anon,
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 grayed
out check mark, a green square, or whatever symbol your theme uses.
As Microsoft would say: "This is by design."
The square (or grayed 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
customizable, 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
HTH
