Files Edited and Saved with Word or Excel Change Ownership

ID: Q135359

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows NT operating system version 3.1
Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server version 3.1
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5 and 3.51
Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5 and 3.51
Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 1.0, 1.1, 1.1a, 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

In Word for Windows, when you open a file owned by someone else, and modify and save the file, the file inherits your ownership ID.

This symptom occurs if the file is saved on a NTFS partition and the owner of that file granted you the Modify permission for that file.

Other programs may also exhibit the same symptom.

CAUSE

When you save the file, Word deletes the original file and renames a temporary edit file that you own, to the original filename, making you the owner of the file.

How Word for Windows Changes File Ownership Under Windows NT NTFS

When you open someone else's file, Word creates a new temporary file that contains a copy of the original and your edits. Windows NT uses the user ID that you logged on with to set the owner ID on the temporary file.

When you save the file, Word deletes the original version of the document and renames the temporary file to the original name of the document making you the owner of this file.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, save the file to a different filename. This prevents Word from deleting the orginal file.

MORE INFORMATION

When you save a file on a Windows NT NTFS partition, the file is assigned an owner ID. By default, the owner ID is your user ID because you created the file. By default, other users, even administrators, are denied access to your files or directories unless you grant them access permissions or file ownership is transferred.

File ownership is transferred in one of the following ways:

You may grant the Take Ownership permission to other users, in which case those users can take ownership of the file at any time.
The administrator can take ownership of any file on the computer.
You open, modify, and save an existing file in Word that you have Modify permissions for.

More information on file ownership can be found in the "How File Ownership Works" section of Chapter 5 of the Windows NT "Concepts and Planning Guide."

For additional information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q89247
   TITLE     : Information: How Word for Windows Uses Temporary Files

   ARTICLE-ID: Q102888
   TITLE     : Saving from Word or Excel Resets NTFS Security 
               Permissions

Additional query words: prodnt winword 1.00 1.10 1.10a 2.00 2.00a 2.0a- 4.00 CD 2.00b 6.00 6.00a 6.00c 3.10 3.50 3.51 ntfs security w4w

Keywords          : ntdomain ntsecurity NTSrvWkst 
Version           : WINDOWS:1.0,1.1,1.1a,2.0,2.0a,2.0a-CD,2.0b,6.0,6.0a,6.0c; winnt:3.5,3.51,4.0
Platform          : WINDOWS winnt

Last Reviewed: May 5, 1999