Read-only conversion?

[Donn]

I got my Compaq HDD downloaded onto discs because the burner is in the Twilight Zone, trying to load them onto MyDocs in this machine (Dell XP) I see that they are Read-Only files. Is there some way to convert them back into files I can edit?

[Pomodoro]

If you copied the files to a read only CD, then they will copy to the hard drive as read only. After you've copied them onto the hard drive, you need to select them all in an Explorer window (and if you can select them all at once then you can do this in one move), right click on the selection, click on Properties and uncheck the Read-only box.

[Donn]

I selected them all and moved them over to My Documents. Then I I went to My Docs and selected them all, and right clicked on them, and clicked on properties and unchecked the 'read only' box. However, when I clicked on a file, any file, I got an error box. Thanks anyway. It looks like I will have to copy and paste them into Word-- one file at a time, which is better than having lost them on the disk wipe. :D

[david eaton]

The read only attribute can also be cleared from a CMD/DOS prompt.
Start> run>CMD.
In the box type the following commands, ending each one with <enter>
cd\
attrib (path to files)*.doc -r
(assumong that the files are just Word documents - if not use the appropriate extension, or *.* to change all files.)
close the CMD window, and the files should be readable/writeable again.

[Donn]

Well, when I went back to the disk to look at the files, something has ocurred where when I try to open the files (on the disk) I get an error box:

wordpad has caused an error in
MSWRD832.CNV
Wordpad will now close

I went back and checked to see if the 'read only' box is checked and where it wasn't I rechecked it, but to no avail. Every file I try to open gives me that error box.... :confused: ?

[Paul Komski]

Not all files with a doc extension are WordPad Files and would need to be opened with the application that created them in the first place.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=276337

[Donn]

Hmmm, be that as it may, the files opened before I removed the check on the 'read-only' box. They openned on the disk I should say, now they won't (above error box). :(

[Donn]

Okay, I had some time to play around and somebody gave me a Works Suite 2000 and said try it it should work.

Interesting. So what I did was install the Word 2000 from the CD-ROM, nothing else, and then enter the disc with the dld material from before the HDD wipe, but when I clicked on the icons it still said "file appears to be corrupted." But that didn't make sense, so I clicked on one of the files I had made on this HDD since the HDD wipe, and sho' nuff--"files appears to be corrupted, cannot open file."

Man was I shocked, really ticked :mad: . Then I calmed down, took a deep breath and thought, "What would Pete do. . .?"

So loaded the PC into the car and took it back to the car wash :D

Got back home, set it up, didn't even wait for it to dry, and thought,
"ok can I sneak in a back door somehow? I loaded Word 2000, and it isn't doing it's job. Why not?"

Then I noticed the file icons in MY Docs (files on the HDD) were NOT represented by Word icons, they were Works icons---dat not funny.

So I right clicked on a file (one of the new ones on the HDD) and clicked 'open' and thought "AHA!" --- 'cannot open file, file appears to be corrupted.' Hmph. How to get the files converted to Word files, and why didn't that happen on install?

So I looked over the right-click menu and I noticed 'open with.' Hmmm. click, and there were two options, one of which was "open with Microsoft Word Processor." Click. Voila!! File opens.

So then all I had to do with the current HDD files and the ones on the disk was open them like that and copy/paste them into new Word files on the HDD.

Problem solved. :)

I'm Gonna miss that vending machine at the car wash though :(


:cool:

[Paul Komski]

Interesting to know that a car wash is where one learns to fix file associations. ;)

If you want to make the setting set then after "Open With" select "Choose Program" and ensure you check the box "Always use the selected program to open files of this type" when you then select Word.

[Donn]

Ya, I did reopen the file and check that little box. No no, I didn't learn to fix it there-- I just like to use that vending machine (ooh, those chese curls--the ones in the little bags. . .), but I didn't want to be lonely, so I took the PC with me, see ? :p


thanks :cool:

[Paul Komski]

This is getting to be scary stuff Donn. ;)