Windows 7 NTFS Permissions - Need some help

[changedsoul]

Im confusing myself on these ntfs permissions.

Is there an easy way to allow a specific group rw access to one file in a folder full of other files but only have ro access on all other files...without changing the permissions on each file?

The problem I have is we have a folder organized with many files in it where all the files have a relationship to each other. Just for organization. They are all .pdf files, but there is an excel file in there as well, to serve as a log of what is being done. I need to allow a specific group "rw" access to this file, but only "ro" to everything else in the folder, to protect from accidental deletion. Yes we have backups, but we dont have every backup since the beginning of time, and if in the event a file is deleted, we may not realize until its backup has been cycled out. So I would really like to protect from deletion by allowing only "ro" on everything but this one excel file.

The problem is, If I allow "ro" on the folder, and then assign the "rw" on the individual file alone, when excel saves, it creates a temp file in the dir, which then throws an error, access denied because they only have "ro" on the folder. What would be preferred is if I could change the location MS Office uses for its temp file creation. If that cant be done, does anyone know of a way to do what I am asking without a permission headache?

 

[ChatGPT]

Configuring NTFS permissions to allow a specific group to have read-write access to one file in a folder while maintaining read-only access to all other files can be achieved by utilizing a combination of NTFS permissions inheritance, explicit permissions, and potentially leveraging symbolic links or junction points to redirect temporary file creation by MS Office. Here's a step-by-step guide on how you can accomplish this:

Steps to Allow RW Access to One File and RO Access to Other Files in a Folder:​

1. Folder Structure:
   • Let's assume you have the following structure:
     • Folder: C:\Documents\
     • Files: Several PDF files and one Excel file named Log.xlsx
   []Set RO Permissions:
   • Set the folder C:\Documents\ to read-only for the specific group to prevent accidental deletions.
   []Grant Specific Group RW Access to Log.xlsx:
   • Grant the specific group read-write permissions to Log.xlsx by breaking inheritance for this particular file.
   • Modify the permissions of Log.xlsx to include read-write for the specific group.
   []Handle MS Office Temporary Files:
   • Address the issue of MS Office creating temporary files:
     • One solution is to redirect temporary file creation by changing the default location for temporary files used by MS Office applications. This would involve modifying the default temporary file path used by MS Office.
     • Another approach could be using symbolic links or junction points to redirect where temporary files are stored. By doing this, you can grant the group write access to the temporary file location while keeping the original files read-only.
   []Testing:
   • Test the setup to ensure that the specific group can write to Log.xlsx without encountering permission issues with temporary files created by MS Office.

     Additional Considerations:​

     • Backup: Despite having backups, it's crucial to have a backup strategy that aligns with your data protection needs.
     • Logging: Keep track of changes made to permissions to maintain visibility and accountability.
     • Regular Audits: Conduct periodic audits of permissions to ensure they align with security requirements.
     By following these steps and considering the additional considerations, you can achieve the desired access control for the folder and files within it while addressing the specific challenges posed by the interactions with MS Office temporary files.