indx-btn.gifspacer.gifDealing with protected (or 'Read Only') files.spacer.gifPrint Page

Occasionally you may come across a file that you want to modify in some way and when you go to save it you get an error message, something like "Unable to create file".     This may be due to the file being 'Write Protected" - marked as read-only.    (Remember though, if you are writing to a floppy disk you should check to make sure the 'write-protect' tab is not in the 'protect' position.)

The way to check this is to use 'My Computer' or 'Windows Explorer' to check the file.     Find the file in question, 'right-click' the mouse (while the pointer is over the file name) and select 'properties' from the available options.

Look under the 'Attributes' listing and see if the 'Read-only' box is ticked (see below left).     If it is, then click the box to 'un-tick' it and tick the box marked 'Archive'.     Click 'Apply', then click 'OK' (see below right).     You will now be able to save the file.     Another solution is to save the file using a different name.    This should automatically be tagged as 'Archive'.

Note that all files saved to CD by a CD-Writer are saved as 'Read-only'
see more about this under the pictures (this applies to CD-R only).

read only pix 1
read only pix 2
Why some programs don't work on your computer
after having been copied from a CD that has been made on a CD-Writer.

Some programs, like games for instance, information like scoring is saved as the game is played.     If the file that normally stores this information is 'protected' then the program will usually fail to continue operating.     To correct this you obviously need to know which file is the culprit and that could be difficult as some games have dozens of associated files.

There is a way to overcome the problem and that is to 'zip' or compress the entire folder for the game BEFORE it is saved to CD.     Once 'un-zipped' onto the host computer the files will be exactly the same as the originals.     Generally a program called 'WinZip' ® is used for this purpose although from Windows XP the 'Windows' software will zip and un-zip files for you.