"Sharing" & "Ownership" Questions

XOVERX · 22 May 2011

Wells bells, I continue to have permissions issues.

I have downloaded, say, 10 files. I immediately "took ownership" (as Admin) of the directory. I like the files to be of a certain format, so I formatted them, which was no problem.

Then I go to cut and paste the new files on top of the old files, but I'm told I don't have "permission." Good grief, I hate permissions.

Anyhow, so far, I haven't successfully gotten even one file to give me permission to do a simply cut and paste. A frickin' cut and paste, for crying out loud.

While it is true I do not understand the theoretical beauties, harmonies, and benefits of home networking, sharing, etc, I do wonder if this "ownership/permissions" thing is a bridge too far into the wasteland of computer geek-hood. Mary, Jesus, and Joseph I hate permissions.

Is there any way to change permissions "globally"? Or am I stuck file-by-file?

XOVERX · 22 May 2011

It's times like these when I really wish Microsoft had some serious competition.

As administrator, I downloaded some files. As administrator, I have taken "ownership" of those downloaded files. As administrator, I have gone through the gyrations and mysteries for the "permissions" for those files.

And yet, as administrator, I am not allowed to do a simple cut and paste? Pitiful. Absolutely pitiful.

At this point, I'm not sure if I'm the one that's pitiful or if Microsoft is the one that's pitiful. Maybe I'm making some grand mistake going through Properties>Security>Edit>Add>Advanced>Find Now>[Choose User]>Allow>Apply>Ok, but I don't think so. I mean, look at that convulted procedure to manipulate "permissions"!

Here's the deal: If you're logged in as Administrator, all this "ownership/permissions" mumbo-jumbo security stuff ought to be switched off. Put another way, the Administrator should automatically have ownership/permissions to do anything he wants. Period.

Then, if you want security, you set up other users, who have the ownership/permissions problem.

As it is now, even if I figure out the Administrator permissions issue, you still have to manipulate every single downloaded file, apparently. That's just wrong if you're supposed to be "the" Administrator. Jeez.

Onward through the fog.

DustSailor · 22 May 2011

Now hold up, don't go blaming microsoft. They preset things to where users shouldn't have to go through making a bunch of changes. I know I myself can go into a folder and cut and past a word document fine.

1. What type of files are you cut and pasting? You probably cannot cut and paste a whole C drive folder, for example.

2. You are storing them on an external drive, correct? Did you follow all of the previous advice given? (Perhaps look back just to make sure), and if not, which advice did you/did you not take? Has the external drive been corrupted? (This following proceure is time consuming and may not result in anything, but you might as well do it, perhaps during the night so you don't have to wait so long) go to computer, RIGHT-click your drive that you are doing these cut and pastes, go to tools tab, click check now for error checking, click both boxes and click schedule disk check, then restart.

3. The same problem occurs when you cut and paste a file WITHOUT first going into ther ownership and permissions settings and changing them?

4. in Computer, RIGHT-click the disk and click the Hardware tab. Click the disk you are having problems with and click properties at the bottom. click policies and (at least temporary) click better performance, and below that, click enable write caching on the device. click okay and see if this helps any.

5. You are using the Administrator's account right? You really shouldn't ever have to change permissions in windows EVER, and sometimes changing permissions, unless you really know what you're doing, can do the opposite of what you intended it to do in the first place. Is this computer linked to a domain or is it just your home computer?

6. Is this happening everywhere in windows or just with files on that hard disk you were having problems with? Has this always happened before?

try to cut and paste simple word documents on that hard drive and on your regular hard drive.

IF all else fails, we will go back to changing permissions, and this should be the last time. I will post the guide for you, give me a minute...

DustSailor · 22 May 2011

Go to Computer, RIGHT-click on the drive that is giving you trouble

"Sharing" & "Ownership" Questions-step-1-computer.png

Click properties

"Sharing" & "Ownership" Questions-step-2-properties.png

click the security tab at the top, click advanced at the bottom

"Sharing" & "Ownership" Questions-step-3-advanced.png

Under the permissions tab, look under name and find administrator, look to the right of it under permission and make sure it says full control. Look again to the right and make sure, under apply to, that it says this folder, subfolders and ... (and it lists some more, so long as it has that).

DustSailor · 22 May 2011

Then, under the same menu listed at the top

"Sharing" & "Ownership" Questions-step-4.png

CLick the owner tab. make sure administrators is listed under name.

These things should already be set up correctly, and if they are, there is some other problem with the computer that we may have to keep looking for. Let me know how all this goes. Sorry to make you do so much work, but this is not normal for a computer to respond in this way, and I am not entirely sure why it is yet.