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AnswerAre no permissions defined on the root by design in Windows 7?

  • Tuesday, August 25, 2009 2:21 PMSLoweCSL Users MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers Medals
     
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    I noticed that when I created a new sub-folder off of the root of my C drive, that I received a lock symbol and no inherited folder permissions. I looked at the root and under the folder permissions, nothing is listed. The security box says this...

    "No permissions have been assigned for this object.

    Warning: this is a potential security risk because anyone who can access this object can take ownership of it. The object’s owner should assign permissions as soon as possible."


    Is this by design or is something wrong? This is a clean Win 7 x64 RTM install.

    Thank you.
     

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  • Thursday, August 27, 2009 6:41 AMRobinson ZhangMSFT, ModeratorUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers Medals
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    Hi,

    The root directory is a protected area from Windows Vista for security. It's by design.

    Thank you for your understanding.
     
  • Monday, August 31, 2009 1:55 PMSLoweCSL Users MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers Medals
     
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    Ok, I understand that. It gets very grumpy about placing files in the root. But what about sub-folders off of the root, say C:\Temp\, what permissions does this folder inherit? I don't want to have to make all my sub-directories off my Documents folders as they are redirected to the server in our corporate environment.

    Thanks
     
  • Thursday, October 29, 2009 6:42 PMDon Wanless Users MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers Medals
     
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    I have a Windows Vista system and a Windows 7 system.

    I can write to the root on the Vista system but not on the 7 system.

    My user account is set as Administrator in 7.

    My user account is set as Administrator in Vista.

    Why the difference?

    I need to write to the root in 7 to make some existing applications work.  What can I do to get permission to write to C:\ in 7?

    Thanks for any help you can offer.
     
  • Saturday, October 31, 2009 2:26 PMtt.froehlich Users MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers Medals
     
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    Don,

    although you have identical user names in both systems, you do not have the same identity.
    Windows assign a *unique* SID (Security ID) when you define a user account  and it is that SID by which you are identified when you want access to a file or directory.

    When you look at the security settings for the directory you'll probably see an entry like "unknown account S-1-5-21-...long-chain_of numbers_here". That is what the current windows (whichever is up, Vista or 7) knows about the account of the other one, although you assigned the same userid.

    You will have to give your current userid in Windows 7 the appropriate access rights, too.


    Till

     
  • Tuesday, November 03, 2009 9:37 PMDon Wanless Users MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers Medals
     
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    Till,

    Thank you for your answer.

    My Vista account is on another system, I was just mentioning it to show that I have root directory access on it but on on 7.

    My user account on 7 shows that I have Administrator privledges, but am not able to write to c:\

    Are their different levels of Adiministrator or perhaps a more fine tuned set of privledges?

    What particular acces rights will I have to give myself?

    Don