Setting Up Access to Virtual Directories in Windows Plesk

How to set access permissions for a virtual directory within a website:

1.Go to Websites & Domains and find the website’s domain name.

2.Click Virtual Directories.

3. To set access permissions for the current virtual directory, in the Tools group, click Directory Access Permissions. If you want to set permissions for a subdirectory located within the current directory, click the Manage Permissions iconin a corresponding row.

4. Do the following:

oTo make the file/folder inherit permissions from a parent folder (if it does not), select the checkbox Allow inheritable permissions from the parent to propagate to this object and all child objects. Include these with entries explicitly defined here.

oTo make the files and folders, which are contained in this folder, inherit the folder permissions you define, select the checkbox Replace permission entries on all child objects with entries shown here that apply to child objects.

oTo change or remove permissions from a group or a user, click the required name in the Group or user names list. If the group or user is not listed in the Group or user names list, select the required user or group name from the menu located above the list and click: the user/group appears in the list. Select it.

To allow or deny permissions to a selected group/user, select the Allow or Deny checkboxes corresponding to permissions listed under  Permissions for<user/group name>. If the checkboxes in Allow or Deny columns are shown in grey, it means that the corresponding permissions are inherited from a parent folder.

oTo deny the permissions, which are inherited from a parent object as allowed, select the required checkboxes under Deny. This will override inherited permissions for this file/folder.

oTo allow the permissions, which are inherited from a parent object as denied, clear the Allow inheritable permissions from the parent to propagate to this object and all child objects. Include these with entries explicitly defined here checkbox: this removes the inherited permissions. Then select the required checkboxes under Allow and Deny.

oTo remove access permissions from a group or user, select the required name in the Group or user names list and click the iconnext to it.

5.If you need advanced fine-tuning of permissions, click the Advanced button, and do the following:

oTo create a permission entry for a group or user, select the required name from the Group or user names list.

oTo set or change file/folder permissions for a group or user, select the required name from the Group or user names list, select the required Allow and Deny checkboxes corresponding to permissions listed under Permissions for<user/group name>.

oTo remove a permission entry for a group or user, select the required name from the Group or user names list.

oTo make child objects of a folder inherit its permissions defined under Permissions for<user/group name>, select the Replace permission entries on all child objects with entries shown here that apply to child objects checkbox, and select checkboxes in the Apply to list which correspond to the objects that must inherit the permissions.

6.Click OK.

To restrict access to files and directories located within a virtual directory:

1.Go to Websites & Domains and find the website’s domain name.

2.Click Virtual Directories.

3.Navigate to the directory you want to protect and click the Protection tab.

4.Click Protect.

5.To specify users who will be able to access the directory, click Add User, specify username and password, and click OK.

6.If you want to specify a title for the protected area that will be shown to users when they attempt to access the directory, click Settings, specify a title, and click OK.

To revoke a permission to access a directory from a user:

1.Go to Websites & Domains and click the website’s domain name.

2.Go to the Virtual Directories > Protection tab.

3.Select the checkbox corresponding to the user’s name and click Remove.

To remove protection from a directory and allow the general public to see the directory contents without restrictions:

1.Go to Websites & Domains and click the website’s domain name.

2.Go to the Virtual Directories > Protection tab.

3.Click Remove Protection.

4.Click OK to confirm removal.