Windows Server 2019 Standard server running Microsoft Exchange seems to have lost permissions to c:\program files\

Question

We were running an update yesterday to backup software. During this update, we were prompted to reboot. When we did this, we found a bit of an issue with the permissions missing on c:\program files\ and all sub folders.

The other directories in c: are fine permissions wise.

I am unable at present to have the c:\program files\ folder and sub directories inherit the permissions they need. I need to get a command or a process for resetting these permissions so I can use the applications in that directory structure.

So, again, every folder, including the c:\Program Files\ root folder have the necessary permissions but the sub folders won't inherit the top level permissions. This happened after rebooting the server upgrading the backup software. I am not sure when they were installed, but there were 2 patches applied to the server yesterday. I believe that occurred prior to my rebooting it. There was no indication that updates were running.

Answer 1

Hello

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community forum.

 Based on the information you have provided, it seems that the issue is related to the permissions of the c:\program files\ folder and its subdirectories.

To reset the permissions of the c:\program files\ folder and its subdirectories, you can use the following command in an elevated Command Prompt:

icacls "c:\program files" /reset /t /c /q

This command will reset the permissions of the c:\program files\ folder and all its subdirectories to their default settings.

If the issue persists after running the command, you may need to check the event logs for any errors related to the update or patches that were installed. You can also try uninstalling the backup software and see if that resolves the issue.

Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns.

Best Regards,

Zack Lu