re: All folder are read only in XP Home Saturday, October 11, 2003 at 6:14 pm Windows XP Annoyances Discussion Forum Posted by jagged ben (3536 messages posted) Folders in Windows XP can not be read-only. Windows will never display a regular check-mark in the read-only box when you open a folders properties, unless the folder is on a read-only disc such as a CD-ROM. Normally you should see a greyed out check mark, a green square, or whatever symbol your theme uses. As Microsoft would say: "This is by design." The square (or greyed out check mark) for a folder means NOTHING, NO CHANGE, WAITING FOR YOU TO USE ME. This is because the read-only box in a folder's properties is only used to apply or remove the read-only setting from all of the folder's files at once. If you clear the box and click Apply, then the files in the folder will be cleared of any read-only attributes they have. Like wise for checking the box to apply the attribute to all files. The square reappears the next time because, once again, you haven't used it. FOLDERS do NOT have a functional read-only attribute in Windows. The read-only attribute is only for files. The read-only check-box for folder properties is a bad and confusing design. If you want to avoid read-only confusion, check individual files, ignore folders. Windows file systems actually use the read-only attribute for a folder to make it customizeable, but the checkbox in a folder's properties has nothing to do with that. You cannot prevent a folder's contents from being changed using the read-only attribute. You can read more about that here: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;326549 On Saturday, October 11, 2003 at 5:33 am, Mike wrote: >Does any one know how to change the read only attribute to folders in XP Home edition? >I have tried changing them from the properties dialogue box, but they always revert >to read only. Written in response to: All folder are read only in XP Home (Mike: Saturday, October 11, 2003 at 5:33 am) Responses to this message: re: All folder are read only in XP Home (Mike Flanery: Sunday, December 7, 2003 at 4:50 pm) re: All folder are read only in XP Home (Frank Liu: Sunday, December 21, 2003 at 8:38 pm) All messages in this thread [show all] All folder are read only in XP Home (Mike: Sat, Oct 11, 2003, 5:33 am) re: All folder are read only in XP Home (jagged ben: Sat, Oct 11, 2003, 6:14 pm) re: All folder are read only in XP Home (Mike Flanery: Sun, Dec 7, 2003, 4:50 pm) re: All folder are read only in XP Home (anthony: Sun, Dec 14, 2003, 2:42 pm) re: All folder are read only in XP Home (Frank Liu: Sun, Dec 21, 2003, 8:38 pm) Reply or follow-up to this message Search this forum Start a new thread on a different subject Report abuse of the forum Return to the Windows XP Discussion Forum