OT: premissions on an external HD

[Dave Labrecque]

I don't know what's going on, but since I updated to Windows 10, my two external archive HD's are giving me all kinds of trouble, not letting me copy stuff or delete stuff. What a PITA. Can someone please tell me how to reset all the permissions on these HD's and all content so that I don't have to be a rocket surgeon to do simple file management tasks? I don't need anything fancy. No one else uses this computer. It's all me. And it's not letting me be in charge for whatever reason. :mad:

Thanks.

[mr_es335]

Dave,

There are two methods available to you:

Method 1: Copy the data to a formatted FAT32 drive
This will remove any and all permissions that exist on folders and files. This is also the best method to ensure that you will not run into any issues with regards to "recursive permissions".

Method 2: "Take Ownership" hack
This provides you with a "Context Menu" option to take ownership of a folder or file. These are provided as "reg key" installations.

2686

Here is the ZIP file: 2687

Hope this helps?

PS: Please keep in mind that it is still preferable to copy the data to a FAT32 drive - at least this method has proven to be more reliable than other methods that I have used over the years.

[UpTilDawn]

Dave,
PS: Please keep in mind that it is still preferable to copy the data to a FAT32 drive - at least this method has proven to be more reliable than other methods that I have used over the years.

Problem for audio and video files is the 4GB file size limit of FAT32..... sort of need NTFS for those large files.

[mr_es335]

Hello,

That is true...so hopefully they are not that large?

Another thought, Windows-based systems require a user account. As a result, anything and everything that is done, is done through that user account. If, for example, System_1 has a user called "Dave", and System_2 has the default user of "User", then copying data form "Dave" to "User" - will, more-than-likely, give you permission-issues. Some users, in order to rectify this anomaly, will rename "User" to "Dave - believing that this will resolve the issues. But alas, "Dave" is simply an alias to "User" - so "User" is still the account name. Therefore, to resolve this issue, it is preferable to create a user that replicates the original system user account. This should resolve any permission-type issues that exist.

[Dave Labrecque]

Thanks for these ideas, Dell. But is there no "legitimate" way to just get the system the way I need it to be? Or is it just way more complex than your suggestions?

I guess I was hoping to re-do the permissions for each drive (and constituent folders/files) for proper access. Certainly Windows can do this, no? Certainly work-arounds aren't required, I would hope.

FWIW, these are both NTFS-formatted USB drives, and I don't have another drive that I can reformat to FAT32, unfortunately.

[mr_es335]

Dave,

I am not too sure where you are getting the non-legitimacy ideas from.

Windows DOES provide you with the ability to "take-over" the permissions of folders and files, but the "TakeOwnership" hack is much simpler. Saves tons of time and extra hassle.

Here is one way: Set, View, Change, or Remove Permissions on Files and Folders (https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc754344(v=ws.11).aspx)

Dave, please do not be too concerned here about the term "hack". It is just a term we service people use to state a change to Windows in some way. In a real way, changing the path from C:\SAW to C\RML\SAW is in a way, "a hack"...so please do not be too concerned about using the registry key.

[Dave Labrecque]

Dave,

I am not too sure where you are getting the non-legitimacy ideas from.

Windows DOES provide you with the ability to "take-over" the permissions of folders and files, but the "TakeOwnership" hack is much simpler. Saves tons of time and extra hassle.

Here is one way: Set, View, Change, or Remove Permissions on Files and Folders (https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc754344(v=ws.11).aspx)

Dave, please do not be too concerned here about the term "hack". It is just a term we service people use to state a change to Windows in some way. In a real way, changing the path from C:\SAW to C\RML\SAW is in a way, "a hack"...so please do not be too concerned about using the registry key.

I put it in quotes (legitimate) because I didn't mean it literally. I was just hoping for something less work-around-y, more the way Windows is meant to be used. But, as you've now explained over the phone (thank you for your help), Windows is not so easy or straight-forward to use as we might like.

Thanks, again, Dell.