How to grant permission to users for a directory using command line in Windows?

As of Vista, cacls is deprecated. Here's the first couple of help lines:

C:\>cacls
NOTE: Cacls is now deprecated, please use Icacls.

Displays or modifies access control lists (ACLs) of files

You should use icacls instead. This is how you grant John full control over D:\test folder and all its subfolders:

C:\>icacls "D:\test" /grant John:(OI)(CI)F /T

According do MS documentation:

• F = Full Control
• CI = Container Inherit - This flag indicates that subordinate containers will inherit this ACE.
• OI = Object Inherit - This flag indicates that subordinate files will inherit the ACE.
• /T = Apply recursively to existing files and sub-folders. (OI and CI only apply to new files and sub-folders). Credit: comment by @AlexSpence.

For complete documentation, you may run "icacls" with no arguments or see the Microsoft documentation here and here

Use cacls command. See information here.

CACLS files /e /p {USERNAME}:{PERMISSION}

Where,

/p : Set new permission

/e : Edit permission and kept old permission as it is i.e. edit ACL instead of replacing it.

{USERNAME} : Name of user

{PERMISSION} : Permission can be:

R - Read

W - Write

C - Change (write)

F - Full control

For example grant Rocky Full (F) control with following command (type at Windows command prompt):

C:> CACLS files /e /p rocky:f

Read complete help by typing following command:

C:> cacls /?

You can also use ICACLS.

To grant the Users group Full Control to a folder:

>icacls "C:\MyFolder" /grant Users:F

To grant Modify permission to IIS users for C:\MyFolder (if you need your IIS has ability to R/W files into specific folder):

>icacls "C:\MyFolder" /grant IIS_IUSRS:M

If you do ICACLS /? you will be able to see all available options.

Open a Command Prompt, then execute this command:

icacls "c:\somelocation\of\path" /q /c /t /grant Users:F

F gives Full Access.

/q /c /t applies the permissions to subfolders.

Note: Sometimes "Run as Administrator" will help.