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:\>caclsNOTE: 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

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.