Effective Permissions

Because anyone with a user account can belong to multiple groups and those groups can all have different permissions with regard to a file or folder, it is sometimes difficult to figure out exactly what permission you or someone else has with regard to a file or folder. To remove the guesswork involved, Windows 7 lets you view the exact set of effective permissions for a particular user or group by completing just a few steps.

If you want to view effective permissions, follow these steps:

1. In Windows Explorer, right-click the file or folder you want to work with and then select Properties.
2. In the Properties dialog box, select the Security tab and then click Advanced. This opens the "Advanced Security Settings for" dialog box.
3. On the Effective Permissions tab, click Select to display the Select User or Group dialog box.
4. Type the name of a user or a group account. Click Check Names and then do one of the following:
   • If a single match is found for each entry, the dialog box is automatically updated as appropriate and the entry is underlined.
   • If multiple matches are found, you'll see an additional dialog box that allows you to select the name you want to use, and then click OK.
   • If no matches are found, you've probably entered an incorrect name. Modify the name in the Name Not Found dialog box and then click Check Names again.

The complete set of effective permissions for the selected user or group is listed.