In mixed Windows environments where XP clients interact with modern Windows file servers, we often encounter permission inconsistencies. The root issue stems from different NTFS permission handling behaviors:

• Windows XP: Preserves original permissions when moving files within same volume
• Windows 7+: Automatically inherits parent directory permissions when moving files

To clean up inherited permissions across an entire volume, we have several technical approaches:

Using ICACLS (Recommended)

The modern successor to CACLS/XCALCS provides more granular control:

:: Reset inheritance for files only (preserving directory permissions)
icacls "D:\Data\*" /reset /T /C /Q

:: Alternative for specific file types
icacls "D:\Data\*.docx" /reset /T /C /Q

PowerShell Solution

For more complex scenarios, this script offers better flexibility:

$rootPath = "D:\Data"
Get-ChildItem -Path $rootPath -Recurse -File | ForEach-Object {
    $acl = Get-Acl $_.FullName
    $acl.SetAccessRuleProtection($false, $true)
    Set-Acl -Path $_.FullName -AclObject $acl
}

Before running any permission reset operation:

• Create a full backup of critical data
• Test commands on a small directory first
• Document existing permission sets if audit requirements exist
• Consider running during maintenance windows

For complex permission restructuring, Robocopy can mirror permissions from a reference folder:

robocopy "D:\ReferenceFolder" "D:\Data" /COPYALL /MIR /SEC /SECFIX /R:1 /W:1

For ongoing maintenance in mixed environments, schedule this batch script:

@echo off
set LOGFILE=%TEMP%\PermissionReset_%DATE:~-4%%DATE:~3,2%%DATE:~0,2%.log
echo Starting permission reset: %DATE% %TIME% >> %LOGFILE%
icacls "D:\Data\*" /reset /T /C /Q >> %LOGFILE% 2>&1
echo Operation completed: %DATE% %TIME% >> %LOGFILE%

Working with mixed Windows environments (particularly XP alongside modern systems) creates unique NTFS permission challenges. The key difference:

• Windows XP: Maintains original ACLs when moving files within same volume
• Windows 7+: Automatically inherits parent directory permissions when moving

This creates permission fragmentation over time, especially when:

ROOT_FOLDER
├── FolderA (Sales team:Modify)
│   └── file1.txt (inherited)
└── FolderB (Finance team:Read)
    └── file2.txt (non-inherited, moved from FolderA)

While both tools work, here's why icacls is preferred for modern systems:

icacls "D:\Data\*" /reset /T /C /Q

For legacy XP systems where icacls might not be available:

cscript xcacls.vbs "D:\Data" /S /T /E /G Administrators:F

This PowerShell script handles both file types and logging:

$path = "D:\SharedData"
$logFile = "C:\perms_$(Get-Date -Format yyyyMMdd).log"

Get-ChildItem $path -Recurse -File | ForEach-Object {
    try {
        $acl = Get-Acl $_.FullName
        if (!$acl.AreAccessRulesProtected) {
            $acl.SetAccessRuleProtection($false, $true)
            Set-Acl $_.FullName -AclObject $acl
            "$($_.FullName) - Reset to inherit" | Out-File $logFile -Append
        }
    }
    catch {
        "ERROR processing $($_.FullName): $_" | Out-File $logFile -Append
    }
}

Before running any permission reset:

• Create a full backup of both data and permissions: icacls "D:\Data\" /save permbackup.txt /T
• Test in a subdirectory first
• Document all custom permissions that should NOT inherit

For large environments (1000+ files), consider:

1. Microsoft's SubInACL tool for batch processing
2. Scheduled tasks to maintain permissions weekly
3. Group Policy preferences for permission standardization