Forum Discussion
Regarding Windows 10 file system access and privacy
The official documentation for file access permissions for UWP apps:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/uwp/files/file-access-permissions
Also experience from developing UWP apps helps. 😉
Never trust the simplified descriptions from end-user GUIs.
The full file system access permissions should never be used for any UWP app, the only reason it exists at all is that some special applications that wanted to port to UWP couldn't, because there was no way to get the same filesystem access as a normal win32-app. So microsoft added this permission in later Windows 10 builds, to lower another barrier for porting older apps to UWP.
Every normal app should never need this though. It is completely enough to just use the filepicker dialog or ask for permission to access pictures or music. In rare cases eventually even documents, but most of the time, none of this is needed for UWP.
I wrote a media-file-converter in UWP and as such the user needs to be able to open any video or audio file on his computer inside my app. Still I didn't need any file system access at all because I just used a filepicker dialog which the user can use to select the file he wants to convert. My app does not need any access to the file itself. The filepicker dialog (which is handled by Windows itself) hands me over the file and I don't even need to know where it came from.
UWP security is very top-notch and any app that asks for this "file system level permission" is very suspicious! I can't imagine a single valid scenario for any app to need this permission at the moment. I'm sure there are special cases, but none that I can think of.
The description is not wrong, so it is trustworthy, just doesn't include the additional info in here
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/uwp/files/file-access-permissions
which makes sense since there is not enough space.
now according to the document,
By default, UWP apps can only access files and folders in the user's Downloads folder that they created. However, you can gain access to files and folders in the user's Downloads folder by calling a file picker (FileOpenPicker or FolderPicker) so that users can navigate and pick files or folders for UWP app to access.
(by default means no System file access granted yet)
in addition to that, WITH system file access permission, UWP app can access:
All files that the user has access to. For example: documents, pictures, photos, downloads, desktop, OneDrive, etc. (etc. is vague here, it could mean files/folder on other partitions, that makes system file access permission to give UWP apps access to every single file on user's computer, or it can mean other files in user directory, like contacts, app data and more which are located here: C:\Users\UserName)
Removable devices
Homegroup libraries
Media server devices (DLNA)
Universal Naming Convention (UNC) folders
HotCakeX
"Downloads folder by calling a file picker (FileOpenPicker or FolderPicker) so that users can navigate and pick files or folders for UWP app to access."
Stll only navigate and pick files or folders in the Download folder?
"etc. is vague here,"
Agree, but accordingly to Dretzer and his explanation, its all files then
Ysera_Dreamer wrote:HotCakeX
"Downloads folder by calling a file picker (FileOpenPicker or FolderPicker) so that users can navigate and pick files or folders for UWP app to access."
Stll only navigate and pick files or folders in the Download folder?
"etc. is vague here,"
Agree, but accordingly to Dretzer and his explanation, its all files thenYup, if you don't give it file access permission, then you browse for files one by one if the app has implemented file picker.
Mmm maybe, I wish the document was more clear on that. there is actually an option to send feedback so I'll just do that.
- Good idea sending them feedback
Thank you so much, for helping me out with my many questions regarding the topic
