How do I save a read only file or folder?

[Guest]

An IT expert converted all of my Macintosh Clarisworks files to Excel/Word
and burned them on a CD. I transfered the folders/files to my new IBM PC hard
drive and then opened them. I made some changes to a file but I am unable to
save them. I keep getting a "read only" message. I have checked Excel help
and followed the directions, but I get the same "read only" answer. How can I
open these files, change them, and then save the new files? Thanks.

 

[Earl Kiosterud]

Dick,

If you open the folder, and right-click any of them, you'll see the "Read
only" attribute checked. Uncheck it. I think you can select many, using
Ctrl or Shift, or dragging a box around them, and do that once. Files
copied from a CD are automatically set that way. No one knows why.

 

[Dave Peterson]

Usually when files get copied onto a CD, the readonly attribute is set.

When you copy the files to the harddrive, the readonly attribute gets copied
over, too.

But you can change it pretty easily.

Open windows explorer
traverse to your folder that holds your files.
Select all your files you want to fix
(ctrl-a if you've clicked on the right hand window should select all the
files/folders in that folder)

Rightclick on any of the selected files.
Choose Properties
Uncheck the ReadOnly checkbox.

 

[Gord Dibben]

Dick

That is the Windows default behaviour when saving/copying to CD.

All depends upon how the files get "burned" to the CD.

With regular Windows burning, they will always be read-only.

If you were to use a packet writing application like Nero InCD, files would
not be read only and individual files could be erased or written to on the CD
just like a big floppy disk.

See this google search thread

http://snipurl.com/6llq

Note the link to Alex Nicholl's site.

Also http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/cdr_info.htm


Gord Dibben Excel MVP