Enable or Disable Inherited Permissions for Files and Folders in Windows


On NTFS and ReFS volumes, you can set security permissions on files and folders. These permissions grant or deny access to the files and folders.

Every container (ex: folder) and object (ex: file) on the PC has a set of access control information attached to it. Known as a security descriptor, this information controls the type of access allowed to users and groups. The security descriptor is automatically created along with the container or object that is created.

When you are a member of a group (ex: "Administrators") that is associated with an object, you have some ability to manage the permissions on that object. For those objects you own, you have full control.

Permissions are defined within an object's security descriptor. Permissions are associated with, or assigned to, specific users and groups. For example, for the file Temp.dat, the built-in Administrators group might be assigned Read, Write, and Delete permissions, while the Backup Operators group might be assigned Read and Write permissions only.

Each assignment of permissions to a user or group is represented in the system as an access control entry (ACE). The entire set of permission entries in a security descriptor is known as a permission set or access control list (ACL). Thus, for a file named Temp.dat, the permission set includes two permission entries, one for the built-in Administrators group and one for the Backup Operators group.

There are two types of permissions: explicit permissions and inherited permissions.

• Explicit permissions are those that are set by default on non-child objects when the object is created, or by user action on non-child, parent, or child objects.
  See also: Change Permissions of File, Folder, Drive, or Registry Key for Users and Groups in Windows 10
• Inherited permissions are those that are propagated to an object from a parent object. Inherited permissions ease the task of managing permissions and ensure consistency of permissions among all objects within a given container.
  
  • Inherited Deny permissions do not prevent access to an object if the object has an explicit Allow permission entry.
  • Explicit permissions take precedence over inherited permissions, even inherited Deny permissions.

By default, objects within a container inherit the permissions from that container when the objects are created. For example, when you create a folder called MyFolder, all subfolders and files created within MyFolder automatically inherit the permissions from that folder. Therefore, MyFolder has explicit permissions, while all subfolders and files within it have inherited permissions.

This tutorial will show you how to enable and disable inherited permissions for files and folders in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

You must be an administrator to enable or disable inherited permissions.

Enabling or disabling inherited permissions for files and folders will not affect their current explicit permissions.

If you are unable to enable or disable inherited permissions for a file or folder, then you will need to take ownership of the file or folder first, and try again. This can happen when you are not the owner, or you do not have read or write permissions.

Contents

• Option One: To Enable or Disable Inherited Permissions for File or Folder using Context Menu
• Option Two:To Enable Inherited Permissions for File or Folder in Advanced Security Settings
• Option Three: To Disable Inherited Permissions for File or Folder in Advanced Security Settings
• Option Four: To Enable or Disable Inherited Permissions for File or Folder in Command Prompt

OPTION ONE

To Enable or Disable Inherited Permissions for File or Folder using Context Menu

1 For how, see: How to Add Inherited Permissions Context Menu in Windows

OPTION TWO

To Enable Inherited Permissions for File or Folder in Advanced Security Settings

1 While in File Explorer (Win+E), right click or press and hold on the file or folder you want to enable inherited permissions for, and click/tap on Properties.

2 Click/tap on the Security tab, and click/tap on the Advanced button. (see screenshot below)

3 Click/tap on the Change permissions button if there. (see screenshot below)

4 Click/tap on the Enable inheritance button. (see screenshots below)

5 Click/tap on Apply to see the applied inherited permissions. (see screenshot below)

6 You will now see the inherited permissions. Click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

If this is for a folder, then you could also check the Replace all child object permissions entries with inheritable permission entries from this object box first if wanted, click/tap on OK, and click/tap on Yes when prompted to confirm.

Checking the box will remove explicit permissions of the child objects.

7 Click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

OPTION THREE

To Disable Inherited Permissions for File or Folder in Advanced Security Settings

1 While in File Explorer (Win+E), right click or press and hold on the file or folder you want to disable inherited permissions for, and click/tap on Properties.

2 Click/tap on the Security tab, and click/tap on the Advanced button. (see screenshot below)

3 Click/tap on the Disable inheritance button. (see screenshots below)

4 Do step 5 (convert inherited permissions) or step 6 (remove inherited permissions) below for what you want to do.

5 Convert inherited permissions into explicit permissions on this object

A) Click/tap Convert inherited permissions into explicit permissions on this object. (see screenshot below)

B) Click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

6 Remove all inherited permissions from this object

Only explicit permissions (if available) will be left for this file or folder afterwards.

A) Click/tap Remove all inherited permissions from this object. (see screenshot below)

B) Click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

7 Click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

OPTION FOUR

To Enable or Disable Inherited Permissions for File or Folder in Command Prompt

1 Open an elevated command prompt.

2 Type the command below you want to use into the elevated command prompt, and press Enter. (see screenshots below)

(Enable inheritance)
icacls "Full path of file or folder" /inheritance:e

OR

(Disable inheritance and "Convert inherited permissions into explicit permissions on this object")
icacls "Full path of file or folder" /inheritance:d

OR

(Disable inheritance and "Remove all inherited permissions from this object")
icacls "Full path of file or folder" /inheritance:r

Substitute Full path of file or folder in the commands above with the actual full path of the file or folder you want to enable or disable inherited permissions for.

For example: icacls "F:\MyFolder\Lock.png" /inheritance:e

3 When finished, you can close the elevated command prompt if you like.

That's it,
Shawn

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• Change Permissions of File, Folder, Drive, or Registry Key for Users and Groups in Windows 10
• How to Add Inherited Permissions Context Menu in Windows
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• How to Add Advanced security to context menu in Windows 8 and Windows 10
• How to Add or Remove Users from Groups in Windows 10
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