Very bizarre folder/file permissions problem

[apostasy1]

Perhaps it's not accurate to say that it was a permissions problem because I can't confirm that.

I have a local area network comprised of three workstations running Windows 2000 Professional with Service Pack 4 and one fileserver running Windows 2000 Server with Service Pack 4.

There is a single, shared folder on the fileserver called "public." The three users on the server are in the "Users" group and the permissions/security settings for that single shared folder are configured such that each user has full control.

Apparently, a few AutoCAD drawings suddenly became read-only. Well, only one workstation (Let's just call it station "A" for simplicity) could open it as read-only. The other two (stations "B" and "C") couldn't even do that.

Even more unusual was the presence of several folders that were unviewable by stations B and C. The folders were shown, but any time I attempted to go into any of them, the "Network path could not be found" message was displayed. I was able to view the properties of the folders, and the size reported for each folder was 0 bytes. Strange.

So, I changed a plethora of different registry settings on the filserver: I disabled opportunistic file locking and SMB packet signature requirements. Magically, station "A" was now able to open those files with full-access, as well as those folders.

Stations B and C were still unable to open those files and folders. So, as a test, I created a local user account on station B with a name *identical* to the one on station A. Connected to the fileserver and was able to view all of those problematic files and folders. I didn't even do anything to station C, yet it too was able to view those files and folders.

I'm dumbfounded. If anyone could explain to me what happened and how I fixed it, I would greatly appreciate it.

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[martyh]

Hmmm, share permissions and NTFS File and Folder permissions.

Access on a shared folder is determined through two sets of permission entries; the permissions that are set on the share (called share permissions) and the permissions that are set on the folder (called NTFS file and folder permissions). Share permissions are often used for managing computers with FAT32 file systems or for managing other computers that do not use the NTFS file system.

Share permissions and NTFS permissions are independent in the sense that neither changes the other. The final access permissions on a shared folder are determined by taking into consideration both the share permission and the NTFS permission entries. The more restrictive permissions are then applied.

It would also depend on the user's group membership and the permissions assigned to that group as to who could do what to whom and when.

I have no idea what happened in your case but I would have relied on permissions and policies to fix it rather than mess with registry settings (you backed up the registry first, right?). What I mean is, if it were some quirky AutoCad license thing tha gave the hiccup, editing the registry unnecessarily could mess up permissions on other "normal" files.

Just rambling really

Marty
Network Admin
Hilliard Schools