How to change Win 7 folder permissions on a linux PC?

[sst61]

Hi
Is there a way/utility to change Windows 7 x64' folders' permissions for user (C:\Users\SS) on a linux pc?

I have the boot up problem (Win 7 OS) of black screen of death with mouse pointer, after accessing the folder from Windows 10 and accidentally clicked Ok to to the prompt that 'You dont currently have permission to access this folder - click ok to permanently get access to this folder' as win 10 prompt me. So it no longer boots in to win 7 (my main win 7 which I dont want to reinstall).

As a second drive in a another win 7x64 OS, I cant even access its content or size, no bar next to the drive, just the label and the word NTFS, double clicking it you get the message 'F:\is not accessible. Access denied.' - it looks just like it is corrupted or bad partition or bad boot sector, but it isnt, I know that SSD couple of years old, never had a problem.

I run CHCDSK & SFC /scannow no problems found. Yet if I boot from this drive, it goes very fast to the Black Screen Of Death with mouse pointer - no commands, task man or any key entry, just a moveable mouse pointer, no log in, if I press press on/off button it sees that and says 'shutting down' and does but thats it.

Since I cant access it in windows environment, I am trying to access and repair it in linux if possible

Thanks for any pointers, bear in mind I am very beginner in linux.

Sean

 

[lehnerus2000]

I suspect it will be ridiculously difficult to do what you are asking.

If the permission changes cascaded through the W7 folder structure, it won't be feasible to manually repair the permissions.
You might have to copy all of your data from W7 (you can use a Linux Live CD/DVD/USB to do that) and then reinstall W7.

You should wait to see if other members have some suggestions though.

You should also create a backup HDD/SSD image of your system, using something like Macrium Reflect, before you attempt repairs (just in case anything goes wrong).

Tutorials
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/218920-macrium-reflect-create-bootable-rescue-usb-drive.html

 

[GokAy]

You can try a System Restore from a "Windows 7 Repair Disk" or your installation DVD/USB if you have one.

 

[sst61]

Hi, thank you both for your input. It was just a long shot.
I have tried the win repair, no joy, I am guessing because of permission changes, win cannot access restore point which there are plenty of. I havent really lost any data as my data was on another drive, I am trying to get win back as I dont want to re install as there are a lot of specialist/difficult to setup software which I dont want to go through installing and setting up.

I wait a little longer to see if anyone else can contribute.

Thanks again.

 

[sst61]

Hi, thank you both for your input. It was just a long shot.
I have tried the win repair, no joy, I am guessing because of permission changes, win cannot access restore point which there are plenty of. I havent really lost any data as my data was on another drive, I am trying to get win back as I dont want to re install as there are a lot of specialist/difficult to setup software which I dont want to go through installing and setting up.

I wait a little longer to see if anyone else can contribute.

Thanks again.

 

[GokAy]

I have 2 experimental ideas

1. Try a System Restore in Win 10. Maybe it can change back the permissions/ownership to before what it has changed. Make sure restore point is from before the change.
2. In Windows 10, right click Windows 7 partition and go into properties, switch to Security tab, add Everyone as Full Control. Everyone should have the same SID on both Win7 and 10, so "maybe" it will work.

While trying (2), click the Advanced button on Security tab, then switch to Owner, click Edit and take a screenshot and post here - http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html

 

[sdowney717]

Hi
Is there a way/utility to change Windows 7 x64' folders' permissions for user (C:\Users\SS) on a linux pc?

I have the boot up problem (Win 7 OS) of black screen of death with mouse pointer, after accessing the folder from Windows 10 and accidentally clicked Ok to to the prompt that 'You dont currently have permission to access this folder - click ok to permanently get access to this folder' as win 10 prompt me. So it no longer boots in to win 7 (my main win 7 which I dont want to reinstall).

As a second drive in a another win 7x64 OS, I cant even access its content or size, no bar next to the drive, just the label and the word NTFS, double clicking it you get the message 'F:\is not accessible. Access denied.' - it looks just like it is corrupted or bad partition or bad boot sector, but it isnt, I know that SSD couple of years old, never had a problem.

I run CHCDSK & SFC /scannow no problems found. Yet if I boot from this drive, it goes very fast to the Black Screen Of Death with mouse pointer - no commands, task man or any key entry, just a moveable mouse pointer, no log in, if I press press on/off button it sees that and says 'shutting down' and does but thats it.

Since I cant access it in windows environment, I am trying to access and repair it in linux if possible

Thanks for any pointers, bear in mind I am very beginner in linux.

Sean

You can try this, copy the file to a linux partition using linux mint or ubuntu. Boot linux, copy file from NTFS to EXT4 partition.

Then boot windows, run Access to Ext 2/3/4, HFS and ReiserFS from Windows, copy retrieve the files out of linux back into your working windows drive. See if they work again.

 

[lehnerus2000]

You can try this, copy the file to a linux partition using linux mint or ubuntu. Boot linux, copy file from NTFS to EXT4 partition.

Then boot windows, run Access to Ext 2/3/4, HFS and ReiserFS from Windows, copy retrieve the files out of linux back into your working windows drive. See if they work again.

I don't think that will work for System files (i.e. some files required a specific owner like "Trusted Installer").

 

[sst61]

GokAy: your option 1, I am not too sure if that would do anything to a secondary drives' permissions. Your option 2 is something that I had planned to do at some point, first I like to take an image of the drive as it is before I change anything else, once done, i will try to change permissions in 10.

I ran CACLA & ICACLS commands in DOS to change folder permissions and it seems to have done that without any errors, I am checking its success level and whether it helps at all.

Currently with that, I am still in the same situation and cannot access the drive in any windows OS.

Thank you for all your inputs for now, will update when there is more.

Thanks,
Sean

 

[sdowney717]

If you have a flash drive, boot up a live usb of ubuntu.
Then access the locked files and copy them to the working drive. Or copy to an external drive.

But I see your trying to make the win7 boot again, which yeah, I dont think I can help, my idea will only recover data files.

you can use linux to modify NTFS file permissions, read here
permissions - How do I use 'chmod' on an NTFS (or FAT32) partition? - Ask Ubuntu
to do this I think you need an installed ubuntu, not a live usb.

chown in linux lets you change who owns the file or folder, and can be done recursively.
chmod lets you change the permissions on the file, what can be done with it.

 

[GokAy]

You shouldn't be needing Linux to make a Win7 drive readable. If that is what you need, change ownership of Win7 partition to your Win10 account. And add it to NTFS permissions as well. Most similar cases I have seen here are old WinXP partitions unreadable under 7.

What I have proposed earlier was an attempt at making Win7 bootable.

 

[sst61]

GokAy, Yes the goal is to get it back it is bootable state.
Your option 1 was system restore from 10 - I can try that I guess - that should not put too much ripples in Win 7 drive.

Your option 2 is what I have seriously resisted doing until I get an image of the drive before further work on it, just in case it introduces too many variable. I will do that, do you think that would work? I wont be able to try that today but I will try and report back.

I have not lost any data as my data is on another drive - so thank you for all suggesting accessing data from Linux.

 

[GokAy]

I don't know if it will work, but hope it will in my own win 7 and 10 dual boot system I remove the drive letter for the other OS when booted with one just to avoid similar problems.

 

[sst61]

OK update on the status:

Gokay, First I tried setting permissions from win 10 win explorer, right click drive, security tab, add user - this throw up errors on some file/folders and it wouldnt complete having gone through a number of files and folders.

So next elevated command prompt in 10, using CACLS command I gave admin rights to the entire C drive, User folder and system32 folder, next reboot it was accessible in win 10 and all the files were there intact however, booting the win 7 drive up I still get the same black screen of death with mouse - so one step closer, drive now accessible but still no boot.

From attached photo you can see my E: data drive which used to host the My Doc, Music, Photos for my win 7. When for the first time accessed these folders in Win 10, I got the same prompt ' you havent got access, click OK to get permanent access' I OKed it and I have access to them (The whole problem started when I did the same on my Win 7' User' folder). Now in attached, the accessed E:\My Music security properties (on the right) now shows an unknown account which must be my Win 7 account (win 10 & 7 both have the same computer name and users). My Q: drive which is the old win 7 drive' security properties show only permissions for win 10 users and the actual Allow column is greyed out?
I am thinking if I manage to add the unknown security account ti Q drive then win 7 may boot? I am not sure and certainly dont know how to do that not knowing where that account is kept on win 7 files and guessing it is deep within a system file anyway so it may not be possible, maybe there is a way to export?


Sean

 

[GokAy]

I don't know of any method to change permissions to an unknown security principal/group.

Those S-1-5-21-### are Windows 7 SIDs (Security IDs, your accounts, administrator, guest etc) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_Identifier

Having extra unknown SIDs in the security list shouldn't cause your issue but who knows. Did you try adding Everyone with Full Control to Win7 OS drive yet? (I don't know if this would make it bootable again).

Did you try a startup repair yet? http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/681-startup-repair.html

 

[sst61]

GokAy,

Sorry for the delay in responding.

I have now managed to remove all the other number type users from the drive security tab. This was done again by running the CACLS commands to grant everyone full rights including C: C:\Users and C:windows System32 and then after a reboot, changing the permissions to the default. This was done in elevated Command Prompt in win 10.

I have now full access to the drive, the security tab only shows the right people i.e. system, Sean, Admins. it looks as per other drives that are OK. BUT, still I have the same BlackSD with mouse, still no boot!

Yes I have tried system repairs of all kinds to no avail.

 

[sst61]

Hi guys and sorry for the delay in responding.

I have a bit of an update. I have managed to get access to the drive content now but still cannot boot in to windows 7.

I got access to the drive by resetting the permissions for c:, user, system32, windows and then setting the default permissions. This has now given me the rights to access it in win 10 or other windows as a second drive but still no boot and still black screen of death with mouse.

Now I am trying to find out how to boot it. And yes have tried all the repair and safe modes but they all result in the same thing.

Thanks for all your suggestions.

Sean

 

[GokAy]

Problem is even Safe Mode is like this.

Hmm, just searched once more, here is an interesting fix. Though there are lots to try in this link:
black screen with cursor only [Solved] - Cursor - Windows 7

 

[sst61]

Almost - got sticky keys up but as in the thread, I dont get a link to Ease of access and the thread trail ends there, same with in key + U... interesting angle though.
BTW my Safe Mode goes as fare as the list of all the drivers etc it loads and it hangs somewhere in there and never gets to boot in to the black screen. It seems to be a hard crash as every time there is a horizontal line that appears at the very top of the screen - the type that has multi colour pixels. Like if you have a faulty video card but I havent got a faulty video card as it is working perfectly fine in 10, never had an issue. I dont think the video drivers would would suddenly play up either.

Previously the win 7 drive was not even accessible in win 10. With the sticky key experiment I am convinced of the following:

• While in black screen, Windows has just started
• it cannot find/correlate users so cannot even see/recognise the available profiles to show a login screen
• I dont think Windows in its early boot part is able to run something in its Start up folder and I dont know any other way to get a utility to run when it goes in the black screen

 

[GokAy]

Hmm, if you can get the Ease of Access window then the login screen may be there, just not showing. Lets try a blind log in?

Start the PC and wait, say, 5 minutes. (Don't click or type anything). Then type your password and press ENTER. Lets see if it will get you to desktop.

Can you get to recovery environment (Repair Disk or Installation Disk) or was it black screen as well?