Read Only Problem

[Ted.Knudson]

I have a problem and no one seems to be able to help.
I am running WinXP Home which came with the computer.
MS Site: Simple File Sharing is always turned on in Windows XP Home
Edition-based computers.

I have a folder called C:\DecoTechCatalogInch
The problem is that it is Read Only.
The check mark is grey not black
When I click on it, the check mark goes away.
I click on apply.
But when I click on properties again it is checked with the grey check mark.

The problem has gone to most of my other folders.
I have never had this problem before.
I ran Norton AntiVirus and did not find any Viruses.
I booted up in Safe Mode and the same problem.
It looks like a permissions problem but I do not see any place to change
anything that would help.

 

[Wesley Vogel]

The gray state means...

[[Microsoft calls this a tri-mode flag. When it has gray in the background,
it indicates that some file or folder anywhere under that particular folder
has been set to Read-only.

This checkmark does not actually control the Read-only attribute on the
child files and folder. It just displays their status.]]

Rally 'Round the Tri-Mode Flag
http://www.mcpmag.com/columns/article.asp?EditorialsID=652

Read-only means nothing for folders...

[[Unlike the Read-only attribute for a file, the Read-only attribute for a
folder is typically ignored by Windows, Windows components and accessories,
and other programs.]]

Basically this means nothing for folders.

[[Windows Explorer uses the Read-Only attribute to determine whether or not
the folder is customized.]]
Unable to Remove Read-Only Attribute from Folder
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/256614/EN-US/

HOW TO: Take Ownership of a File or Folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308421

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP\)]

That attribute is meaningless insofar as the user is concerned. All XP
folders show read as read only by default.

If you are having a problem accessing or reading files within the folder,
it's likely a file ownership issue.

Note, file ownership and permissions supersede administrator rights. How
you resolve it depends upon which version of XP you are running.

XP-Home

Unfortunately, XP Home using NTFS is essentially hard wired for "Simple File
Sharing" at system level.

However, you can set XP Home permissions in Safe Mode. Reboot, and start
hitting F8, a menu should eventually appear and one of the
options is Safe Mode. Select it. Note, it will ask for the administrator's
password. This is not your administrator account, rather it is the
machine's administrator account for which users are asked to create a
password during setup.

If you created no such password, when requested, leave blank and press
enter.

Open Explorer, go to Tools and Folder Options, on the view tab, scroll to
the bottom of the list, if it shows "Enable Simple File Sharing" deselect it
and click apply and ok. If it shows nothing or won't let you make a change,
move on to the next step.

Navigate to the files, right click, select properties, go to the Security
tab, click advanced, go to the Owner tab and select the user that was logged
on when you were refused permission to access the files. Click apply and
ok. Close the properties box, reopen it, click add and type in the name of
the user you just enabled. If you wish to set ownership for everything in
the folder, at the bottom of the Owner tab is the following selection:
"Replace owner on subcontainers and objects," select it as well.

Once complete, you should be able to do what you wish with these files when
you log back on as that user.

XP-Pro

If you have XP Pro, temporarily change the limited account to
administrative. First, go to Windows Explorer, go to Tools, select Folder
Options, go to the View tab and be sure "Use Simple File Sharing" is not
selected. If it is, deselect it and click apply and ok.

If you wish everything in a specific folder to be accessible to a user,
right click the folder, select properties, go to the Security tab, click
Advanced, go to the Owner tab,
select the user you wish to have access, at the bottom of the box, you
should see a check box for "Replace owner on subcontainers and objects,"
place a check in the box and click apply and ok.

The user should now be able to perform necessary functions on files in the
folder even as a limited account. If not, make it an admin account again,
right click the folder, select Properties, go to the Security tab and be
sure the user is listed in the user list. If not, click add and type the
user name in the appropriate box, be sure the user has all the necessary
permissions checked in the permission list below the user list, click apply
and ok.

That should do it and allow whatever access you desire for that folder even
in a limited account.

 

[Ted.Knudson]

Thanks that solved the problem

Ted

The gray state means...

[[Microsoft calls this a tri-mode flag. When it has gray in the
background,
it indicates that some file or folder anywhere under that particular
folder
has been set to Read-only.

This checkmark does not actually control the Read-only attribute on the
child files and folder. It just displays their status.]]

Rally 'Round the Tri-Mode Flag
http://www.mcpmag.com/columns/article.asp?EditorialsID=652

Read-only means nothing for folders...

[[Unlike the Read-only attribute for a file, the Read-only attribute for a
folder is typically ignored by Windows, Windows components and
accessories,
and other programs.]]

Basically this means nothing for folders.

[[Windows Explorer uses the Read-Only attribute to determine whether or
not
the folder is customized.]]
Unable to Remove Read-Only Attribute from Folder
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/256614/EN-US/

HOW TO: Take Ownership of a File or Folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308421

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

I have a problem and no one seems to be able to help.
I am running WinXP Home which came with the computer.
MS Site: Simple File Sharing is always turned on in Windows XP Home
Edition-based computers.

I have a folder called C:\DecoTechCatalogInch
The problem is that it is Read Only.
The check mark is grey not black
When I click on it, the check mark goes away.
I click on apply.
But when I click on properties again it is checked with the grey
check mark.

The problem has gone to most of my other folders.
I have never had this problem before.
I ran Norton AntiVirus and did not find any Viruses.
I booted up in Safe Mode and the same problem.
It looks like a permissions problem but I do not see any place to
change anything that would help.

 

[Alex Nichol]

I have a folder called C:\DecoTechCatalogInch
The problem is that it is Read Only.
The check mark is grey not black
When I click on it, the check mark goes away.

Read only is an attribute that has no meaning for folders (the
directories are always open for writing), and XP makes an alternative
use of it. You can change it and on Apply it will ask if you want the
change applied to all contained objects, but the display of it for the
folder will revert to greyed

If a program is refusing to run because of this it is the program's
fault for testing something it should not. Complain to the authors