Thursday, April 14, 2011

Attributes

About attrib

Attrib allows a user to change the properties of a specified file. Using attrib, the user has the capability of changing the file to have any of the below attributes. Note if you're wanting to change the ACL's of a file see the CACLS command.

Read-only - allowing the file to be only viewed and not written to. 

Archived - allowing Microsoft backup and other backup programs to know what files to backup. 

Hidden - making the file invisible to standard users.

System - making the file an important system file.



Availability

The attrib.exe command is an external command that is available in the below Microsoft operating systems.



Syntax
Microsoft Windows 95, 98, and ME syntax
Displays or changes file attributes.

ATTRIB [+R | -R] [+A | -A] [+S | -S] [+H | -H] [[drive:][path]filename] [/S]

+
Sets an attribute.
-
Clears an attribute.
R
Read-only file attribute.
A
Archive file attribute.
S
System file attribute.
H
Hidden file attribute.
/S
Processes files in all directories in the specified path.


Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows XP syntax
Displays or changes file attributes.
ATTRIB [+R | -R] [+A | -A ] [+S | -S] [+H | -H] [[drive:] [path] filename] [/S [/D]]

+
Sets an attribute.
-
Clears an attribute.
R
Read-only file attribute.
A
Archive file attribute.
S
System file attribute.
H
Hidden file attribute.
/S
Processes files in all directories in the specified path.
/D
Process folders as well.


Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows XP recovery console syntax
Note: The below options are the available options in the Windows recovery console.
Changes attributes on one file or directory.
ATTRIB -R | +R | -S | +S | -H | +H | -C | +C filename

+
Sets an attribute.
-
Clears an attribute.
R
Read-only file attribute.
S
System file attribute.
H
Hidden file attribute.
C
Compressed file attribute.


Examples

attrib
Typing attrib by itself will display all files in the current directory and each of their attributes. If any file is hidden it will also display those files.

attrib +r autoexec.bat
Add the read-only attribute to the autoexec.bat file so it cannot be modified until the read only attribute is taken off. This is helpful for important system files or any other file that you do not want to have mistakenly edited or changed by another program.

attrib +h config.sys
Add the hidden attribute to the config.sys file causing it to be not be seen by the average user.

attrib -h config.sys
This command will do the opposite of the above command. Instead of hiding the file it will unhide the file if hidden.
·        
Extended information
DOS directory file attribute bit position and Hex Value with bit positions (7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0). See the file attributes computer dictionary definition for further information about file attributes.
Bit Positions
Hex
Description
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
01h
Read Only file
0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
02h
Hidden file
0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
04h
System file
0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
08h
Volume Label
0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
10h
Subdirectory
0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
20h
Archive
0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
40h
Reserved
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
80h
Reserved
Examples


0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
21h
Read Only, Archive
0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0
32h
Hidden, Subdirectory, Archive
0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1
27h
Read Only, Hidden, Archive

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