Read-only attribute

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jim McGivney
  • Start date Start date
J

Jim McGivney

My machine runs WindowsXP pro.
In WindowsExplorer I click on a folder in my C: drive to open the folder.
I then right-click an empty spot on the folder and select Properties.
A screen comes up that shows the folder's properties.
I look at the read-only attribute. There is a green square in the read only
attribute check-box.
The box has three states: 1) checked, 2) unchecked, 3) green square
What does the green square mean ? Why does the check-box have three states
?
If I click the read-only attribute box until its unchecked, then close the
properties screen, then open the properties screen again, I see that it is
green, no unchecked. What is this behavior ?
Thanks,
Jim
 
Folders are always read only and the attribute essentially is for system
use. Only file attributes can be changed. The style box is universal so
all available attributes appear but can only be applied as mentioned above.

In other words, the system assigns and applies the folder attribute,
attributes for files within a folder can be set by the user.
 
Jim said:
In WindowsExplorer I click on a folder in my C: drive to open the
folder. I then right-click an empty spot on the folder and select
Properties. A screen comes up that shows the folder's properties.
I look at the read-only attribute. There is a green square in the
read only attribute check-box.
The box has three states: 1) checked, 2) unchecked, 3) green
square What does the green square mean ? Why does the check-box have
three states ?
Click to expand...

The three states are checked, unchecked and undetermined or mixed.
If I click the read-only attribute box until its unchecked, then
close the properties screen, then open the properties screen again, I
see that it is green, no unchecked. What is this behavior ?
Click to expand...

Folders read-only attributes appear undetermined in Windows Explorer
because explorer is incapable of properly reporting this attribute for
folders. The read-only check on individual or groups of files in
Explorer is accurate, for folders it is meaningless. To find out for
sure if the read-only attribute is set on a folder drop to the command
line and use the attrib command.

--
Tom Porterfield
MS-MVP Windows Smart Display
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/tp.porterfield/support

Please post all follows to the newsgroup only
 
Hi Jim,

The Read-only and System attributes is only used by Windows Explorer to
determine whether the folder is a special folder, such as a system folder
that has its view customized by Windows (for example, My Documents,
Favorites, Fonts, Downloaded Program Files), or a folder that you customized
by using the Customize tab of the folder's Properties dialog box. As a
result, Windows Explorer does not allow you to view or change the Read-only
or System attributes of folders.

You Cannot View or Change the Read-Only or System Attribute of Folders
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=326549

See this also:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=256614

--
Regards,
Ramesh [MS-MVP]
AIM: SRamesh2k


~ Please reply to newsgroup ~


My machine runs WindowsXP pro.
In WindowsExplorer I click on a folder in my C: drive to open the folder.
I then right-click an empty spot on the folder and select Properties.
A screen comes up that shows the folder's properties.
I look at the read-only attribute. There is a green square in the read only
attribute check-box.
The box has three states: 1) checked, 2) unchecked, 3) green square
What does the green square mean ? Why does the check-box have three states
?
If I click the read-only attribute box until its unchecked, then close the
properties screen, then open the properties screen again, I see that it is
green, no unchecked. What is this behavior ?
Thanks,
Jim
 
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