View effective permissions on files and folders

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

To view effective permissions on files and folders

Open Windows Explorer, and then locate the file or folder for which you would like to view effective permissions.
Right-click the file or folder, click Properties, and then click the Security tab.
Click Advanced, click the Effective Permissions tab, and then click Select.
In Enter the object name to select (examples), enter the name of a user or group and then click OK. The selected check boxes indicate the effective permissions of the user or group for that file or folder.

Notes

To open Windows Explorer, click Start, point to All programs, point to Accessories, and then click Windows Explorer.
If the specified object grants access to the Everyone group, the Authenticated Users group or the Local Users group, then the effective rights will always include those permissions, except when the specified user or group is the Anonymous group. Windows XP and the Windows Server 2003 family no longer include the Anonymous users in the Everyone group.
The Effective Permissions tab shows information that is calculated from the existing permissions entries. Therefore, the information displayed on that page is read-only and does not support changing a user's permissions by selecting or clearing permission check boxes.
Permissions are set only on drives formatted to use NTFS.
Share permissions are not part of the effective permissions calculation. Access to shares can be denied though share permissions even when access is allowed through NTFS permissions.

Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.