What are file attributes

File attributes are metadata values or properties of the computer file that  define system behavior towards it. File attributes are different from other metadata like file extension, size, date created, date modified … etc.

File attributes can be set or cleared (true or false), for example a file can be hidden or not. Beside files, folders also have attributes. Read more about file attributes.

How to change file attributes

Simple file attributes like hidden, read-only, archive … etc can be changed easily by file properties in windows. in case you want to change advanced attributes, you can pick one of the following tools.

Using attrib command in CMD

The attrib command is a CMD command used to display, sets, or removes attributes assigned to files or directories. Read how to change file attributes using attrib command.

Attribute Changer

Attribute Changer freeware is a powerful Windows Explorer add-on to change attributes and it is available whenever you right-click on files, folders and even drives in Windows Explorer. It has reporting facility for file and folder modifications and the most interesting feature is simulation mode which previews all modifications in a detailed reporting window before they got applied. Download Attribute Changer.

File Attribute Changer

File Attribute Changer is a free utility to easily rename multiple files and folders, change timestamps and system attributes utilizing regular expression for an extremely flexible search and replace capability. The program can handle hundreds of files and folders with ease, and it is also portable. Download File Attribute Changer.

BulkFileChanger

BulkFileChanger is a small utility that allows you to create files list from multiple folders, and then make some action on them – Modify their created/modified/accessed time, change their file attribute (Read Only, Hidden, System), run an executable with these files as parameter, and copy/cut paste into Explorer. Download BulkFileChanger and more details.