‘Attrib’ Command Availability
The attrib command is available in the Command Prompt in all Windows operating systems including Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, plus older versions of Windows as well. All offline diagnostic and repair tools available with the various versions of Windows, including Advanced Startup Options, System Recovery Options, and Recovery Console, also include attrib in some capacity. This attrib command is also available in MS-DOS as a DOS command.
‘Attrib’ Command Syntax & Switches
The command takes the following general form:
Attrib Command Examples
In the above example, attrib turns on the read-only attribute, using the +r option, for the secretfolder directory located in c:\windows\system. In this example, the config.sys file located in the root directory of the c: drive has its hidden file attribute cleared by use of the -h option. This time, attrib removes several file attributes from the bcd file, an important file that must be working for Windows to start. In fact, executing the attrib command, as shown above, is a key part of the process outlined in the steps necessary for rebuilding the BCD in Windows. With the above example, we’re applying +a to set the archive attribute on all files that exist on the f: drive, but then using & to remove the archive attribute on every file on f: that has the .bak file extension. To end with a simple attrib example, this one simply displays the attributes of a file named myimage.jpg. If you were to remove the second half and execute only the attrib command, it would display the attributes for all files in the current directory.
Attrib Command Errors
As with most commands in Command Prompt, use double-quotes around a folder or file name that has spaces. If you forget to do this with the attrib command, you’ll get a “Parameter format not correct -” error. For example, instead of typing my folder in Command Prompt to show the path to a folder by that name, you’d type “my folder” to use the quotes. Attrib command errors like Access Denied mean that you don’t have enough access to the file(s) you’re trying to make attribute changes to. Take ownership of those files in Windows and then try again.
Changes in the Attrib Command
The +i, -i, and /l attrib command options were first available in Windows Vista and have been retained up through Windows 10. The +v, -v, +x, and -x switches for the attrib command are only available in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.
‘Attrib’-Related Commands
It’s common for the xcopy command to effect a file’s attribute after it backs up something. For example, the xcopy command’s /m switch turns off the archive attribute after the file has been copied. Similarly, the xcopy /k switch keeps a file’s read-only attribute once it’s been copied.
Viewing Attributes in Explorer
You can also view and manage attributes for files and folders in Explorer using regular menu buttons. This might be preferred for you if you’re not familiar with the command line. Do this by right-clicking the object and going into its Properties > General tab.
