Windows 10: File Properties question, "read only"

Most any folder you right click on and select 'properties' will give you a list of that folder's attributes. One of them always says: Read-only (Only applies to files in folder)

I've never been able to figure out what that means. The files in the folder I'm investigating can be changed or deleted so what is the "read only" attribute?

:)

 

Delete "Read Only" File?

Thanks for the info.



I'll make a note of all that.



Might be worth hunting down a bit more info to get the gist of this Terminal a bit more.

 

Delete "Read Only" File?

Sorted it via Justin_02's method in the end.



The chmod +w filename command kept returning a "File or folder does not exist error". So maybe I needed to work through to that directory and file first.



All donedid now anyway, thanks all.

 

Read-only means that you can open it, but not edit (write) it.

 

Hello Larry, *Smile

In addition: Set or Unset Read-only Attribute of Files and Folders in Windows 10 Windows 10 General Tips Tutorials

 

I understand the concept of 'read-only'. My problem is not understanding how it applies to a folder of mp3 files. As I described, the files do not take on any characteristics of being read only since I can modify them in any way I want.

Yet, this Attribute: Read-only (Only applies to files in folder)
Hidden
with the box always filled in by read-only
appears to be a default screen for the General tab of Properties. It just doesn't seem to really mean anything unless perhaps the folder contains text files. I haven't tested that possibility.
For the folders I look at with mixed file types the read-only notation in properties appears to be meaningless?

 

For folders, it is indeed meaningless what the Read-only check box shows since it doesn't actually get applied to the folder and only to the files in the folder.

 

I seem to be having difficulty in having my words be understood. It doesn't have any effect on either the folder or the files in the folder either. It has no effect on anything at all as far as I can tell.

 

For what it's worth, I understand your words and I've have wondered the same thing many times but never bothered to ask.

Every folder (that I've bothered to check) has "Read-only (Only applies to files in folder)" set. I've always assumed the parenthetical comment means just the opposite of what it says; that it really means "(Applies only to the folder, not to the files in the folder)". In other words, the directory is read-only; Windows can modify it but we can't.

My interpretation is almost certainly incorrect, but it's the only one I can come up with.

 

No problem.

Nar, "Read-only (Only applies to files in folder)" for a folder means just that. If you check the box and apply, it only gets applied to the files in the folder and not the folder itself.

Do the files in the folder have the "Read-only" box checked for them in their General Properties page?

 

I don't know about the OP's case, but for me this parenthesized phrase shows only in the attributes of a folder and always seems to be selected.



I have no read-only files (that I know of). Here are the attributes of the one file in the above directory

 

The mark for the folder is neutral, and doesn't indicate read-only or not read-only.

The blue note box at the top of the tutorial below can give more details about this. *Smile

Set or Unset Read-only Attribute of Files and Folders in Windows 10 Windows 10 General Tips Tutorials

 

Thanks. I would never have guessed that square black box was "neutral", and I wouldn't (and didn't) have any idea how to look it up.

 

We clearly are not looking at the same thing, Brink. I see a black square completely darkened to indicate that the read-only is the one selected.

 

We clearly are not looking at the same thing, . I see a black square completely darkened to indicate that the read-only is the one selected. Did it look like what's in the blue note box at the top of the tutorial below?

Set or Unset Read-only Attribute of Files and Folders in Windows 10 Windows 10 General Tips Tutorials