Configure and troubleshoot NTFS permissions

This article applies to the following Windows Server® versions: 2008, 2008 R2, 2012, 2012 R2, 2016, 2019

This article addresses how to configure and troubleshoot New Technology File System (NTFS) file and folder permissions on Windows® servers.

NTFS permissions overview

Basic built-in file and folder permission levels allow for easy configuration. The following chart
shows built-in permission levels and the access they provide:

Permissions	Full control	Modify	Read and execute	List folder contents	Read	Write
Traverse folder or execute file	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
List folder or read data	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Read attributes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Read extended attributes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Create files or write data	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
Create folders or append data	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
Write attributes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
Write extended attributes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
Delete subfolders and files	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Delete	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Read permissions	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Change permissions	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Take ownership	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Synchronize	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Configuring permissions for a file or folder

Note: When you configure permissions for a file or a folder, log in to the server with a user that
has at least Full Control permissions for the object you want to modify. To make sure that you have
appropriate permissions to make the change, log in with a user account that has administrator privileges
on the device. Administrator accounts can typically override permissions for most files and folders.

Follow these steps to configure permissions:

Navigate to the parent directory of the desired file or folder for which you want to set permissions.
Right-click the file or folder and choose Properties.
Click the Security tab.
You should see the path and name of the file or folder at the top of the window under Object name.
Ensure this is correct before proceeding.
Click Edit.
Look for the user whose permissions you want to modify in the box labeled Group or user names.
If the user is listed, move to step 7. If not, use the following instructions to add the user to the list.
1. To add a user, click Add.
2. Type in the username in the box marked Enter the object names to select and click Check Names.
3. If you don't see the user, ensure that you listed the correct location in From this location.
  If necessary, click Advanced to search for the user manually.
4. When you find the user, it is underlined. Click Ok.
Click the desired user in Group or user names.
Check the box under Allow in the Permissions for (username) section and click Ok to save.

Troubleshooting permissions issues

Note: Permissions apply to users in the most restrictive way possible. If there are permissions set
in multiple places, such as permissions for a user group and also specific to the user, the most
restrictive permissions set for that user apply to any given file or folder. Keep this in mind when
troubleshooting.

To troubleshoot permissions issues, follow these steps:

Navigate to the parent directory of the problematic file or folder.
Right-click the file or folder and choose Properties.
Click the Security tab.
You should see the path and name of the file or folder at the top of the window under
Object name. Ensure this is correct before proceeding.
Click Advanced.
Click the Effective Access tab.
Click the link labeled Select a user.
Type the username in the box marked Enter the object names to select and click Check Names.
If you don't see the user, ensure that you listed the correct location in From this location.
If necessary, click Advanced to search for the user manually.
When you find the user, it is underlined. Click Ok to see the user listed
next to User/Group.
Click View effective access to see the list of the user's permissions. The final column
indicates the policy or group that limits the permission type. This information shows you
where to make changes to solve the problem.

Updated 12 months ago