How to delete/edit files on XP network

December 23, 2006 3:06 PM

I know this almost completely defeats the purpose of administrator privilege, but is there any way to delete/edit data and cache files on an XP network without logging in as the administrator?
posted by dgbellak to Computers & Internet (8 answers total)

I hope not.
posted by JayRwv at 3:21 PM on December 23, 2006

If you know the administrator password, you can use the "runas" command to do it. I'm not sure you can use runas with the 'del' command, but you could put it in a batch file and run that as administrator without logging off and logging back in.
posted by delmoi at 3:26 PM on December 23, 2006

If the user you are logged in as has explicit permissions to delete or edit a file than it can delete or edit them without being an administrator.
posted by dgeiser13 at 3:44 PM on December 23, 2006

Yes. Ask your administrator to grant you those permissions. I can't think of a reasonable use for subverting your network administrator anyway. Such a question should be posted with why you need this done.
posted by kc0dxh at 4:36 PM on December 23, 2006

Explain why you need to do this, and you may get more help.
posted by theora55 at 7:58 AM on December 24, 2006

Response by poster: A number of reasons, nothing terribly important - yes, that pesky INDEX.DAT is one reason (I'm sure we're not the only workplace whose employees sneak in quick browser sessions), but we also use a shared server on which various documents are stored by all users in my workplace with a directory structure put in place by the users themselves. Create a file, make up a folder, and put it on the otherwise unmoderated "K:" drive. After 5 years or so, with nearly 1000 employees, that "K:" drive has become quite a mess as you can imagine. Finding documents among the labyrinth of old ones can be a pain. It's a factory with various models of PCs placed throughout, even on the industrial equipment themselves, not just in offices. They're all on the network and not all the drone PCs will let you log on in a manner that would give you the same privileges to delete old files and such. It's nothing that either walking across the plant to another PC that will let you log on correctly or calling up the ever-so-friendly folks in IT wouldn't cure, but I was just curious if there was some quick fix to avoid that. Doesn't look likely. As many of these older drones are getting replaced soon, this problem may solve itself.

I'm only halfway literate on this subject, if that. I know the network uses a couple servers running XP and Lotus Notes, but beyond that I know very little.
posted by dgbellak at 11:09 AM on December 24, 2006

For local files - the ones on your pc, there are some ways to get to the files, but your employer is most likely using other methods of tracking your internet use.

For files on the server, ask your manager to request that you have access to the folders, and reorganize.
posted by theora55 at 7:43 PM on December 25, 2006

Response by poster: I have access, but for some reason most of those older drones (Maxterm Thinclients, which are barely computers at all and wouldn't even save files locally) just wouldn't let us log in under those particular names & passwords, a problem which has gradually spread over time.

But now we got word from IT that all those drones will be replaced with real PCs (Dells, but good enough) sometime early next year, so problem solved, hopefully. This was in direct response to our recent complaints about access, when before we were simply told to go find another computer. I guess it is amazing what you can get when you ask...enough times.

Shame I couldn't get around those permissions, but I guess that's a power no one needs. Thanks, guys!
posted by dgbellak at 3:25 PM on December 26, 2006