Cannot open this one folder...

Theres this one folder where Id o have a lot of data in.. perhaps too much.

Anyway, I don't quite reember when this problem started happening and therefore I haven't been able to scufessfully System Restore it yet... I'm still trying, and i'm hoping the problem could be fixed.

What happens is that explorer just "freezes" in a way. It would just stall in a white screen and after a few minutes stop responding, and i'd have to either end task the window,or explorer.exe itself.

I tried copying the folder to another HD, renaming it, cutting it etc. I can move the root folder, but if I try to do anytihn gwiht the sub-folders it would freeze soon. I've tried botting up in sfemode to do this and stil no success.

I noticed that in the properties, they were all listed as "read Only" and the checkbox is grey instead of black and white like the rest.... I don't work with read-only a lot if at all so I'm unfamiliar on what a darkened box means.

It looks like this:
Sorry for the poor quality ss

Is there a way for me to un-read only it?

Is there way to access the data? What are some things that I can try?

Thanks a lot

Tried checking the box anyway? I think the grey actually means "Some of the objects in this folder are not read only; checking this box will wholly obliterate all that."

The easiest way to get access to a folder is reboot in safe mode, log in as administrator (almost said root...lol) and then remove the read-only status.

I had the same problem when I got XP Pro and installed it on a seperate HDD. I couldn't access my "My Documents" folder I set a password to log in on my XP Home install. A quick reboot and deselect read-only, and I had my files back!

Hope this helps

edit: This is assuming you don't have permissions to read the folder...

Do you happen to have either DivX installed, and / or a large number of AVI files contained within the sub-folders of the directory you're having a problem accessing?

Make sure the subfolders aren't containted in a folder that is private.

redduc900 said:

Do you happen to have either DivX installed, and / or a large number of AVI files contained within the sub-folders of the directory you're having a problem accessing?

Click to expand...

That's my guess, but I won't comment further on what might be in there

Sorin said:

That's my guess, but I won't comment further on what might be in there

Click to expand...

haha good call. There really isn't much in there though.

Anyway, i tried what you guys suggested and it didn't really work =/.

Safe mode -> Admin -> remove readonly but it comes back everytime..

The progrma that was normally assosiated with them is not "installed" so "Im just going to delete the program file itself when I get back. Thanks for all the help so far guys.

Re: the read-only attribute of folders, here's a MSKB article you may find interesting...

You Cannot View or Change the Read-Only or System Attribute of Folders
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326549/

XP makes folders read-only by design.... the read-only attribute is only used by Explorer to see if the folder is a special / system folder.

Have you tried accessing the file(s) through DOS? This would perhaps allow recovery.