Understanding File/Folder permission and change ownership rights on Windows 7

File/Folder permission under Windows 7 allocate user’s right to View, Read, Write, Modify and Delete. That means it can be either restricted or open with enable some condition to File/Folders for a particular user.

There are 7 (seven) types of Permission can be set for Folders and 6 (Six) for Files:

Right click on the folder which you want to set the permission and go to Properties then Security Tab

a) Full Control: Enables user to have all permission like Read, Write, Create, Change and Delete the folder or it’s content and can change the permission.

b) Modify: Allows user to only modify the folder or it’s content but can not create any folder in it.

c) Read & Execute: Enables user to read it contents and run any program in it.

d) List folder content: with this option user can’t view it’s content but only add files or folder in it.

e) Read: User only can read it contents and nothing more like change or add or delete.

f) Write: User can create file/folder in it and can change the content with this permission.

Users also can assign an particular permission by assign Special Permissions. If you want some user to have all permission except Delete the folder or it’s content, so you can apply it:

Click on the Advanced

Select the User that you want to set special permission and click on Change Permission

Click on Edit

Tick on the box next to Delete subfolders and files and also Delete in the Deny line and press OK.

Press Apply in the next window and click on Yes in the below window

Then press Ok to all window. Now the user can have all the rights except Delete the folder or it’s content.

Ownership

Actually ownership is the main part to apply permissions to a particular user. Normally an Administrator is the original owner of every files and folders. However it can be changed to another user. Sometimes users face difficulties to access the folder due to ownership problem. To change the ownership right just follow the below steps:

Right click on the folder and go to Properties -> Security Tab -> Advanced. It will open a new window.

2. Select Owner tab then hit Edit from from the new window

3. From this new window, select the user listed in the box that you want to grant ownership

4. If the user name is not listed in the box then click on the Other users or groups… button and click on Advanced…

5. Click on Find Now button then select the user and click OK

6. Enable the Replace owner on subcontainers and objects by tick the box then Apply and OK and press OK to all remaining window and the job is done!