Reset Default Sharing & Security Settings

Setting up a 'Guest' account on an XP Pro SP2 unit, I turned off simple file sharing & was setting permissions in the 'Security' settings to prevent access or modification to certain files & directories.

I think I've done something wrong as now I cannot open, copy or delete the files (Access Denied) from the file owner's account, administrators group accounts, not even the main Administrator account. Likewise, I am denied viewing or changing permissions from any accounts, including the Administrator account.

Turning 'Simple File Sharing' back on made no change.

How may I reset the sharing & security settings back to the default settings before I messed them up?

 

Admin has keys to the kingdom. u MUST 'take ownership' IF u've got some issue where admin is NOT listed.

see the owner tab on advanced settings in the security tab. once u own it, u can do as u wish.

to restore perms, u can either redo them maually or set them to inherit from one that already has defaults. depends on where in the file tree u'r problem lies.

 

Skeet, skeet, skeet ~

Excellent - thank you!

That was the answer. I stopped short after the 'Access Denied' and saw the Users/Groups area not populated & the rest greyed out, but the 'Advanced' button > 'Owner' tab allowed me to take ownership under Admin credentials and thus access to the files.