NTFS Permissions Auditor - Online Manual

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the Free and Pro versions?

The Free version lets you create audit profiles, add directories, run audits, and view results in both the folder view and account view — with no limitations on the number of folders or audits.

The Pro version adds: exporting to Excel, CSV, HTML, XML, and PDF; advanced filtering with the filter manager; audit history storage; report comparison for change detection; automated scheduled tasks with email delivery; NIS2 compliance reports; and priority support.

See the Introduction for the full comparison table.

Can I audit remote file servers and network shares?

Yes. NTFS Permissions Auditor supports local folders, UNC network paths (e.g., \\fileserver\share), and DFS paths. It includes built-in share discovery that can find all shares on a specific server or scan all computers across an Active Directory domain.

For cross-domain or restricted access scenarios, configure alternative credentials per audit profile.

Does it require administrator rights?

Not for basic audits. You need read access to the folders being audited and read access to Active Directory for group member expansion.

Administrator rights are only required if you enable Advanced File System Access, which activates backup-level privileges (SE_BACKUP_NAME and SE_RESTORE_NAME) to bypass standard access restrictions.

What is the difference between Folder View and Account View?

Folder View organizes results by directory hierarchy — you select a folder and see who has permissions on it. Account View reorganizes the same data by user and group — you select an account and see every folder it can access.

Both views show the same underlying audit data from different perspectives. See Folder View and Account View for details.

Can I automate periodic NTFS permission audits?

Yes, with the Pro version. Scheduled tasks run audits automatically on a daily or custom interval via Windows Task Scheduler. Tasks can export results to any format, email reports as attachments, and run in Change Detection mode to alert you only when permissions have changed.

What is NIS2 and do I need it?

NIS2 is the EU cybersecurity regulation requiring organizations in critical sectors (energy, transport, healthcare, finance, digital services) to implement access controls and perform regular security assessments. If your organization falls under NIS2 scope, NTFS Permissions Auditor helps by generating NIS2 compliance reports with risk assessments mapped to NIS2 articles and providing automated change detection for continuous monitoring.

If you’re not subject to NIS2, you can hide NIS2 features in Settings.

How do I detect permission changes over time?

Use the Report Comparison feature (Pro). Run the same audit profile at two different times, then compare the reports to see all changes: new or deleted folders, added or removed permissions, and group membership changes.

For automated monitoring, set up a scheduled task in Change Detection mode. It runs the comparison automatically and emails you the results.

What .NET version is required?

.NET 10 Desktop Runtime (x64) is required. See System Requirements for all prerequisites.

What export formats are supported?

Excel (XLSX), CSV, HTML, XML, and PDF — plus a dedicated NIS2 Compliance Report PDF. You can export from either the Folder View or Account View perspective, customize which columns to include, and optionally add audit metadata headers. See Export Formats & Options.

Can I filter results by specific users or permissions?

Yes. The Filter Manager (Pro) lets you create named filters using over 20 fields across accounts, folders, and permissions, with AND/OR logic and operations like equals, contains, starts with, and more.

Can I audit DFS paths?

Yes. DFS paths (e.g., \\domain.com\dfs\share) are fully supported. Add them as directory entries in your audit profile just like any other UNC path.

Where is audit data stored?

All data is stored in a single SQLite database file at %APPDATA%\ntfspa.db. This includes profiles, filters, tasks, settings, license information, and saved audit results. To back up or migrate your configuration, copy this file. See Installation & First Launch for details.

Can I send reports by email automatically?

Yes. Configure your SMTP server in Settings, then set up a scheduled task with email delivery. The exported report is sent as an attachment to the specified recipients.



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