What are the risks of Taking Ownership of System32?


  1. Posts : 679
    Windows 7 professional X64
       #1

    What are the risks of Taking Ownership of System32?


    Hi guys, I am new around here, but I was hoping you could lend me a hand.

    I think I've been stupid.
    While trying to fix an issue with a simulator (FSX) that involved adding a .dll file to system 32, a user said in a guide to fix said issue to paste the .dll file into system 32, but to do this, you would need to take ownership of the system 32 folder. Which I did, and the .dll was pasted successfully. However stupidly I didn't do any research until after the CMD/DOS window did the whole ownership process. Then I read in this forum that I should NOT take ownership of system32.

    I don't know if I screwed up, and if there is any way to revert it? I mean.. nothing happened, and my system is running fine. Multiple people who also use FSX have done the ownership of system32, and none have reported problems, so.. I'm just a little scared as to what I have possibly done.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 6,668
    Windows 7 x64
       #2

    I personally wouldn't rate it as good or bad specifically.
    It's a tad more situational in my eyes.
    However, I would suggest you make sure you do have a active antivirus and firewall active meantime.
    The problem with taking ownership of that folder is it gives malware, viruses, and script kiddies even, a slightly easier way into the system root should they gain access somehow.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 679
    Windows 7 professional X64
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Maguscreed said:
    I personally wouldn't rate it as good or bad specifically.
    It's a tad more situational in my eyes.
    However, I would suggest you make sure you do have a active antivirus and firewall active meantime.
    The problem with taking ownership of that folder is it gives malware, viruses, and script kiddies even, a slightly easier way into the system root should they gain access somehow.
    Thank you a lot. Well, it did solve the problem I was having with the simulator.
    But now that you mention that it could give all that sort of programs a chance to gain access to it.. I would also like to know if I can revert it without affecting the .dll I put into it..?
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 6,668
    Windows 7 x64
       #4

    To be honest I don't have specific experience with that scenario which is why I didn't suggest it.
    In the meantime you really should be okay, all you really did was put the directory back into a windows xp security state. It is less secure but it's not really dangerously so.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 679
    Windows 7 professional X64
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Maguscreed said:
    To be honest I don't have specific experience with that scenario which is why I didn't suggest it.
    In the meantime you really should be okay, all you really did was put the directory back into a windows xp security state. It is less secure but it's not really dangerously so.
    Thank you very much for your replies, I feel much better now.
    Replies I had read made it seem like I made a terrible mistake that was bound to destroy my operating system.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 6,243
    win 7 ultimate32bit, Win8.1pro wmc 32bit
       #6

    Erick Aguilar said:
    Maguscreed said:
    To be honest I don't have specific experience with that scenario which is why I didn't suggest it.
    In the meantime you really should be okay, all you really did was put the directory back into a windows xp security state. It is less secure but it's not really dangerously so.
    Thank you very much for your replies, I feel much better now.
    Replies I had read made it seem like I made a terrible mistake that was bound to destroy my operating system.
    Hi Erick, I have been chastised many times for telling posters to "take ownership" of a file which I personnally think needs to be done in certain circumstances but I would never ever tell anyone to take contol of important system files (orfolders) it's just a bit too risky for my liking :)
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 6,668
    Windows 7 x64
       #7

    This doesn't seem like a user that's in the habit of messing with those files himself. So I'm a tad less worried on that front.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 6,458
    x64 (6.3.9600) Win8.1 Pro & soon dual boot x64 (6.1.7601) Win7_SP1 HomePrem
       #8

    Windows has a way of healing certain things - known folders and such. Often a boot will fix ownership issues on certain system files / directories.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 679
    Windows 7 professional X64
    Thread Starter
       #9

    Maguscreed said:
    This doesn't seem like a user that's in the habit of messing with those files himself. So I'm a tad less worried on that front.
    Exactly. I'm inclined to mess with hardware, and performance subjects a lot more than with the operating system itself. And while I do have a mak key and could reinstall windows over, and over, I don't have an external HDD to run a backup at the moment, so I can't afford to have my computers OS get messy right now.
      My Computer


 

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