Read Only Attribute on Backup CDs

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When I want to back up some important files on my home computer I burn them to CD. I use Win 98 and the CD burner uses Ahead Nero 5.5 OEM which came with it. I’ve found that when a file is burned to CD, the file is given a “read only” attribute. Normally this hasn’t been a problem. But recently I wiped my hard drive so backed up a lot of data files … about 2-1/2 CD’s full. After reinstalling all my programs to a cleaned up hard drive, I copied the data files back but I had to go through them all folder by folder removing the read only attribute so that when I opened a file I would be able to work with it. I could select and do them in a group but only within one folder at a time. That was really painful … all those files!

There seems to be nothing I could find in Nero that would prevent the read only attribute. This seems to be a disadvantage to using CD’s for backup purposes. Does anyone know if this is normal (i.e. I just have to live with it) or if I’m missing something somewhere. This obviously has nothing to do with Win 98 as my XP Pro at work (also with Nero) does it too, although I don’t use it there for backup. There was nothing useful on Nero’s web site about this.

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CDs are always read only, and when you copy files from a CD to a hard drive they arrive with the read only attribute. Most backup software will restore the file attributes when restoring files, but if this was just a copy to CD then it is expected behaviour.

Why did you have to select one folder at a time? You can reset the READONLY attribute of all files in an entire tree of folders from Windows Explorer, or using the ATTRIB command from a command window.

StuartR

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Thanks, Stuart and Hans, for the ATTRIB tip (and the quick replies.) I’ll make a note of that for next time.

Stuart, how do you remove the Read Only from the whole tree in Windows Explorer? Sounds easier than the ATTRIB but I thought of that first and right clicked the top level folder, selected properties and unchecked the read only, however that changed only the folder, not any of the files under it. Did I miss something here?

Rod

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When you clear the read only bit from the top level folder, and click OK, Windows displays this dialog box…

StuartR

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Maybe it does in XP (I’ll have to try it at work next week) but doesn’t do that in 98. Here’s a shot of what I have in attributes for the top level folder showing the read only checked. When I uncheck it and click OK the properties dialog box closes without any further message and the attibute is changed on only that folder, not any files. Maybe 98 didn’t have that ability???

Rod

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Sorry, I missed the fact that you were using Windows 98.

I guess you’ll be using ATTRIB then.

StuartR

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This is normal behavior for CDs, and it cannot be changed, as far as I know.

You can clear the read-only flag from all files in a folder and all its subfolders from a command prompt (MS-DOS) window, using the ATTRIB command: type

ATTRIB -R C:Folder*.* /S

(substituting the correct path for C:Folder) and press Enter.

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As a bit of a shortcut to what Hans and Stuart have suggested, you could use one of the many utility programs around, like the ware CROA.

Alan

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Thanks, Alan

Your alternative is obviously the easiest so will get that program for future use should I have to go this route again.

Rod

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