NTFS Folder Audit maps NTFS permissions and produces standalone reports
NTFS Folder Audit shows folder permissions in a readable grid and scans local paths or UNC shares recursively to any depth, highlighting inheritance breaks and explicit rights. ProDirt LLC supplies this Windows utility for system administrators and security auditors. The tool offers identity decoding, orphaned SID detection, CSV export and a command-line interface for scheduled runs, making it useful for administrators who must audit server shares and produce shareable reports.
What does NTFS Folder Audit reveal about folder access?
The tool enumerates ACLs and presents identity, access type, decoded rights and ownership in a tabular view. Its scan engine handles recursive traversals of local paths and UNC shares and detects orphaned SIDs and interrupted inheritance. Exports include a flat CSV for spreadsheet analysis and an interactive HTML report that recipients can open without the app. The app also supports a headless command-line mode for scripted or scheduled audits.
Does it affect an audited system or require network access?
NTFS Folder Audit contains no network code or telemetry, so it behaves the same on isolated networks. It runs as a portable executable with no installer or registry footprint and requires the .NET Desktop Runtime. Administrative rights may be necessary to read protected ACLs; the scan reads permission data rather than altering files, and the app does not perform update checks or phone-home operations.
Is it safe to run on production file servers?
The app avoids persistent changes by design: it does not install services or write to the registry, which reduces attack surface during an audit. Its reporting engine produces interactive HTML that exposes only the exported data, and CSV exports permit offline analysis. Because ACL reading can require elevated privileges, run scans with an account that has appropriate read access rather than a broad administrative account when possible.
Do I need technical skill to operate it correctly?
System administrators and MSP engineers get the most from the tool: one-click filters identify broken inheritance or explicit permissions quickly, while the comparison engine shows permission drift between two paths. Casual users can run a basic scan, but effective use of the CLI, side-by-side comparisons and interpretation of orphaned SIDs assumes working knowledge of Windows permissions and share management.
Clear auditing for administrators who manage NTFS permissions
NTFS Folder Audit is a suitable option for IT professionals who need fast, readable permission inventories and shareable reports. It emphasizes privacy and portability, and it supports automation through a CLI for scheduled auditing. Expect to operate it with appropriate privileges and some familiarity with ACL concepts. Recommended.
