HiI have a couple of folders on our main file server which have lost their security tab. I can't open them, Get an Access is denied error. This is the same from a RDP session to the server itself. The server is also the DC, so I cannot log in as a local administrator, as it doesn't have this account. I log in as the Domain Admin, and I still don't have access.I can't take ownership, not even from the level above and apply to child objects, it errors out when it reaches the effected folder.I know have about 5 folders on this server which this has happened to. 4 in one folder and 1 at the root of the share.I can't restart at the server at present, but when I can I will schedule a chkdsk. Is there anything else I can do to check the folders, securites and disk integrity in the mean time?Anyone know why this would happen?ThanksDave

Hello Dave, Do you mean that you cannot see the Security tab even when you locally log on the server with an Domain Admin account? May I know what the version is of your operating system, Windows Server 2008 or previous versions? Are you using DFS for the shared folder? Firstly, please check the Advanced settings on the View tab of the Folder Options, try unchecking the Display simple folder view in Explorer's Folders list. Try logging on the server with another Domain Admin account and see if the problem remains. If you haven't reboot your server, I would suggest that you reboot the server into Safe Mode and see if the problem remains. Saying this is because, sometimes some third party applications like Apache, SAP or some anti-virus applications may lock the file, or sometimes some files or folders are not deleted or removed completely, so some properties of the related folder don't show properly. Reboot the server into Safe Mode may usually resolve some similar problems. Please note that you may temporarily disable all the Startup items or use the Diagnostic Startup by configuring the System Configuration. You can do this by typing msconfig in the Run box. If the problem remains after the rebooting, you try the following steps and see if it can help: Steps ==== --> Here are classes for those property pages: {F81E9010-6EA4-11CE-A7FF-00AA003CA9F6}--------- Shell extensions for sharing {1F2E5C40-9550-11CE-99D2-00AA006E086C}--------NTFS Security Page {59be4990-f85c-11ce-aff7-00aa003ca9f6} ------------Shell extensions for Microsoft Windows Network objects {10CFC467-4392-11d2-8DB4-00C04FA31A66}--------------Offline Files Folder Options --> You might want to check through these first if {1F2E5C40-9550-11CE-99D2-00AA006E086C} and Sharing are present : HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\*\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Directory\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Drive\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers Note: \shellex\ContextMenuHandlers is for contextmenu (right click menu) if that's missing --> Check permissions on individual classes : HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{F81E9010-6EA4-11CE-A7FF-00AA003CA9F6} -- Class for Sharing HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{1F2E5C40-9550-11CE-99D2-00AA006E086C} -- Class for NTFS Security HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{59be4990-f85c-11ce-aff7-00aa003ca9f6} -- Shell extensions for Microsoft Windows Network objects --> Check if the corresponding dll files are present at the locations -- try registering those HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{F81E9010-6EA4-11CE-A7FF-00AA003CA9F6}\InProcServer32 -- %systemroot%\system32\ntshrui.dll HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{1F2E5C40-9550-11CE-99D2-00AA006E086C}\InProcServer32 -- %systemroot%\system32\rshx32.dll HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{59be4990-f85c-11ce-aff7-00aa003ca9f6}\InProcServer32 -- %systemroot%\system32\ntlanui2.dll --> Check the following key and compare it with your machine: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell Extensions ------- Check Approved, Blocked and Cached --> if 'Approved' key is missing any of the above classes -- import a good key from a working machine. -- also make sure none of the classes are in 'Blocked' If all the above steps don't work, I am sorry to say that you may need to restore your server if you have an backup, as some malware or mal-functional applications may have already affect your system. I hope this helps. Best regards,Chang Yin

HiThe server is our main DC, so I have to pick a time to reboot. It's running w2k3 sp1. Because it's our DC I have no local account to login with, so I use our main Domain Admins account, which gives me full control on the box. I have tried another domain admin account and that was the same. As far as I'm aware, no software has been installed on the server. The last change was an upgrade to the anti-virus, and that was over a year ago. This has only happened recently. I will search the registry for the keys you mentioned and will get back. Thanks Dave

I still haven't been able to drop the server yet. But I found the cause of the issue, as I did it to another folder myself.All I did was delete all the contents of the folder, but leave the folder in place. Once this was done all security rights to the folder vanished, and from that point on I was unable to delete the folder, or even open it.ANyone have any suggestions as to the cause?Ta

I've had a (somewhat) similar problem when I was running an ftp-server on windows 2000. Suddenly a namelessfolder appeared in place of an actual folder which I couldn't enter nor delete. I found out using CLI that there was an 18 Mb (?) file 8 levels deep on my ftp called "*SPEEDTEST*". Judging from some more information I figured out 'swteam' (google it!) had put it there. At the time I went on technet and posted about this but wasn't taken seriously; because of the arrogant responses I haven't been on technet for a while. Turned out a few weeks later it was a known vulnerability. You mentioned using windows 2003 sp1; so the patch might not be included. Since I couldn't, in any way, access a portion of my hard-drive, I quickly started all over again. I'm using w2k3sp2; so I can relate .... Then again, I might have jumped the gun with the whole story above. It might as well not apply in your situation. I would surely update your server. Plus there's a new version out of MSAT; that might lead you to the cause/solution for your boggle.ShemsInformation is the most valuable commodity I know off.

I have had the same problem. Looks like it's folders created on a MAC that causing my issues. Only work around I have found is to move the files/folders you can see into another folder & just delete the offending folder from a MAC.Pain in the butt I know.

Nothing to do with Mac's... We don't have any, and one of the folders I created on the server, put stuff in it, then deleted the contents, and then tried to delete the folder.... and couldn't.

NZSewell said: Nothing to do with Mac's... We don't have any, and one of the folders I created on the server, put stuff in it, then deleted the contents, and then tried to delete the folder.... and couldn't. If you re-read my post, I did say it was MAC's that seemed to be causingMY problem. Also the fact I can delete the folders from a MAC & not a windows machine I find strange. It might be worth connecting a Linuxbox & see if you can remove the folders that way. I can't have down time onthe server for a few weeks:( If I find out what's causing this issue I'll re-post.

I'm having the same problem as NZSewel originally described. It started off with just a few folders, and now it's getting worse. It's none of the other things I've seen mentioned. You can't take ownership of the folders, the drive is not FAT, and chkdsk does no good. Of course this is also on a server that is not easily brought offline to run diagnostics on it, it's our SBS server. For us it's starting to effect the C:\Users Shared Folders\*User Name* and the Shared Files Directory that's on the same partition. It usually starts when you try to delete a folder, or move a folder, the folder moves to the new location but an empty root folder remains. None of these folders are created by a virus or a known vunerability. The majority of the ones I'm currently aware of were created by me logged in with my user account. None of these folders display the security tab, and I believe them all to be empty. I'm sure someone out there has a definitive answer and resolution, all I've been able to find sofare are a few poor souls experiance this, and lots of people who think they know what's going on, but complete miss what's being explained to them.

Thanks for your input. Well, due to another infrastructure issue we had to reboot the server today. After the reboot I was able to see the security tab again, and was able to remove the empty folder. The same is now true for the other folders I had this issue with. The solution for me was a reboot, hopefully it'll be the same for you too. Cheers Dave

As it turns out their was a specific process holding onto the folders. I'm glad to hear that the process that was holding on to your folders let go when you rebooted. It hadn't been the case for us when we had rebooted in the past. However, I was able to find the process, I had a short list of suspects to work with. Once the process was shut down, the problematic folders immediately disappeared from the server. In our case it was the agent software for a certain CDP (Constant Data Protection) hardware software solution that was holding onto the deleted, moved, or renamed folders. I just hope the next person this happens to comes across this thread before they do as much searching as I did until I finally found the solution. So basically if you're missing the security tab, and it's not any of the basic solutions you'll have suggested to you, then run a Disk Check. If your disk comes back clean and the folders are still locked and missing their security tab, it's time to start searching for the process that's locking the folder. A good place to start would be any kind of backup solution that runs continously, or other newly installed software. Good luck!

After reading the last post it occured to me that logging on to the server with a network administrator account and/or in safe mode might bring the security tab back up. That is; the permission level of such an account 'overrrides' the handle; like running in safe mode would do too ... Just an idea.Information is the most valuable commodity I know off.