can't change read only file in win2k

  • Thread starter Thread starter JClark
  • Start date Start date
J

JClark

Hello Group:
I use Window Washer and was annoyed to find that I couldn't create a
plug in to wash the c:\documents and settings\my name\recent\
folder because it is "read only" and attribute cannot be changed in
windows. I saw Carrie Garth's reference (posted in June) to MS
knowledge base article
http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=326549
and tried it. Only had to add one Dword entry to the registry, but now
it has made some other folders (?all) look like system folders. So I
deleted that new registry entry, rebooted, but it still does the same
thing. For example, now when using window washer, I get lots of error
messages about choosing to delete the files from the "system folder"
C:\program files\....!
So my cure seems to have been worse than the disease.
Do I have to change attributes to all folders (in cmd line) to get
this straightened out?
All I wanted to do was remove the "read only" attribute of one little
folder! but it's there "by design" per MS.

Retrospectively it would have been a lot easier to just write a batch
file with the line
del /f /q "%userprofile%\recent\*.*"
That works just fine.
I might be easier to restore the whole drive. I do have a ghost image
that's only a few days old.

Thanks for any advice for a frustrated win2k user.

jack
 
Hi Jack,

What do you mean when you write "Only had to add one Dword entry to the registry..."?
There is nothing in Microsoft Knowledge Base Article KB326549 that says to edit the
registry. KB326549 explains how Windows Explorer uses the Read-only and System
attributes to determine whether the folder is a special folder, and how to use the
Attrib command at a cmd prompt to remove these attributes from folders.

--
Carrie Garth, Microsoft MVP for Windows 2000
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- c x g

: "JClark" <[email protected]>
: Wrote in message : Sent: Friday, August 08, 2003 09:23 PM
: Hello Group:
: I use Window Washer and was annoyed to find that I couldn't create a
: plug in to wash the c:\documents and settings\my name\recent\
: folder because it is "read only" and attribute cannot be changed in
: windows. I saw Carrie Garth's reference (posted in June) to MS
: knowledge base article
: http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=326549
: and tried it. Only had to add one Dword entry to the registry, but now
: it has made some other folders (?all) look like system folders. So I
: deleted that new registry entry, rebooted, but it still does the same
: thing. For example, now when using window washer, I get lots of error
: messages about choosing to delete the files from the "system folder"
: C:\program files\....!
: So my cure seems to have been worse than the disease.
: Do I have to change attributes to all folders (in cmd line) to get
: this straightened out?
: All I wanted to do was remove the "read only" attribute of one little
: folder! but it's there "by design" per MS.
:
: Retrospectively it would have been a lot easier to just write a batch
: file with the line
: del /f /q "%userprofile%\recent\*.*"
: That works just fine.
: I might be easier to restore the whole drive. I do have a ghost image
: that's only a few days old.
:
: Thanks for any advice for a frustrated win2k user.
:
: jack
 
Back
Top