Take ownership under Windows 7

[supraspecies]

Searched the forum, but failed to find a solid answer how to do that. Specifically, I need to take ownership of aero.msstyles file to install a custom Windows 7 theme.

[Neutro]

Hey,

You could give UDF a try

; #FUNCTION# ====================================================================================================================
; Name...........: _SetObjectOwner
; Description ...: Sets the owner of an object.
; Syntax.........:  _SetObjectOwner($oName, $_SE_OBJECT_TYPE, $AccountName)
; Parameters ....:  $oName   - The name or handle to the object. This can be a path to a file or folder, a registry key,
;                    + a service name, a process handle, etc. See the comments on the _SE_OBJECT_TYPE enum for more info.
;                    $_SE_OBJECT_TYPE (Optional) - The type of the object to set permissions. This must be one of the values of the
;                    +_SE_OBJECT_TYPE enum. The default is $SE_FILE_OBJECT (a file or folder).
;                    $AccountName (Optional) - The account name or SID string to set. the default is the administrators group.
;                        +Can be any user name or SID string, see GetSidStruct() for more info.
; Return values .: Success      - 1
;                  Failure      - 0 and sets @error
; Author ........: FredAI
; Modified.......:
; Remarks .......:
; Related .......: _GetSidStruct
; Link ..........:
; Example .......: _SetObjectOwner('C:\Example.txt')

Edited May 10, 2013 by Neutro

[supraspecies]

@Neutro, thanks a lot! While I was looking, I figured out an easy way:

$STYLEFILE=(@WindowsDir & '\Resources\Themes\Aero\aero.msstyles')
Run(@ComSpec & " /C " & 'TAKEOWN /F ' & $STYLEFILE, '', @SW_HIDE)
Run(@ComSpec & " /C " & 'icacls ' & $STYLEFILE & ' /grant administrators:F /t', '', @SW_HIDE)

But I noticed nobody is using it. Is something wrong with it? Doesn't work under some circumstances?

Edited May 10, 2013 by supraspecies

[Neutro]

Seems good to me as well

Maybe using the Set ACL UDF will be faster since you do not need to call an external software (takeown & icalcs) to do this, but if it's just for a few files then it doesn't really matter i guess!

[supraspecies]

One file. But I'll still try out UDF you posted because I myself don't want to call external software unless necessary. Thank you, and topic can be considered closed.

[careca]

Ownership.reg:

RMB over the file/s to own.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

;=============================================================================

;Take ownership Users

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT*shellown]
@="Users Ownership"
"NoWorkingDirectory"=""
"Icon"="C:ICOown.ico"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT*shellowncommand]
@="cmd.exe /c takeown /f "%1" /r /d y && icacls "%1" /grant Users:F /t"
"IsolatedCommand"="cmd.exe /c takeown /f "%1" /r /d y && icacls "%1" /grant Users:F /t"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDirectoryshellown]
@="Users Ownership"
"NoWorkingDirectory"=""
"Icon"="C:ICOown.ico"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDirectoryshellowncommand]
@="cmd.exe /c takeown /f "%1" /r /d y && icacls "%1" /grant Users:F /t"
"IsolatedCommand"="cmd.exe /c takeown /f "%1" /r /d y && icacls "%1" /grant Users:F /t"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDriveshellown]
@="Users Ownership"
"NoWorkingDirectory"=""
"Icon"="C:ICOown.ico"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDriveshellowncommand]
@="cmd.exe /c takeown /f "%1" /r /d y && icacls "%1" /grant Users:F /t"
"IsolatedCommand"="cmd.exe /c takeown /f "%1" /r /d y && icacls "%1" /grant Users:F /t"

;=============================================================================

Edited May 11, 2013 by careca

[supraspecies]

@ careca

Already have that on my system, has nothing to do with AutoIT. I wanted my script to take ownership on its own. And even though I could make it click on mouse context menu option, it wouldn't be proper because it would work only for those who actually have that option in context menu.

[UEZ]

Maybe this helps, too. 

 

Br,

UEZ

[supraspecies]

I'm testing that UDF on a random system file, and no go.

#include <Permissions.au3>
#RequireAdmin
_GrantAllAccess(@WindowsDir & '\System32\advapi32.dll')

It works for non-system files (user-created), but on system files it does nothing for me. It reports success, but nothing changes. And yes, I'm running it as admin. I even have UAC turned off. Any ideas?

Actually - I'm wrong. Depends on files. Seems to work for Windows theme files, but DLLs in System32 - nope. I don't need my script to access them at the moment, but someday i might... So I'm asking.

P.S. If you're wondering what is all this for - customizing Windows 7 installation. Unattended.

 

@ UEZ

Appreciate it, trying now.

Edited May 11, 2013 by supraspecies

[careca]

@ careca

Already have that on my system, has nothing to do with AutoIT. I wanted my script to take ownership on its own. And even though I could make it click on mouse context menu option, it wouldn't be proper because it would work only for those who actually have that option in context menu.

Yeah, but you could use the same commands in autoit.

[spudw2k]

Just for troubleshooting, if you take a regular file and add the system attribute does it behave the same way?

[supraspecies]

Actually - I'm wrong. Depends on files. Seems to work for Windows theme files, but DLLs in System32 - nope. I don't need my script to access them at the moment, but someday i might... So I'm asking.

 

That day has come. I need to replace shellstyle.dll in System32 on first Windows 7 launch (post-install). Permission script above and takeown do not work with files located in System32. How can my script gain permissions needed to replace files in System32 folder?

In case youre wondering - not using it for any malicious purpose. I have customized my Windows and made an unattended install for it. This file contains modded Classic Theme for Windows, and I need my Windows to install with this theme by default.

Edited August 18, 2013 by supraspecies

[careca]

safe mode?

[MHz]

In Windows XP, it was known as Windows File Protection. Later it become Windows Resource Protection. This is perhaps the problem.

In XP you could replace the file in the dllcache folder and then the file in the system32 folder. In Vista+, I am not sure how it is done at this moment.

[careca]

Maybe http://www.xptsp.com/fixit/replacer.php

[supraspecies]

Solved it (with a help from a friend). If anyone needs to know how to replace files in System32 (including x64 edition of Windows), here is the way:

#requireadmin
DllCall("kernel32.dll", "int", "Wow64DisableWow64FsRedirection", "int", 1)
$STYLEFILE=(@WindowsDir & '\System32\shellstyle.dll')
Run(@ComSpec & " /c " & 'TAKEOWN /F ' & $STYLEFILE, '', @SW_HIDE)
Run(@ComSpec & " /c " & 'cacls.exe ' & $STYLEFILE & ' /E /P BUILTIN\Administrators:F', '', @SW_HIDE)
DllCall("kernel32.dll", "int", "Wow64EnableWow64FsRedirection", "int", 1)

 

This will grant you all permissions to do whatever you wish.

Edited September 1, 2013 by supraspecies