Setacl Doesn't Run When Converting to NTFS After Setup

 Last reviewed: August 25, 1995
Article ID: Q135645
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows NT operating system version 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server version 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5 and 3.51
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5 and 3.51

SUMMARY

If you choose to format the system partition with the Windows NT file system (NTFS) during Setup, permissions granted according to settings in the WINPERMS.TXT file. When you choose to convert a partition to NTFS after you have installed Windows NT, permissions are set so that everyone has full control of the files on the partition. This behavior is expected, and by design.

MORE INFORMATION

If you choose to format the system partition with the Windows NT file system (NTFS) during Setup, the following Registry entries are added under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\BootExecute: 

   autoconv \DosDevices\<systemdrive>: /fs:NTFS

   setacl /a \DosDevices\<systemdrive>:\WINNT35\System32\winperms.txt
   \DosDevices\<systemdrive>:
The second to last time Windows NT boots, AUTOCONV.EXE runs to converts the partition to NTFS, and SETACL.EXE runs to set default permissions on the partition. SETACL.EXE gets permission settings from the WINPERMS.TXT file. Setup places WINPERMS.TXT in the %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32 directory.

On the other hand, if you chose to convert to your partition to NTFS after you have installed Windows NT, the Autoconv registry entry is added, but the setacl command is not. Therefore, permissions taken from parameters contained in WINPERMS.TXT are not set on the NTFS partition. Thus, everyone has full control of the files on the partition.

KBCategory: kbsetup
KBSubcategory: ntsetup ntfilesys ntregistry
Additional reference words: 3.10 3.50 3.51 prodnt

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Last reviewed: August 25, 1995
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