NTFS Rant/Request

[Gurm]

Ok, what I'm requesting is... is there a tool that will EASILY let you either delete or take complete control of a directory that doesn't belong to you under NTFS?

Here's the situation.

I borked Windows. No idea how I did it, but I couldn't right-click or explorer would hang. Nothing I could do to fix it, and there wasn't that much installed anyway, so...

I moved all the important data (e-mail, favorites, settings) into a folder called "save". I then put the drive in the other machine to delete the windows, program files, and documents and settings directories.

That's when the trouble started. What should have been a 2-minute "delete" turned into a half hour "right-click, change owner, right-click, change permissions, right-click DAMN I ALREADY CHANGED THE OWNER YOU PIECE OF SHIT" fest.

Then, I get the machine back booting and installed, but the "save" folder is the same way.

"You can't move this item. You can't delete this item."

ARGH!

I have the same machine name and usernames. I realize NTFS tags the user ID's with the machine ID which differs from install to install, but jeebus cripes!

So... any tools that do this quickly and efficiently? I've been waiting 20 minutes for the security settings to propagate down this directory tree.

- Gurm

[Wombat]

Can't the Administrator do whatever the hell he wants?

What about using a Linux boot disk with read/write for NTFS? There's tons out there, would that route around your problem?

[Zao]

If you have 'access' to Windows PE you are home free.

It boots from CD and has unlimited access to all files on any NTFS harddrive.

[Pace]

WinXP almost trashed a previous Win2k install of mine with this 'feature', repairing Win2k trashed XP completely - gotta love it

I know of no tool, but can you not do it en masse from within Windows?

[agallag]

I guess you clicked the checkbox that says "replace owner on subcontainers and objects"? Security dialog/advanced/owner tab.

I have found that it doesn't always work as advertised, so I feel your pain...

[alekz]

Dunno, I've just tried it and it works fine.
Right-clicked on a folder, Properties, Security tab, Advanced, Owner tab, Change owner to, <group/owner> + clicked the Replace owner on subcontainers and objects. Also make sure that the owner gets Full Control rights. Windows did its thing a moments later another group owned the folder and it's subfolders and files.

Another thing you might try is the SuperCACLS utility from www.trustedsystems.com which contains a couple of command line utilities like TAKEOWN.

[Dilitante1]

I am told this should do the trick

use subinacl
(windows resource kit supplement cd)

e.g.
subinacl /subdirectories (FolderPath) /setowner=(DomainName\UserName)

[Drizzt]

Gurm, for what I remember:
You need to log-on as administrator.
Right click over the folder.
Properties.
Last tab (should be Protection)
Remove from the list all the old users.
Add yourself with full right.
Mark the checkbox.
Apply and wait.


Then:
Advanced.
From the first Tab, remove all the old users.
Push the Add button.
Choose yourself.
Check all the checkbox in the list under Allows.
Don't check the "out of the list" checkbox.
Push Ok.

Check the two check box.
Push Apply.



This should be enough.
If not, in the last tab, check the two checkbox and apply.



Good luck

[Gurm]

Yeah. The "wait" part sucks on a 120GB drive filled with the contents of three other drives.

Also, it's not foolproof. Some files are resistant to this, for whatever reason!

*sigh*

I'll try the Windows PE route, I need a good boot-disk for NTFS anyway.

- Gurm