Chapter 5: File Attributes and NTFS Permissions

🔒 File Attributes & The Attrib Command

In 🪟 Windows, every file has properties called attributes that dictate how the OS displays, logs, and protects them:

🔒 Read-Only (R): Locks the file, preventing editing, writing, or deletion.
👻 Hidden (H): Hides the file from standard file viewer lists and basic dir queries.
⚙️ System (S): Identifies the file as an operating system file that cannot be moved or deleted.
📦 Archive (A): Marks the file for backup (is checked by backup utilities to see if it changed since the last copy).

You configure these using the attrib command:

➕🔑 attrib +r [filename]: Locks the file as Read-Only (gives it the R tag).
➕👻 attrib +h [filename]: Hides the file.
➕⚙️ attrib +s [filename]: Marks it as a System file.

🔒 Access Blocked: If a file is locked as Read-Only, trying to run del filename will trigger a system-level Access is denied block!

In 🪟 Windows, every file has properties called attributes that dictate how the OS displays, logs, and protects them:

🔒 Read-Only (R): Locks the file, preventing editing, writing, or deletion.
👻 Hidden (H): Hides the file from standard file viewer lists and basic dir queries.
⚙️ System (S): Identifies the file as an operating system file that cannot be moved or deleted.
📦 Archive (A): Marks the file for backup (is checked by backup utilities to see if it changed since the last copy).

You configure these using the attrib command:

➕🔑 attrib +r [filename]: Locks the file as Read-Only (gives it the R tag).
➕👻 attrib +h [filename]: Hides the file.
➕⚙️ attrib +s [filename]: Marks it as a System file.

🔒 Access Blocked: If a file is locked as Read-Only, trying to run del filename will trigger a system-level Access is denied block!