allow windows applications to open only specific folder

[jimkess]

Hi,

How can we restrict windows application(.exe) to open only specific folder? Application normally have the File > Open feature which allows users to browse and access different drives and directories. I want to restrict that for some applications to allow only see a specific folder and deny browsing to users.

I have been looking on the internet for this but I can't find any solutions.

Thanks!!

 

[Tanyac]

Is this a home or business scenario?
If business, are you using active directory?
If a home scenario, do the PC(s) connect to a server where the folders are located, or are you wanting to restrict access to folders on a single (local) PC?

If this is a standalone home PC, then you can use folder permissions (Deny all), to the group "users" via the folders you want to restrict, but you would do this ONLY to personal folders, not to any Windows or application folders.

This is a tedious and time consuming process, and you may find yourself playing whac-a-mole trying to block access to folders on an ongoing basis.

You would also have to set up separate admin and user accounts. If you wanted to set specific folder access for specific people you would have to have multiple user accounts and set folder permissions for each folder.

Documentation on how to do this is abundant on the internet. But it depends on what your specific scenario is. Eg. Active Directory, PC Connecting to a home server, or stand alone PCs.

For example; https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc754344%28v=ws.11%29.aspx

This issue was also discussed here: http://www.sevenforums.com/general-discussion/154423-block-applcation-access-folder.html

 

[jimkess]

Is this a home or business scenario?
If business, are you using active directory?
If a home scenario, do the PC(s) connect to a server where the folders are located, or are you wanting to restrict access to folders on a single (local) PC?

If this is a standalone home PC, then you can use folder permissions (Deny all), to the group "users" via the folders you want to restrict, but you would do this ONLY to personal folders, not to any Windows or application folders.

This is a tedious and time consuming process, and you may find yourself playing whac-a-mole trying to block access to folders on an ongoing basis.

You would also have to set up separate admin and user accounts. If you wanted to set specific folder access for specific people you would have to have multiple user accounts and set folder permissions for each folder.

Documentation on how to do this is abundant on the internet. But it depends on what your specific scenario is. Eg. Active Directory, PC Connecting to a home server, or stand alone PCs.

For example; https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc754344%28v=ws.11%29.aspx

This issue was also discussed here: http://www.sevenforums.com/general-discussion/154423-block-applcation-access-folder.html

hi,

my scenario is home based personal scenario. The folder permission is both tedious and does not apply in my scenario. because, I think in this case, users will be able to browse directories and drives though not allowed to see the content of the folders.

I have made separate accounts and I think restricting users with folders access permission won't solve the problem.

what I wanted is that the application such as notepad which have the File > New or File > Open option should only open a specific folder. By using folder restriction, users will be able to browse to other part of the computer even though they might not be able to access. Am I correct here? or they will not see the folders at all?

I think separate users and admin has less to do here. It is more from the application side. I think active directory solution is also about folder access permission which is the same.

 

[Tanyac]

Correct regarding the folder permissions - which is why I said it would be a tedious game of whac-a-mole.

You cannot change the way applications function. All you can change is which applications can or cannot run (Via either Disallowrun or Applocker).

 

[jimkess]

Correct regarding the folder permissions - which is why I said it would be a tedious game of whac-a-mole.

You cannot change the way applications function. All you can change is which applications can or cannot run (Via either Disallowrun or Applocker).

right, well i am out of luck then