Set Acl - PowerShell

Overview

Set-Acl modifies the Access Control List (ACL) of files, folders, and registry keys. It grants or revokes permissions to specific users or groups, allowing detailed control over access rights.

Syntax

Set-Acl [-Path] <String> -AclObject <Object>

Options/Flags

  • -Path: Specifies the path to the object (file, folder, or registry key) whose ACL will be modified.
  • -AclObject: Defines the ACL for the specified object. It can be an access control entry (ACE) object, an array of ACEs, or a string containing an SDDL representation of the ACL.
  • -WhatIf: Performs a simulation of the command without actually making any changes. This allows you to preview the potential effects of the command.
  • -Confirm: Prompts for confirmation before making any changes.

Examples

  • Grant read access to the file “myfile.txt” to the user “username”:
Set-Acl -Path "C:\myfile.txt" -AclObject (New-Object System.Security.AccessControl.FileSystemAccessRule ("username", "Read", "Allow"))
  • Revoke full control permissions from the group “Everyone” for the folder “C:\temp”:
Set-Acl -Path "C:\temp" -AclObject (New-Object System.Security.AccessControl.FileSystemAccessRule ("Everyone", "FullControl", "Deny"))
  • Remove all ACL entries from the registry key “HKCU:\Software\MyCompany\MyApp”:
Set-Acl -Path "HKCU:\Software\MyCompany\MyApp" -AclObject $null

Common Issues

  • Access Denied: Ensure that you have sufficient permissions to modify the ACL of the specified object.
  • Invalid ACLObject: Verify that the specified ACLObject is properly formatted and contains valid ACEs.
  • Path Not Found: Ensure that the specified path to the object exists.

Integration

  • New-Object: Create new ACE objects to add to the ACL using the New-Object cmdlet together with System.Security.AccessControl.FileSystemAccessRule for file/folder permissions or System.Security.AccessControl.RegistryAccessRule for registry permissions.
  • Get-Acl: Retrieve the existing ACL of an object and use it as the starting point for modifications.
  • PowerShell Scripts: Integrate Set-Acl into scripts to automate complex ACL management tasks.
  • Get-Acl: Retrieves the ACL of an object.
  • New-Acl: Creates a new ACL object.
  • icacls: A command-line utility for managing ACLs.