Reset Directory Permissions for File Migration

permissionswindows-server-2000windows-server-2003

I just built a server 2003 based domain to replace an old, broken server 2000 domain that I "inherited". Now that I'm trying to migrate my users data from the old file server to the new one, I'm running into a severe problem. Let me preface this by saying the main reason we're replacing the old server is due to random permission wipes on users directories. There are files buried inside users documents that have quirky permissions, but of course the users need their data. Furthermore, I've migrated the old file server onto the new domain, thinking it would make it easier to move the files from the 2000 box to the 2003 box.

I have tried several different methods to move the folders, from simple copy/pasting, to running MS FSMT. I've even booted into Knoppix, hoping to scp the files. The issue there was Knoppix wouldn't see the partition.

Now, what I want to know, is there a way I can brute force wipe destroy obliterate etc etc any permissions on a directory, and then assume ownership domain admin.

Thanks for the help!

Best Answer

You can also copy the files with robocopy using the /B option. Make sure that the user running the copy is in the "backup operator" group. This option run the copy as backup so it can ignore permissions.

Related Solutions

How to migrate local users/groups from old Windows 2000 server to new Windows 2003 server

The only Microsoft-supported way to "copy" the user and group information would be to promote the source server to an Active Directory Domain Controller (DC) and join the "destination" server to that domain. If you wanted to completely remove the "source" server you'd need to promote another machine (potentially the "destination" machine) to being a DC before you demoted and removed the "source" machine. If you don't want or need to have an Active Directory infrastructure to deal with then this is probably sub-optimal.

The script I wrote for another answer could be used to create copies of the users and groups on a destination server computer. Passwords can't be migrated and the destination users and groups will have different Security Identifiers (SIDs) than the source. To migrate permissions you could use Helge Klein's wonderful SetACL tool to backup the NTFS ACL information on the source server and restore it on the destination server (after doing a search-and-replace on the backup file for the old server name to the new server name).

Windows 2003; Find folders with non-inherited/changed permissions

I would recommend to use Powershell (for Win2003: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968929/en-us) and a additional add-on module also for this ( http://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/1abd77a5-9c0b-4a2b-acef-90dbb2b84e85 ).

This will help you first to get the inheritance for a folder structure with (when running from your startfolder) eg.

get-childitem -Recurse | get-inheritance | export-CSV C:\Inheritance.csv -NoTypeInformation

You will get all files and folders in a csv which can then be filter in Excel or other DBs if you need.

Additional benefit of the NTFSSecurity Modul is that you can change the inheritance or the ACLs also during migration with a similar Powershell script.

e.g. you can completly remove inheritance in a folder (your start folder) with:

get-childitem | Disable-Inheritance

or add the -recurse switch again for all subfolders / files again.

Hope this help Cheers

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