Microsoft DOS cacls command
Quick links
About cacls
Availability
Cacls Syntax
Examples
The cacls command enables a user to view and modify the ACLs of a file. If you're wanting to change the read/write, hidden, system settings of the file see the attrib command.
The cacls.exe command is an external command and is available in the below Microsoft operating systems.
Windows NT
Windows 2000
Windows XP
Windows Vista
Windows 7
Displays or modifies access control lists (ACLs) of files
| CACLS filename | [/T] [/E] [/C] [/G user:perm] [/R user [...]] |
| [/P user:perm [...]] [/D user [...]] |
| filename | Displays ACLs. | ||||||||||
| /T | Changes ACLs of specified files in the current directory and all subdirectories. | ||||||||||
| /E | Edit ACL instead of replacing it. | ||||||||||
| /C | Continue on access denied errors. | ||||||||||
| /G user:perm | Grant specified user access rights.
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| /R user | Revoke specified user's access rights (only valid with /E). | ||||||||||
| /P user:perm | Replace specified user's access rights.
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| /D user | Deny specified user access. |
Wildcards can be used to specify more that one file in a command. You can specify more than one user in a command.
cacls myfile.txt
Displays the ACLs for the myfile.txt file. Below is an example of what this may look like.
| C:\WINNT\MYFILE.TXT | BUILTIN\Users:R BUILTIN\Power Users:C BUILTIN\Administrators:F NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:F |
cacls myfile.txt /e /g mrhope:f
Grants the user "mrhope" full rights to the myfile.txt file. If user was to look at the ACLs again using the above command, they would now see that the mrhope user is in the list.