Week 6 Blog Post - Users, Groups & Permissions (A Newbie's Guide)

Users, Groups & Permissions:

If you’ve ever used a computer at work or shared one at home, you might have bumped into the terms such as users, groups, and permissions. These are just ways to control who can do what on a computer, which helps keep things safe.

What is a user?

A user is someone who has their own login account on a computer or network. Every user gets their own space and identity.

What are groups?

A group is a collection of users. Instead of setting up permissions one by one, you put people in groups like “Managers” or “Staff” and give permissions to the whole group; much easier to manage.

Microsoft explains that security groups allow admins to assign permissions to shared files, folders, printers, and more. Once a group has certain permissions, every user in it gets those rights too.

What are permissions?

Permissions are the actual rules that decide what users or groups can do. The basic levels are things like:

• Read (view files)

• Write (save changes)

• Modify (change or delete)

• Full control (do everything)

Permissions are part of Windows’ NTFS file system, which handles local and network access. The most restrictive permission between NTFS and network-sharing rules is what users actually get.

So why does any of this matter?

Setting up users, groups, and permissions properly protects your files. It prevents people from accidentally deleting stuff or accessing areas they shouldn’t. It keeps things organized, safe, and under control. For anyone using Windows, at home or at work, this is a simple way to make sure your computer stays secure.

References:

Dell. (2023, February 3). Understanding file and folder permissions in Windows. Dell Support. Retrieved July 6, 2025, from https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000137238/understanding-file-and-folder-permissions-in-windows

Microsoft. (2024, May 10). Understand security groups. Microsoft Learn. Retrieved July 6, 2025, from https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/identity/ad-ds/manage/understand-security-groups

Netwrix. (2022, April 25). Windows user management: Key tips and best practices. Netwrix. Retrieved July 6, 2025, from https://blog.netwrix.com/windows-user-management/