read only attribute

Not just paranoid · Apr 7, 2008

I believe there was a recent Automatic Update loaded to my computer, and

today I noticed that EVERY file and folder on my computer is now set with the

READ ONLY attribute. Is this somehow considered a good thing for security ?

If this is something to do with a security update, can I disable it ? I

really do have files that I need to change frequently. If it is not a

security update, is it some sort of weird attack on my computer ?

Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM · Apr 7, 2008

"Not just paranoid" <Not just paranoid@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in

message news:C78771DD-1935-4CA9-A54D-4E20956CD368@microsoft.com...

>I believe there was a recent Automatic Update loaded to my computer, and

> today I noticed that EVERY file and folder on my computer is now set with

> the

> READ ONLY attribute. Is this somehow considered a good thing for security

> ?

> If this is something to do with a security update, can I disable it ? I

> really do have files that I need to change frequently. If it is not a

> security update, is it some sort of weird attack on my computer ?

Windows version?

--

Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM

http://www.fjsmjs.com

Not just paranoid · Apr 7, 2008

"Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM" wrote:



> "Not just paranoid" <Not just paranoid@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in

> message news:C78771DD-1935-4CA9-A54D-4E20956CD368@microsoft.com...

> >I believe there was a recent Automatic Update loaded to my computer, and

> > today I noticed that EVERY file and folder on my computer is now set with

> > the

> > READ ONLY attribute. Is this somehow considered a good thing for security

> > ?

> > If this is something to do with a security update, can I disable it ? I

> > really do have files that I need to change frequently. If it is not a

> > security update, is it some sort of weird attack on my computer ?

>

> Windows version?

>

> --

> Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM

> http://www.fjsmjs.com

>

>

> Sorry - XP (home) with SP2, IE7, etc. Auto update is enabled.

>

Volodymyr M. Shcherbyna · Apr 8, 2008

You could (or another administrator user) accidentally (theoretically) apply

read only settings for a root folder, and the attributes were applied

recursively to all subfolders and files. This is not a Windows Update issue

for sure.

--

V.

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no

rights.

"Not just paranoid" <Notjustparanoid@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in

message news:864BB760-E9CA-4C8B-AD05-0B3466DD0378@microsoft.com...

>

>

> "Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM" wrote:

>

>> "Not just paranoid" <Not just paranoid@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote

>> in

>> message news:C78771DD-1935-4CA9-A54D-4E20956CD368@microsoft.com...

>> >I believe there was a recent Automatic Update loaded to my computer, and

>> > today I noticed that EVERY file and folder on my computer is now set

>> > with

>> > the

>> > READ ONLY attribute. Is this somehow considered a good thing for

>> > security

>> > ?

>> > If this is something to do with a security update, can I disable it ? I

>> > really do have files that I need to change frequently. If it is not a

>> > security update, is it some sort of weird attack on my computer ?

>>

>> Windows version?

>>

>> --

>> Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM

>> http://www.fjsmjs.com

>>

>>

>> Sorry - XP (home) with SP2, IE7, etc. Auto update is enabled.

>>

Not just paranoid · Apr 8, 2008

Hmmm.... I'm the only person who uses this computer, and I know I didn't set

the read only attribute on every main folder (I don't believe you can set

this attribute at the "drive" level). So that's not it.

If I remove the read only attribute from a folder, and it's subfolders, then

close the folder. When I return to it, the read only attribute is 'gray'

indicating that some files within are read only.

Question - When you 'compress old files' as part of the disk clean-up system

tool, does this set the read-only attribute on the files/folders that are

determined to be 'old' ? What is the 'old' criteria ? Not accessed for some

period of time or original date of creation ? How can you tell if a file or

folder have been compressed ?

I do not have any files, including system files, hidden in my system.

"Volodymyr M. Shcherbyna" wrote:



> You could (or another administrator user) accidentally (theoretically) apply

> read only settings for a root folder, and the attributes were applied

> recursively to all subfolders and files. This is not a Windows Update issue

> for sure.

>

> --

> V.

> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no

> rights.

> "Not just paranoid" <Notjustparanoid@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in

> message news:864BB760-E9CA-4C8B-AD05-0B3466DD0378@microsoft.com...

> >

> >

> > "Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM" wrote:

> >

> >> "Not just paranoid" <Not just paranoid@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote

> >> in

> >> message news:C78771DD-1935-4CA9-A54D-4E20956CD368@microsoft.com...

> >> >I believe there was a recent Automatic Update loaded to my computer, and

> >> > today I noticed that EVERY file and folder on my computer is now set

> >> > with

> >> > the

> >> > READ ONLY attribute. Is this somehow considered a good thing for

> >> > security

> >> > ?

> >> > If this is something to do with a security update, can I disable it ? I

> >> > really do have files that I need to change frequently. If it is not a

> >> > security update, is it some sort of weird attack on my computer ?

> >>

> >> Windows version?

> >>

> >> --

> >> Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM

> >> http://www.fjsmjs.com

> >>

> >>

> >> Sorry - XP (home) with SP2, IE7, etc. Auto update is enabled.

> >> 

>

>

>

Kerry Brown · Apr 8, 2008

"Not just paranoid" <Not just paranoid@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in

message news:C78771DD-1935-4CA9-A54D-4E20956CD368@microsoft.com...

>I believe there was a recent Automatic Update loaded to my computer, and

> today I noticed that EVERY file and folder on my computer is now set with

> the

> READ ONLY attribute. Is this somehow considered a good thing for security

> ?

> If this is something to do with a security update, can I disable it ? I

> really do have files that I need to change frequently. If it is not a

> security update, is it some sort of weird attack on my computer ?

Is it every file or just the folders? It's normal for folders to show as

read only. Windows ignores this.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326549

--

Kerry Brown

MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience: Systems Administration

http://www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2/

Not just paranoid · Apr 8, 2008

Thank you for the Knowledge Base article Kerry !

I'd tried to search the KB, but didn't find this article.

I think you have hit the nail on the head. The whole thing started when I

tried to save an attachment from gmail to my external drive (which I have

done before with no problems) but for some reason, this time gmail said the

folder was read-only. Hmmmm..... maybe Google changed something ? All

these years and I'd never noticed that the folders are 'read only'. So much

for being observant.

The other 'wierd' thing that occured - I attempted to restore a System

Restore Point that was about 3 days old, thinking some recent virus or

external control had set the read-only attributes, and a restore point would

clear it up. The restore seemed to 'hang', at a completely black screen with

no sign of drive activity for what I thought was too long, so I ended up

reinstalling (repairing) XP from the original CD, which then required

installing SP2, IE7 and a whole host of security updates..... Fairly

annoying, but doable. I dunno what that was all about, maybe I was just too

impatient to let the restore finish ?

"Kerry Brown" wrote:



> "Not just paranoid" <Not just paranoid@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in

> message news:C78771DD-1935-4CA9-A54D-4E20956CD368@microsoft.com...

> >I believe there was a recent Automatic Update loaded to my computer, and

> > today I noticed that EVERY file and folder on my computer is now set with

> > the

> > READ ONLY attribute. Is this somehow considered a good thing for security

> > ?

> > If this is something to do with a security update, can I disable it ? I

> > really do have files that I need to change frequently. If it is not a

> > security update, is it some sort of weird attack on my computer ?

>

>

> Is it every file or just the folders? It's normal for folders to show as

> read only. Windows ignores this.

>

> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326549

>

> --

> Kerry Brown

> MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience: Systems Administration

> http://www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2/

>

>

>

Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM · Apr 8, 2008

"Not just paranoid" <Notjustparanoid@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in

message news:864BB760-E9CA-4C8B-AD05-0B3466DD0378@microsoft.com...

>

> "Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM" wrote:

>

>> "Not just paranoid" <Not just paranoid@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote

>> in

>> message news:C78771DD-1935-4CA9-A54D-4E20956CD368@microsoft.com...

>> >I believe there was a recent Automatic Update loaded to my computer, and

>> > today I noticed that EVERY file and folder on my computer is now set

>> > with

>> > the

>> > READ ONLY attribute. Is this somehow considered a good thing for

>> > security

>> > ?

>> > If this is something to do with a security update, can I disable it ? I

>> > really do have files that I need to change frequently. If it is not a

>> > security update, is it some sort of weird attack on my computer ?

>>

>> Windows version?

>

> Sorry - XP (home) with SP2, IE7, etc. Auto update is enabled.

First, folders may appear to be read only, but it's meaningless.

Second, are you sure it's all files and not just folders? Have you

individually checked the properties of each file in My Documents?

--

Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM

http://www.fjsmjs.com

read only attribute

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