Program Files read only?

[Fred Flintstone]

I have this ridiculous problem at the moment. If I do Properties on
my Program Files folder, it indicates it's read only. If I try to
copy a file to any folder within Program Files, I get access denied.
So I clear the read only attribute and it spends 10 minutes changing
every file in Program Files. Do Properties again, and it says it's
read only. I've done this now 10 times, rebooting, logging off...
everything I can think of yet Program Files insists on remaining read
only.

What's up with this?
Any advice appreciated, thanks!

 

[LVTravel]

May be part of MS protection to prevent corrupting programs. Restart in
safe mode and try again?

 

[Guest]

As far as i know the readonly flag in the explorer is always shown as set
with a gray background in the checkbox. When you set or unset the flag the
attribute is processed only to files and not to folders. KB326549 descripes
the behaviour, which was introduced in windows xp. If you really need to
change the readonly flag of a folder you have to use attrib.exe. Be sure that
your problem is not caused due ntfs restrictions, which are completely
independent to the readonly flag.

ABI

 

[Fred Flintstone]

Thanks for the reply. I did a:

attrib -r "C:\Program Files" /s /d

Program Files is still read only. The checkbox is green and enabled.
I can remove it but it just comes back.

2+2=5. I just don't get it. The other thing I don't get is how do
any of my programs run if Program Files is read only?

 

[Bob I]

The "folder properties" "read only" tickbox has no applicablity here.
Take ownership of the Folders in question.
How to take ownership of a file or folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308421/en-us

 

[Fred Flintstone]

Thanks for the reply.

In safe mode, the read only checkbox is checked and greyed. If I use
the attrib command, it makes no difference.

 

[Fred Flintstone]

Oh fur.. It's the SOURCE folder that's causing the problem. If I try
to copy a file from the parent of that folder, it copies fine. I
looked at the permissions on the folder in question and "Everyone" has
no access. I can change that.

Thanks.

 

[Tim Slattery]

I have this ridiculous problem at the moment. If I do Properties on
my Program Files folder, it indicates it's read only.

No it doesn't. It shows a grayed out box. That box can be used to set
or clear the read-only flag for the files in the folder (and
optionally sub-folders). It does not show, and cannot be used to set,
the read-only property of the folder itself.

If I try to
copy a file to any folder within Program Files, I get access denied.

That does not have anything to do with the state of the folder's
read-only flag. It has to do with the permissions that have been set
for the folder.

So I clear the read only attribute and it spends 10 minutes changing
every file in Program Files.

That's what it's supposed to do. You must have a lot of files there
for it to take so long.

Do Properties again, and it says it's read only.

No it doesn't. See what I said above. Look here:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=326549 for more discussion
of this.

 

[Bob I]

You're welcome, have a good day!

Oh fur.. It's the SOURCE folder that's causing the problem. If I try
to copy a file from the parent of that folder, it copies fine. I
looked at the permissions on the folder in question and "Everyone" has
no access. I can change that.

Thanks.

 

[Fred Flintstone]

">No it doesn't. It shows a grayed out box. "

Yes, it does. It shows a green uncheckable box. If the attribute is
not meant to be changed, why does it let me change it, ask me if I
want to do the files and folders and then spin files/folders for 10
minutes?

">>Do Properties again, and it says it's read only."
">No it doesn't"

Yes it does and I can produce screen shots to prove it.

Problem's solved anyway but this is highly misleading.

 

[Bob I]

I think perhaps the Fisher-Price interface is the reason yours is
"green" and Tim's saying "Gray"(classic)

 

[Tim Slattery]

">No it doesn't. It shows a grayed out box. "

Yes, it does. It shows a green uncheckable box. If the attribute is
not meant to be changed, why does it let me change it, ask me if I
want to do the files and folders and then spin files/folders for 10
minutes?

Which means that the attribute does not have a value for the
directory. That box is used to set or clear read-only for all files in
the directory.

">>Do Properties again, and it says it's read only."
">No it doesn't"

Yes it does and I can produce screen shots to prove it.

No it doesn't. You're seeing the green unchecked box that's telling
you that there's no value for the directory.

Problem's solved anyway but this is highly misleading.

That I agree with. If you click the "?" in the upper-right corner of
the dialog box, then click the "read-only" box, it will tell you what
I've been saying and what the KB article I've cited
(http://support.microsoft.com/?id=326549) says. But lots of folks make
the same assumption that you do, what's going on here is certainly not
obvious.

 

[Tim Slattery]

I think perhaps the Fisher-Price interface is the reason yours is
"green" and Tim's saying "Gray"(classic)

Yes. The "third-state check box" displays a bit differently in the two
settings.