How To Use The CMD Prompt To Change A File or Directory Attributes

DIY-Computer-Repair can help!

A while back I wrote an article about file Attributes and using the CMD Prompt or DOS Box to change the properties or attributes of a file.

Seems there is a nasty virus out on the web that likes to hide directories (Folders) and files from the user/owner.

Note: File attributes control how a file is viewed or changed therefore consider this before you change an attribute. Removing the system, read only, or hidden attribute from system files gives an opening for someone or a virus to change or delete these files.

Use this information with caution, insure you are in the correct place before executing the commands!

One of the ways to gain control over a file or directory (this is an old DOS term where as Folders is a Windows 95 and up term) is to use the Command Prompt and go to the directory with the effected files.

Ah but, you say "How do I get there?"

Here is a tip: If you need to know a certain command for working in the DOS environment then press F1 and in search box type in "Command-line reference".

Now you have a list of all the commands you can use in the Command Prompt window or with a DOS boot disk, however with a DOS boot disk unless you have a utility that will mount an NTFS volume you will not be able to do anything to a Windows volume, DOS can not see the NTFS formatted volume.

Either use the Start button menu and navigate to the accessories and open a Command Prompt window or use the Run... from the Start button menu and type in cmd, a new window will open at the Command Prompt.

Next you need to navigate to the actual directory, lets say the path to the affected files is D:\Backup Files\June 2010 now you have a small problem because some DOS commands do not see spaces in a directory name, and when you get to the files you are going to have another problem: DOS can only see eight characters and a three character file type extension.

There are ways around these small problems. When you are using some commands/utility programs in the CMD Prompt you can not use spaces and long file names with some commands such as attrib unless you enter your text with in parentheses such as you want to go to the backup files directory you would use this: "backup files" with the command.

Before you go to the backup files directory if it is hidden you need to remove that attribute by using the attrib -h command (don't worry I will make a completer list of how to get to the drive letter, the directory, and the files shortly).

When the CMD Prompt window opens it will be on your Operating System drive and in your home or My Documents directory unless you have changed it by changing the properties of the CMD Prompt itself (I have mine set for C:\ ) so you need to get to the D: drive then to the backup files root directory for the June 2010. That is where you need to start removing the -h (hidden) attribute from the files and directories.

Your command prompt may look like this:  C:\>   The drive letter may be different or the path between the \ and the > maybe longer, it may have your home directory in it of it may even be a shared drive on a local server. I am leaving off the prompt to make each command easier to understand.

Next you go to your CMD Prompt and use the DOS syntax (type in the command - commands are all bold - explanations are not) as follows:

Change the cmd prompt to the drive volume you want to work with (if it is the C: drive then skip this step)

• D:

Next look for your directory:

• dir /a:h

You should see a list of hidden directories at the root of the D: drive or volume, find yours:

• 01/05/2010  09:20 AM     <DIR>                   Backup Files

Remove the hidden file attribute from the directory 'Backup Files':

• attrib -h "backup files" (you have to use the parentheses because of the space in the directory name for DOS commands)

Check to see if the attribute change worked:

• attrib "backup files" (there should not be any attributes on the directory however some programs make the root directory read only, leave that as is).

Change to the root directory you need to work with:

• cd D:\backup files (at the CMD Prompt you do not all ways have to use the parentheses)

Check the directory for hidden files:

• dir /a:h

Here is your file:

• 01/05/2010  10:17 AM   469,286 your hidden file you are looking for

Now you can change the attributes on all the files (*.* is a wildcard expression that will include all files and extensions) in the 'backup files' directory:

• attrib -h *.*

Then use the dir command to list all the files by name and extension, however directories (or folders) will be listed with the this:

• dir

 The name of the directory lists like this:

• 01/05/2010  09:20 AM     <DIR>   Backup Files (Your hidden directory )

Files will be listed like this:

• 01/05/2010  10:17 AM   469,286 your hidden file you are looking for

To check if the command worked pick one of the files, to see the files in the directory use:

• attrib "your hidden file you are looking for"

The command will list the attributes like this:

•                D:\Backup Files\June 2010\your hidden file you are looking for

If it didn't change it will look like this:

•        H    D:\Backup Files\June 2010\your hidden file you are looking for

Suppose that a program has made the directory  and the file not read only? What would the folder attribute look like?

•        R    D:\Backup Files\June 2010\

What would the complete path look like?

•              D:\Backup Files\June 2010\your hidden file you are looking for

Once you have removed the hidden attribute from the files and folder then using Explorer check your work by doing a properties on the folder then some of the files in the folder.

But you say "There are folders inside the D:\Backup Files\June 2010\ folder!"

Then you would have to run the attrib command on each directory then inside each directory, yes it is a lot of work but if Explorer can't do the job and you don't have the old NT File Manager then you will have to do it the hard way, one folder at a time.

A list of commands that I used in this example:

• D: - change to D volume or drive
• dir - list all directories and files
• cd - change directory
• attrib - attribute command
• attrib /a:h  (the switch a:h tells the attribute command to display only hidden files or directories)
• attrib -h - remove the hidden attribute on a file or directory

What if you copied some files from a CD or DVD? Did you know that the files on a CD or DVD have the Read Only attribute? When you copy the files the attribute follows and all files copied will be read only. Normally that will be ok but if you need to change a file or a file is a template that you want to use you will not be able to save your work until you remove the read only attribute or use a different name for the file.

You can use Explorer to remove the read only but if Explorer can't remover the attribute then use the steps above and replace the letter h with the letter r.

Last thing:

Do NOT use the attrib command on the Root of the Operating System drive (normally C: ) because removing the system, read only, and hidden attributes of the system files invites disaster, a virus may not have the commands built in to change attributes but if you do it for the virus then those files could be removed, damaged, or changed.

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