File locking is a control function used by administrators to grant specific types of access to network files and folders. It prevents unauthorized access and modification of data, and allows read and write access or full control to certain users. IT support staff are typically granted full control.
File locking is a control function used by most network administrators and system engineers within an operating system. The feature allows administrators to grant specific types of access to certain network files and folders. Individual computer users can be completely denied access to files, be granted read access, read and write access, or full access. These types of permissions can be set for data shared over the network or within the registry of individual computers for locally stored data.
Because computer networks connect multiple users to database servers that can store sensitive information, locking files can prevent data from being modified or deleted by unauthorized individuals. For example, two billing experts working in a school district’s finance department might need to share several documents with each other. Due to local computer storage limitations, it is possible to create a shared network folder, with read and write access granted only to the two billing specialists.
When an individual creates a document and stores it as a file on their local computer, they may be able to use the program’s file-locking option to restrict access. This is usually done if the document will be shared via e-mail or if more than one user has access to files on the local computer. For example, the author of a word processing document might want to allow other users to read the data without being able to modify its contents. In this case, the file would likely be marked as “read-only” for everyone except the author, preventing others from editing the document.
Read and write access is a type of file lock setting that will allow users to access and modify data. This setting prevents certain users from completely removing folders and files from network servers and local hard drives. A read-write or modify permission setting can be granted to a computer user who needs to save customized data in the file folders of a software program. In a corporate environment, full control is usually not granted for software because it allows users to delete the program, which can create unnecessary work for the company’s IT staff.
File lock settings allow administrators to grant full access to folders and data for special users. This type of oversight is typically assigned to an organization’s IT support staff as they have to resolve a wide variety of problems. Full Control allows them to completely delete and modify folders, software applications, and data when needed.
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