Enable or Disable Inherited Permissions in Windows 10

Today, we will see what Inherited Permissions are in Windows 10, and how they affect files, folders, and Registry keys. Also, we will learn how to disable and enable them for an object in Windows 10.

NTFS is the standard file system of the Windows NT operating system family. Starting with Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 6, it supported the concept of permissions which can be configured to permit or restrict access to files, folders, and other objects locally and over a network.

Permissions

By default, almost all system files, system folders and even Registry keys in Windows 10 are owned by a special built-in user account called "TrustedInstaller". Other user accounts are set to only read the files.

As a user accesses each file, folder, registry key, printer, or an Active Directory object, the system checks its permissions. It supports inheritance for an object, e.g. files can inherit permissions from their parent folder. Also every object has an Owner which is the user account that can set ownership and change permissions.

If you are interested in managing NTFS permissions, refer to the following article:

How to take ownership and get full access to files and folders in Windows 10

Permission types

In short, there are two types of permissions - explicit permissions and inherited permissions.

There are two types of permissions: explicit permissions and inherited permissions.

• Explicit permissions are those that are set by default on non-child objects when the object is created, or by user action on non-child, parent, or child objects.

• Inherited permissions are those that are propagated to an object from a parent object. Inherited permissions ease the task of managing permissions and ensure consistency of permissions among all objects within a given container.

By default, objects within a container inherit the permissions from that container when the objects are created. For example, when you create a folder called MyFolder, all subfolders and files created within MyFolder automatically inherit the permissions from that folder. Therefore, MyFolder has explicit permissions, while all subfolders and files within it have inherited permissions.

Effective permissions are based on a local evaluation of the user's group membership, user privileges, and permissions. The Effective Permissions tab of the Advanced Security Settings property page lists the permissions that would be granted to the selected group or user based solely on the permissions granted directly through group membership. For details, see the following articles:

• Quickly Reset NTFS Permissions in Windows 10
• Add Reset Permissions Context Menu in Windows 10

Let's see how to enable and disable inherited permissions for files in Windows 10. You must be signed in with an administrative account to continue.

Disable Inherited Permissions for a File or Folder in Windows 10

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Locate the file or folder you want to take disable inherited permissions for.
3. Right-click the file or folder, click Properties, and then click the Security tab.
4. Click on the Advanced button. The "Advanced Security Settings" window will appear.
5. Click on the Disable inheritance button.
6. You will be asked either to convert inherited permissions into explicit permissions or to remove all inherited permissions. If you are not sure, choose to convert them.

The following screenshot shows what happens when you choose to remove the inherited permissions. Only explicit permissions are left.

You are done. Click OK to close the dialog.

Enable Inherited Permissions for a File or Folder in Windows 10

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Locate the file or folder with disabled inherited NTFS permissions.
3. Right-click the file or folder, click Properties, and then click the Security tab.
4. Click on the Advanced button. The "Advanced Security Settings" window will appear.
5. If you see the Change permissions button, click on it.
6. Click on the button Enable inheritance.