When you go to properties of any folder, there are many details about that folder which are Size of folder, name of folder, type of folder etc. There is also one tab which is “Security” tab. This tab can allow users to make permissions of that folder to anyone. Or change the privacy to full control or limited control.
Some users want to remove this “Security” tab so that no one can change or modify the security permissions on that system. In this article I am going to describe 3 ways for show/hide the Security Tab of your folders.
Table of Contents
Using Windows Registry
Open the registry of your system by typing “regedit.exe” in Run window. And go to following directory
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Currentversion\Policies\Explorer
When you open it, in right window you’ll see the “NoSecurityTab” change its value to 1 by modifying it. And refresh your window. And here you go. Security tabs from each folder will hide from every one.
Whenever you want to show it again, again go to same registry path and set its value to 0 again, the security tab will be visible again.
Using Group Policy Editor
You can also show/hide “Security” tab through Group Policy editor. Open the “Local Group Policy editor” by writing it in Start Menu. Then open the first result it gives you on typing.
Now open the User Configuration\Administrative Tools\Windows Components\File Explorer and double click on it, now open Remove Security Tab from right hand side window.
When you open “Remove Security Tab”, there is 3 options: not configured, enable and disable.
If you want to remove Security Tab, select the “enable” and if don’t then press on “disable”.
After selecting any option press “OK” and your settings will be changed. This is another easy and simple way to hide/show Security tab.
Using command line
Giving specific commands on Command Line Window can also enable or disable the “Security” tab.
Following are commands for enabling and disabling the “Security” tab.
Enable Security Tab
REG add HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer /v Nosecuritytab /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
Disable Security Tab
REG add HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer /v Nosecuritytab /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
After entering your required command, press enter and close the CMD and you are done with enabling or disabling the Security Tab.
Above three are easy and simple ways for your problem of enabling or disabling the Security Tab. You can go for anyone of them. All are simple and reliable ways.
10 comments
Roy Flynn
Mine is NTFS, and the value is set to 0 (but I also tried 1).
Disconnected the drive, remapped, still no tab.
Another mapped drive on same NAS is showing the tab so it’s got me stuffed.
Roy Flynn
I have a network drive, mapped as Y. No security tab but other mapped network drives have the security tab. I have tried the above 3 methods.
Regedit had no explorer listed in the policies, in fact nothing. Similar with GPedit. Command line added the Explorer and Nosecuritytab to the registry, and it is set to 0, but still no security tab in the server mapped drive. Oh what a feeling – Windows!!!!!
I have been transferring files within the directory (from subdirectories to the main directory) ok and suddenly, File Explorer wants permission to carry access the main directory. it’s just another keystroke to get over it, but when you have lots of files
Aaron
So I have a FAT32 external drive that I’m trying to put a clone of my hard drive onto. I did that clone, but my C drive is NTFS, so now I can’t access the external drive’s security tab. Can anyone suggest how I fix this and get access to the drive FAT32 drive?
Usman Khurshid
Aaron, security features are not available in FAT32 filesystem. To enable security features, you will need to format your external drive to NTFS filesystem.
Aaron Estevez
Usman, the issue is that I cannot format my FAT32 external drive to the NTFS version. It shows up with half the drive as unallocated, and it doesn’t let me format it. Any suggestions?
Usman Khurshid
You should delete the current partition and create it again and then format it as NTFS.
Rick James
iTechtics that helped me figure out my issue, forgot I had an HFS+ drive and was using mounting software.
shawket Zahir
I have 2 hard drive, c: (where my operating system & other software in installed) & D: (My files are there). I have a security tab when i right click on c: drive > Properties, but i dont have a security tab when i right click > properties. What should i Do to Fix It ?
Usman Khurshid
Please check to see if your C Drive is NTFS. If the drive formatting is FAT32 or XFAT then the security tab will not appear as it is only connected to NTFS file system.
Harry V. Quackenboss
I think the instructions for modifying the registry are incorrect. The value of NoSecurityTab should be 0 if you want the security tab, and 1 if you do not.