Windows 7: Disable or Reset Access Control

Is there a way to disable or reset the Access Control List 'subsystem' - not the User Account Control, I'm cool with that.

First up - I am the only user of my computer, no other person has access to it, and I am not connected to any network other than the Internet. So I have no requirement for ACL's - there's only one account (Administrative) - who should have permission to access everything.

Please don't give me a lecture on security. In my mis-spent youth I was a system programmer for large corporations. I am quite happy to admit that I inadvertently did something to cause this annoyance - but if I knew what then I would undo it.

if I move c:\users\<myaccount>\My Documents\mydoc.txt to c:\mydoc.txt it will have a security lock showing, yet I can, read, write, copy, move and really delete the file

if I copy c:\users\<myaccount>\My Documentsmydoc.txt to c:\mydoc.txt it will NOT have a security lock showing

Gradually I am noticing more and more of these security icons appearing, they don't prevent me doing anything access wise - read/write/delete etc. But they do hide other icon overlays that I really would like to see - symlink, junction, tortoise SVN to name a couple

I've tried taking ownership of the drives and folders - makes no difference. The only way I can get rid of the lock icon overlay is to give Everyone full control over the item with the lock.



I thought of giving Everyone full control over the C: drive - but I get the error message in the attachment - which suggests I probably ought not do that.

Thanks

Funnily enough I am fighting this sort of issue on Windows 8 which has even further complicated the system permissions.
Yeah, don't give Everyone root access to the drive. You may as well put your system in your router DMZ and change the Administrator password to 'password'.

Are you able to tell me who has ownership of the root directory?

This thread might also be of interest:
Changing owner back to TrustedInstaller

Thanks LuzTeTT - why dont MS make all this ACL stuff optional, I understand the need for it in the corporate world - it keeps the IT Security & Audit boys and girls off the street - but a one user PC at home...

The owner of c:\ is Administrators (<myname>-PC\Administrators) - I got that from properties->security->... on the drive - I assume that's the root too.

The owner of c:\users\<myname> is Administrators (<myname>-PC\Administrators)
The owner of c:\users\<myname>\CurrentWork is Administrators (<myname>-PC\Administrators)
The owner of c:\users\<myname>\CurrentWork\TheyYearsAhead.pdf is Administrators (<myname>-PC\Administrators)

So why is it that when I move the YearsAhead.pdf from the CurrentWork directory in my home directory to the root of c: I get these security overlay icons (padlock)

The only User Name is <myname> and its flagged as an administrative account - the Guest Account is disabled

I don't think its the TrustedInstaller stuff, I don't fiddle with the system. I let Windows Update take care of all that. Since XP-SP2 I have accepted everything MS have tossed my way - including the .NET updates that some people complain about - never a had problem.

I just looked at the security settings for my Data E: & 3 USB G: H: & I drives - bit of a shambles, but they ain't the problem. I didn't do the original install & setup - a 'mate' did it.

I just copied the stuff I'm bothered about from my home directory on C: to my data drive ( E: ) - now I've been able to do what I actually wanted to do - create a symlink in the root of c: to my CurrentWork directory - and not get security icon overlays. I can live with that.

So the problem lies with the home directory...

Maybe its time for a fresh install, been thinking about an SSD

thanks pjd

I don't understand. What was your solution?

From what you've said there isn't enough permissions for the directory. If your name (and Guest) is the only thing in there then that is the reason why there is a padlock.

Remove the Lock Icon from a Folder in Windows 7 - How-To Geek

security lock is only shown if located in root of drive!
since you moved it (not copied) from a PRIVATE folder only accessible by you permissions remain.

@LuzTeTT - I moved the data I was concerned about out of my home directory on the System drive to a directory on my Data drive

Now I can move, copy etc from there to drive C with impunity. And do what I was actually wanting to do - put a symlink to my CurrentWork folder in the root of C without any lock symbols hiding other more meaningful (to me) icon overlays.

@Kaktussoft - but which ME - ME as vanilla ME, or ME as member of Administrators, or ME as member of Users, or ME as member of HomeUsers - I can understand the need for vanilla ME and ME as a member of Administrators - but this is a single user system so the need for the Users group is moot and the HomeUsers group even more moot (mooter ?), since there's no AwayUsers

That "how to by the geek" refers to a regular user created directory (Backups). I'm dealing with the root of C and my home directory. IMO fiddling with the permissions on those resources is something best avoided. Which I've done, by moving my CurrentWork directory out of my home directory to my Data drive.

Anyway as far as I'm concerned my problem is solved

Thanks for your input - pjd