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XP read only to archive

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4 replies

by licari

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I have 3 computers:
1. win 98 at home
2. xp-h laptop
3. xp-p at office

I back up to CD-ReWrite for each computer.
I use a USB cable (Pc-Linq) to copy and paste (newest) between computers so that all 3 have the same files as I work at home, atmy clients and at the office.
The problem is that XP tends to save + copy across in READ ONLY attribute, so that when I work on the 98 and try to copy to XP it does not overwrite, and I have to change the attribute, but then the old copy of the XP becomes ?newest? and the file is not copied across.
I am going bananas as I am writing down which files I am modifying so that I will force the copy/paste across.
Is there a way of telling XP to write to ?Archive? mode instead of ?Read? ?

4 replies

by beermonster

Hi,
I'm not sure if you are using some sort of util in this equation, but if you are copying files by lierally copy and pasting - or the copy command from the command line - then check out xcopy (built in with the the xp os). Xcopy (I'm working from memory here) resets the read only bit when it's used. hope this helps...

by phil.hall

This is default behavior. The only way to get around that is to copy everything from where it is backed up to a separate directory, run attrib -r *.* on that directory, and then back up the files.

by licari

Thank you Phil but it is not the correct solution.
If I change the attrib -R on Xp the file becomes newest then the other file on the W98 +A that I worked on becomes older and will not overwrite the adjusted Xp file.
If I copy to a new Dir and -Rthen all files on the XP become newest and will not be overwritten.
The problem is XP writing in READ ONLY mode that need to be solved (force XP to write in ARCHIVE mode ) so that the file can be overwritten by an ARCHIVED file written on another computer i.e. Win98 mode.

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