Using CACLS with Windows XP Home Edition Using the NTFS File System

Using CACLS with Windows XP Home Edition Using the NTFS File System

In Windows XP Home Edition with the NTFS file system, you can also use the Cacls tool, which is a command-line tool, to display or modify file or folder access control lists (ACLs). For more information about the Cacls tool, including usage and switches, search the Help and Support Center for "cacls."

1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
2. Make sure that you are in the root folder of the partition for which you want to gain access to the System Volume Information folder. For example, to gain access the C:\System Volume Information folder, make sure that you are in the root folder of drive C (at a "C:\" prompt).
3. Type the following line, and then press ENTER:
   cacls "driveletter:\System Volume Information" /E /G username:F
   Make sure to type the quotation marks as indicated. This command adds the specified user to the folder with Full Control permissions.
4. Double-click the System Volume Information folder in the root folder to open it.
5. If you need to remove the permissions after troubleshooting, type the following line at a command prompt:
   cacls "driveletter:\System Volume Information" /E /R username
   This command removes all permissions for the specified user.

The following steps also work if you restart the computer to Safe mode because simple file sharing is automatically turned off when you run the computer in Safe mode.

1. Open My Computer, right-click the System Volume Information folder, and then click Properties.
2. Click the Security tab.
3. Click Add, and then type the name of the user to whom you want to give access to the folder. Typically, this is the account with which you are logged on.
4. Click OK, and then click OK again.
5. Double-click the System Volume Information folder to open it.