ACLCONV Fails when Trying to Read ACL File

- Microsoft Windows NT Server version 3.5

SYMPTOMS

ACLCONV reads a LAN Manager ACL file and re-applies the permissions on the same directory tree under Windows NT. When you run ACLCONV the following error message may appear:

   error encountered reading data file.

CAUSE

ACLCONV is unable to read ACL files that are modified using the append option.

MORE INFORMATION

In LAM Manager, the ACL file is created using BACKACC. There are two command line options to BACCACC:

   /S  Recursively backup permissions for all the subdirectories & files.

   /A  Appends access permissions to existing backup file.

   BACKACC C:\DATA1 /F:C:\FILE.ACL /S

If you the run BACKACC C:\DATA2 /F:C:\FILE.ACL /S /A, permissions for C:\DATA2 are appended to FILE.ACL file

When the system is upgraded to Windows NT, or if the directory trees are copied to another computer running Windows NT, ACLCONV is used to reapply the permissions. This only apples to an Windows NT file system (NTFS) formatted partition.

Following the above example, running ACLCONV /DATA:FILE.ACL /LOG:FILE.LOG will cause the following error message to appear:

   Error Encountered reading data file.

RESOLUTION

To work around this problem, run BACKACC to create separate ACL files and then run ACLCONV to restore permissions, or run BACKACC to collect ACLs for the entire drive and then restore them. For example, on a LAN Manager system, run:

   BACKACC C:\DATA1 /F:C:\FILE1.ACL /S
   BACKACC C:\DATA2 /F:C:\FILE2.ACL /S

   ACLCONV /DATA:FILE1.ACL /LOG:FILE1.LOG
   ACLCONV /DATA:FILE2.ACL /LOG:FILE2.LOG

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 3.5. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.