Privacy settings in 1803 - Help me understand.

elbeasto · 20 May 2018

In Windows 1803, there are some new privacy settings, Documents, Pictures, Video and File System.

These all now have a global setting for access to said locations via apps under a heading of allow blah blah on this device.

Directly under said setting there's a global setting for apps to access blah blah.

That's one thing I don't understand. Having two settings that as far as I can tell do exactly the same thing.

Secondly, I have access to my file system on this device and all apps turned off, yet I can still copy and paste things and install things. So what exactly is being denied access here?

Please explain this to me because I don't understand the description in Settings.

I also have access to Calendar and Contacts turned off yet Mail and Calender work fine. It's just that now it complains that it doesn't have access to Calendar and Contacts and prompts me to change my privacy settings every time I open Calendar or Mail and I have to click 'Dismiss' on the yellow ribbon that appears at the top of the app.

Thanks.

EdKiefer · 20 May 2018

The first one at the top is a global one and the lower (second) is for an app to have access.
example, I use MS mail app, if I turn off the top one and then run mail app you will see a message "we couldn't access your mail account, check privacy settings"
But if you leave the top on and disable second, then mail app works but I guess other apps listed would have problems accessing mail.
I haven't mess with pictures, doc etc but I would assume a similar thing.

Edit: you can still open things in doc yourself with the top off but I guess programs that save data might have trouble.
I found IMO to just leave the top on and turn the second one off unless you truly never intend to use it.

Edit2, I have admin account so maybe that can bypass many of these settings, be interesting what others say.