Attrib Command

The attrib command displays, sets, or removes attributes assigned to files or directories. These attributes control how the operating system interacts with files—making them read-only to prevent editing, hiding them from view, or marking them as system files.

• Read-only (R): Prevents the file from being modified or deleted.
• Hidden (H): Hides the file from standard directory listings (though dir /a will still show it).
• System (S): Marks the file as a critical system file.

1. Making a file Read-only

Protect an important document from accidental changes.

Check the attribute:

2. Hiding a private folder

Hide a folder from casual view.

3. Removing all attributes from all files in a folder

Useful when recovering files from a backup that might have weird permissions set.