Set Access Permissions of this Object for
A) Click on the Add button. (see screenshot below)
B) Repeat steps 8A to 8D in OPTION TWO above.
C) Go to step 11.
9. To Remove a User or Group to have No Access Permissions for this ObjectWARNING: This is if you do not want to have a user or group listed that does not currently have inherited permissions. Removing a user or group will also remove all access permissions for this object. See WARNING at the top of the tutorial.
A) Select the user or group that you want to remove, and click on Remove. (see screenshot below)
B) Continue on to step 10.
10. Select a user or group that you want to change the permissions for, then click on the
Edit button. (see screenshot below)
NOTE:If you have View instead of Edit, then that user or group has inherited permissions that should not be changed.
11. Select to set the
Allow or
Deny permission settings for this user or group. (see screenshot below)
WARNING: What you have checked in Deny will override what you have checked in Allow.
See WARNING at the top of the tutorial.
12. If this is for a
folder, drive, or registry key, then select what you want it to
apply to. (see screenshots below)
NOTE: A file will not have this option.
13. Select if you would like to
Show advanced permissions or to
Show basic permissions. (see screenshots below)
NOTE: The available permission settings will vary depending on if this is a file, folder, drive, or registry key.
14. Check the boxes for the permissions that you would like to set in the Allow or Deny section, and click on
OK when finished. (see screenshots below step 13)
WARNING: What you have checked in Deny will override what you have checked in Allow.
See WARNING at the top of the tutorial.
15. Click on
OK to apply. (see screenshot below step 8A or 9A)
16. If prompted, click on
Yes. (see screenshot below)
17. Click on OK. (see screenshot below step 5)