Windows 2000 Folder Permissions: Read or Read & Execute?

From: Winchester Zohn (WinchesterZohn_at_discussions.microsoft.com)
Date: 02/02/05 

Date: Tue, 1 Feb 2005 16:09:05 -0800

Hello all,

I have a question about the Difference between "read & execute" and "read"
folder permissions in Windows 2000.

Microsoft training kit tells me that "read & execute" permission can "Move
through folders to reach other files and folders, even if the users don't
have permission for those folders", what does this really mean?

Assuming I log on as a user not belonging to administrators nor power users
groups. Also assuming there are 3 folders -- test1, test11, test111, whose
path is set as follow: "C:\test1\test11\test111". This simply means that
test1 is the subfolder of volume C, and test11 is the subfolder of test1,
and test111 is the subfolder of test11.

Hereafter are my questions.

Q1: to illustrate "read & execute" permission, which folder need to be
"tranversed"? test1, or test11, or test111? ( my guess is test11). and from
which way? (test1 --> test11, or test111 --> test11?)

Q2: If I disable the permission inheritance from the parent folder, and I
remove all permissions on test11 assigned to current user, I didn't figure
out how to "tranverse" from test1 to test11. (even test1 has "read & execute"
permission, because test11 has no permission, windows explorer simply decline
the access to test11) How should I set up the permissions to these 3 folders
to illustrate the effect of "tranverse"?

Q3: If I enable the permission inheritance, do we really need "read &
execute" permission to move through the folders? I think "read" permission is
enough. What did I miss here?

I guess my questions are kinda naive, but I really hope someone here have
some patience to enlighten me. Many thanks in advance.

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