Why Do File Permissions Change When You Cut and Paste?

Cutting and pasting keeps the original permissions intact, while copying creates a new file that inherits permissions from the destination folder. It's like a shortcut for moving files without changing their access rights if you're staying within the same volume.

I learned during my training years ago that with NTFS permissions, the rule is "Copy Inherit, Move Retain." So moving within the same volume keeps the permissions, but crossing volumes means you start fresh with the target folder’s ACL.

This is a classic example of how Windows handles file operations. The important takeaway is that if permissions matter, it's often safer to copy the file and delete the original, or use tools like RoboCopy that let you manage ACLs more effectively.

When you move a file on the same volume, it's a true move—meaning all original attributes like permissions stay the same. But if you copy the file, it’s treated as a new object that gets the inherited permissions from the target location.

This can vary depending on whether you’re moving files across different drives. If you’re moving from one volume to another, the system treats it like a copy and delete, which means the new file will inherit the target folder’s permissions rather than keeping the old ones.