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Display or modify Access Control Entries (ACEs) for file and folder Permissions, Ownership and Domain.
Access Control Lists apply only to files stored on an NTFS formatted drive, each ACL determines which users (or groups of users) can read or edit the file. When a new file is created it normally inherits ACL's from the folder where it was created.
Syntax SUBINACL [/noverbose] /object_type object_name [/action=parameter] [/help] Key object_type: service e.g. /service Messenger \\ServerName\Messenger keyreg e.g. /keyreg HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software /keyreg \\Srv\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\KeyPath file e.g. /file *.obj /file c:\test.txt /file \\ServerName\Share\Path subdirectories manipulate files in specified directory and all subdirectories object_name : This will vary according to the object_type - see the examples above action : setowner=owner will change the owner of the object e.g. /setowner=MyDomain\Administrators replace=SamName\OldAccount=DomainName\New_Account will replace all ACE (Audit and Permissions) in the object e.g. /replace=MyOldDomain\Finance=NEWDOM\Finance changedomain=OldDomainName=NewDomainName will replace all ACEs with a Sid from OldDomainName with the equivalent Sid found in NewSamServer e.g. /changedomain=MyOldDomain=NEWDOMAIN This option requires a trust relationship with the server containing the object. Help Run SUBINACL /Help (or SUBINACL /Help /action) for more detail on the many other options.
SUBINACL is a powerful command that can do everything cacls and xcacls can do and more besides.
When running subinacl against a subfolder, its important to include the trailing backslash, (or \*.*) if this is missed out subinacl will interpret the path as a filename and search the entire drive for it, this can be very slow!
If the file/folder is currently open (locked) it may not be possible to change the permissions or ownership without first closing the file locks. This can be done in Computer Management > Shared Folders > Open files.
Save permissions to a log file:
subinacl /noverbose /nostatistic /outputlog=SS64.log /subdirectories "C:\Program Files\My Folder\*.*" /display
Restore Permissions from a log file:
subinacl /nostatistic /playfile SS64.log
Change owner :
subinacl /file C:\demofile.doc /setowner=SS64Dom\AliceT
More examples on the Technet wiki.
“It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission” ~ Rear Admiral Grace Hopper
Related commands:
TAKEOWN - Take ownership of a file.
ATTRIB - Display or change file attributes.
CACLS - Change file permissions.
XCACLS - Display or modify Access Control Lists (ACLs) for files and folders.
PERMS - Show permissions for a user.
XCACLS - Display or modify Access Control Lists (ACLs) for files and folders.
Q288129 - Grant users the right to manage services with SUBINACL.
Equivalent PowerShell: Set-Acl - Set permissions.
Equivalent bash command (Linux): chmod - Change access permissions.