Read-Only

[Arpan]

I have Windows 2000 Professional & Windows XP Professional installed in C: & D: respectively.

Most (around 90%) of the folders in these 2 drives (excluding the sub-folders & the files within these folders) are Read-Only. Now whenever I try to change the Read-Only attribute of these folders to the Normal attribute by navigating to the Properties of each folder, although Windows shows that the attribute of the folder is being changed (in cases where the folders have many sub-folders & files), the folders still remain Read-Only; it don't change to Normal! Why so? Any workaround to get rid of this?

Please note that this happens not only with the system folders like "Program Files", "WINNT" but also with the folders that I have created. Strangely enough, the "Program Files" folder in WinXP (in D is an exception & doesn't exhibit the above-mentioned erratic behavior! It changes from Normal to Read-Only (& vice-versa) as & when it is changed!

Thanks,

Arpan

 

[Leonard Severt [MSFT]]

I have Windows 2000 Professional & Windows XP Professional installed
in C: & D: respectively.

Most (around 90%) of the folders in these 2 drives (excluding the
sub-folders & the files within these folders) are Read-Only. Now
whenever I try to change the Read-Only attribute of these folders to
the Normal attribute by navigating to the Properties of each folder,
although Windows shows that the attribute of the folder is being
changed (in cases where the folders have many sub-folders & files),
the folders still remain Read-Only; it don't change to Normal! Why so?
Any workaround to get rid of this?

Please note that this happens not only with the system folders like
"Program Files", "WINNT" but also with the folders that I have
created. Strangely enough, the "Program Files" folder in WinXP (in D
is an exception & doesn't exhibit the above-mentioned erratic
behavior! It changes from Normal to Read-Only (& vice-versa) as & when
it is changed!

Thanks,

Arpan

You can't change the read-only attribute on the folders and it doesn't
have any meaning. If you have noticed the folders having read-only does
not prevent you from renaming the folders or storing files in them.
Ignore the read-only attribute on folders.

Leonard Severt

Microsoft Enterprise Support

 

[Gary Smith]

You can't change the read-only attribute on the folders and it doesn't
have any meaning. If you have noticed the folders having read-only does
not prevent you from renaming the folders or storing files in them.
Ignore the read-only attribute on folders.

Leonard Severt

Microsoft Enterprise Support

You certainly can change the read-only attribute on folders in Win 2K and
it does somtimes have a meaning, although not the one you might expect.
The read-only attribute may enable the attribute specified in the
desktop.ini file if one exists in that folder.

 

[George Hester]

I'm still trying to figure out what Leonard was talking about. But in any case if the folder contains a desktop.ini (usually hidden) and if that is removed the Read-only attribute can easily be changed. It may not be the right thing to do but this is one way it is done.

 

[George Hester]

When I receive an e-mail I expect the return address to be valid. If it is not please do not e-mail me. Thanks.

 

[Gary Smith]

When I receive an e-mail I expect the return address to be valid. If it is not please do not e-mail me. Thanks.

To whom was this addressed? It appears to be a follow-up to my message,
but I didn't send you any email -- at least not on purpose.