Is this comment regarding NTFS Permissions backwards or is it just me?

ObiWanKenobi · 31 Dec 2019

So, I'm studying for the CompTIA A+ Core 2 exam and I get this explanation about how NTFS Permissions work. Here it is:

"Both NTFS and share permissions can be assigned to users and groups."

It sounds a little bit backwards to me. Does one actually assign NTFS and share permissions to users and groups? Or is it more accurate to say that users and groups can be assigned to NTFS and Share permissions?

The users and the groups get added to ACL lists. NTFS permissions do not get added to users or groups.

I'm not trying to be a grammar nazi here. I understand what they're trying to teach. But having taken logic in the past I know that you can't just swap word positions interchangeably in every circumstance and not affect the meaning of the sentence.

Am I right or wrong here?

Windows local security policies work in much the same way. I used to think that users and groups had local security policies attached to the users or the groups. But it's the other way around. Users and Groups are assigned to security policy rules.

sygnus21 · 31 Dec 2019

As in any test, you need to carefully weigh the question as posed, and not interpret it's grammatical structure. I can tell you from personal experience that sort of thinking has cost me plenty of headaches once I received my test scores.

With that, remember the question is designed to test your knowledge and comprehension of the subject.

As to your NTFS and permissions question I'm afraid my comprehension of the subject doesn't run that deep and in the end would be a guessing game.

My two cents.

f14tomcat · 31 Dec 2019

--- snip ---

"Or is it more accurate to say that users and groups can be assigned to NTFS and Share permissions?"

drop the "to", and you have essentially the same thing. Semantics are not important.

ObiWanKenobi · 31 Dec 2019

f14tomcat said:

--- snip ---

"Or is it more accurate to say that users and groups can be assigned to NTFS and Share permissions?"

drop the "to", and you have essentially the same thing. Semantics are not important.

Semantics aren't important? I'm not sure exactly why you believe that. But to me, words actually mean things. And the order of words means things. And you can't mix them all up in a bowl and then dump them all out on the table in a random order and expect them to have the same meaning. You absolutely cannot look at a user account and tell what folders/files he has access to on a NTFS file system/network. Because those permissions are not assigned to him/her. The user is assigned "to" a specific permission somewhere on an ACL.

And onto the much smaller point of words meaning things, I have encountered questions on my CompTIA A+ practice tests that I gave wrong answers to because of not recognizing a single word they were using in the question.

f14tomcat · 31 Dec 2019

ObiWanKenobi said:

Semantics aren't important? I'm not sure exactly why you believe that. But to me, words actually mean things. And the order of words means things. And you can't mix them all up in a bowl and then dump them all out on the table in a random order and expect them to have the same meaning. You absolutely cannot look at a user account and tell what folders/files he has access to on a NTFS file system/network. Because those permissions are not assigned to him/her. The user is assigned "to" a specific permission somewhere on an ACL.

And onto the much smaller point of words meaning things, I have encountered questions on my CompTIA A+ practice tests that I gave wrong answers to because of not recognizing a single word they were using in the question.

Was meant in the context of your post and my answer. Not life in general or your issues with your test questions.

Have a Happy New Year!