Creating users and groups in Windows 10, and controlling file permissions

LabNet

20 Sept 202105:54

Summary

TLDRThis video covers basic administration tasks in Windows 10, such as creating a user, adding them to a user group, and managing folder permissions. It demonstrates how to add a user without linking to a Microsoft account, create a user group, and assign users to it. The video also explains how to set folder permissions, where one group has read-only access, while another has read and write access. The process involves creating a folder, modifying its security settings, and testing access with different user accounts.

Takeaways

🖥️ The video covers basic Windows 10 administrative tasks like user and group management.
👤 To create a user, type 'user' in the Start menu and select 'Add someone to this PC.'
🔑 No need to use a Microsoft account, a local account can be created with a simple name (e.g., 'Ted').
👥 To assign a user to a group, access 'Computer Management' and navigate to 'Local Users and Groups.'
📁 Create a new group by right-clicking 'Groups,' selecting 'New Group,' and adding the user to it.
📂 A folder can be created by right-clicking on a location (e.g., C drive) and selecting 'New Folder.'
🔒 Folder permissions are modified by going to the folder's properties, disabling inheritance, and setting custom permissions.
🛡️ Different groups can be given distinct permissions: read-only for one group and modify rights for another.
🔐 The example folder named 'important' has 'family' group with read-only access and 'admin' group with modify permissions.
🔄 Logging in as different users (e.g., 'Ted') demonstrates how read and write permissions affect file access.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the video?
-The video demonstrates basic administrative tasks in Windows 10, including creating users, adding users to groups, and setting folder permissions for different user groups.
How do you create a new user in Windows 10?
-To create a new user, type 'user' in the Start menu, select 'Add someone to this PC,' choose 'I don't have this person’s sign-in information,' and create a local account by entering a username (e.g., 'Ted').
What is the difference between creating a Microsoft account and a local account for a new user?
-A Microsoft account connects to Microsoft's online services and requires an email, while a local account is created without using online services and operates only on the local machine.
How can you change the account type of a user in Windows 10?
-After creating a user, you can change their account type by selecting the user, clicking 'Change account type,' and choosing between a 'Standard user' or 'Administrator.'
How do you create a user group in Windows 10?
-To create a user group, right-click on the Start menu, select 'Computer Management,' go to 'Local Users and Groups,' right-click on 'Groups,' and create a new group. You can then add users to this group.
What is the purpose of assigning a user to a group?
-Assigning users to groups simplifies permission management by allowing you to set permissions for a group rather than individual users. This helps manage access to resources like folders.
How do you create a folder and set up different access levels for user groups?
-Create a folder by right-clicking on the local drive (e.g., C:), selecting 'New Folder,' and naming it. Then, configure security settings by right-clicking the folder, selecting 'Properties,' going to 'Security' > 'Advanced,' and disabling inheritance. Add specific groups and assign permissions like 'Read' or 'Modify.'
What does disabling inheritance in folder permissions do?
-Disabling inheritance removes any default permissions that the folder inherits from its parent folders, allowing you to set custom permissions for the folder.
How can you verify that a group or user is valid when assigning permissions?
-When adding users or groups in the permission settings, Windows verifies their existence by underlining the names after you click 'Check Names.'
What happens when a user with only 'Read' permissions tries to modify a file?
-If a user with 'Read-only' permissions (like Ted) tries to modify a file, they will be denied access. In this example, Ted cannot modify or save changes to a file in the 'Important' folder because he has 'Read-only' access.

Outlines

00:00

🖥️ Basic User and Group Management in Windows 10

This section covers fundamental administration tasks in Windows 10, including creating a user and a user group, adding the user to the group, and managing permissions. The narrator begins by explaining how to create a local user (named 'Ted') without linking it to a Microsoft account. Ted is set up as a standard user without a password. Next, the video walks through creating a user group called 'Family' and adding Ted to that group using the Computer Management tool. Afterward, it explains how to create a new folder, 'Important,' and set file access permissions for different groups.

05:19

🔐 Setting Permissions for Read and Write Access

This section focuses on configuring file access permissions for different user groups. The narrator demonstrates how to adjust security settings for the 'Important' folder by removing inherited permissions and manually setting specific access rights. The 'Family' group is given read-only access, while the 'Admin' group is granted modify permissions. The process is tested by switching to Ted's user account to confirm that Ted can view the file but cannot modify or save changes due to his read-only access, successfully enforcing the permissions set earlier.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡User Creation

User creation refers to the process of adding a new user to the system, giving them specific access rights. In the video, the presenter demonstrates how to create a new user named 'Ted' in Windows 10 by navigating through the Start Menu and choosing to add a person without linking a Microsoft account. This concept is central to managing permissions and user-specific settings in Windows.

💡User Groups

User groups are collections of users that share the same permissions or access rights within a system. In the video, the presenter creates a group named 'Family' and adds the user 'Ted' to it. Grouping users is an efficient way to manage permissions for multiple users at once, allowing for streamlined administration in Windows environments.

💡Folder Permissions

Folder permissions control which users or groups can view, edit, or delete files within a specific folder. In the video, the presenter creates a folder named 'Important' and adjusts its permissions so that one group (Family) has read-only access, while another (Admin) has both read and write permissions. This concept is key in ensuring that sensitive files are protected and only accessible to authorized users.

💡Local Users and Groups

Local Users and Groups is a feature in Windows that allows administrators to manage users and groups directly on the computer. In the video, the presenter uses 'Computer Management' to check if 'Ted' is listed in the local user accounts and subsequently adds him to a group. This tool is essential for managing permissions and accounts at a local machine level.

💡Security Settings

Security settings in Windows determine the access level for users and groups. In the video, the presenter navigates to the folder's properties and disables inheritance, removing previously set permissions, before manually setting new permissions for the 'Family' and 'Admin' groups. Adjusting security settings is crucial for maintaining data integrity and restricting unauthorized access.

💡Disabling Inheritance

Disabling inheritance in Windows means that the folder or file will no longer inherit permissions from its parent directory, allowing for custom permissions to be set. In the video, the presenter disables inheritance for the 'Important' folder, ensuring that any existing permissions from higher-level folders do not affect this specific folder's settings. This allows for more granular control over access rights.

💡Standard User vs. Administrator

Standard user accounts in Windows have limited privileges, whereas administrator accounts have full control over the system. In the video, 'Ted' is set up as a standard user, meaning he has restricted access compared to an administrator. The distinction between user types is critical when managing system security and preventing unauthorized changes to the system.

💡Read and Write Access

Read and write access refers to the ability of a user to view and modify files. In the video, the 'Admin' group is granted both read and write access, while the 'Family' group is restricted to read-only access for the 'Important' folder. This distinction ensures that some users can only view content, while others can modify it, which is important for maintaining data security.

💡File Management

File management involves the creation, organization, and control of files within a system. The video demonstrates basic file management by creating a new folder and a file ('Dog') within it, followed by applying security settings to regulate who can access or modify it. Proper file management is essential for keeping data organized and secure.

💡Switching Users

Switching users is the process of logging out of one user account and logging into another without restarting the system. In the video, the presenter switches from the 'Admin' account to 'Ted's' account to test whether 'Ted' can access the 'Important' folder. Switching users allows different accounts to be tested for permissions and access rights, which is useful in administrative tasks.

Highlights

Creating a user in Windows 10 by typing 'user' into the Start menu and adding someone to this PC without using a Microsoft account.

Naming the user 'Ted' and setting up a standard user account without a password for demonstration purposes.

Changing the account type between 'Standard User' and 'Administrator' via the user account settings.

Creating a new user group called 'Family' under Local Users and Groups in Computer Management.

Adding the user 'Ted' to the newly created 'Family' group.

Creating a folder on the local drive C named 'Important' to demonstrate permissions.

Creating a file inside the 'Important' folder, named 'dog', to showcase access permissions.

Disabling inheritance for the 'Important' folder to set custom permissions, removing default group permissions.

Assigning read-only access to the 'Family' group for the 'Important' folder.

Granting modify permissions to the 'Admin' group for the 'Important' folder.

Demonstrating that Ted, as a member of the 'Family' group, can only read the file but cannot modify it.

Switching to Ted's account and confirming read-only access by attempting to modify the 'dog' file and receiving 'Access Denied.'

Verifying that users in the 'Admin' group can modify files in the 'Important' folder.

Creating a secure folder with different access levels based on user group permissions in Windows 10.

Demonstrating practical administration tasks such as user creation, group management, and permission settings in a Windows 10 environment.