Windows File Attribute Archive

FILE_ATTRIBUTE_ARCHIVE 32 0x00000020 A file or directory that is an archive file or directory. Applications typically use this attribute to mark files for backup or removal. Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP This flag is not supported until Windows Server 2012. FILE_ATTRIBUTE_VIRTUAL 65536 0x00010000 This value is reserved for system

The Archive Attribute is a file attribute flag used primarily in Windows systems. Its primary function is to indicate whether a file has been modified since the last backup operation. When a file is created or modified, the operating system automatically sets the Archive Attribute for that file.

Obviously, incremental backups only copy files that have the archive flag turned on. The archive flag can be reset manually, as you saw. It can also be reset by a user in a batch file using the XCOPY command with the A parameter to recognize files with the archive attribute turned on.

FILE_ATTRIBUTE_SYSTEM. 0x00000004. A file or directory that the operating system uses a part of or uses exclusively. FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY. 0x00000010. This item is a directory. FILE_ATTRIBUTE_ARCHIVE. 0x00000020. A file or directory that requires to be archived. Applications use this attribute to mark files for backup or removal. FILE

The purpose of the Archive attribute was clearly. to quickly determine whether a file requires a back up archiving. The Archive attribute is set whenever an existing file is either. overwritten or modified i.e., renamed or moved to another directory by the file system. A new file is usually created with the Archive. attribute set.

The quotarchivequot attribute doesn't mean quotthis file is an archivequot like a ZIP or 7Z file. Rather, it typically means quotthis file needs to be backed upquot. On Windows and OS2, when a file is created or modified, the archive bit is set, and when the file has been backed up, the archive bit is cleared.

In Windows Server 2003, in the quotAttributesquot column of windows explorer, some files have quotAquot or quotCquot or quotACquot or others. What do these mean? A Archive file attribute. S System file attribute. H Hidden file attribute. I Not content indexed file attribute. drivepathfilename Specifies a file or files for attrib to process. S Processes

Attributes shown in Windows Explorer Windows 7 and later RHSDAXNTPLCOIE 'X'Device 'P'Sparse X attribute in Windows Explorer Normally you shouldn't see this attribute shown in Windows Explorer, but Panda USB Vaccine is known to exploit this attribute for quotvaccinatingquot an FAT32 volume, effectively making the volume slightly corrupt.

Traditionally, in DOS and Microsoft Windows, files and folders accepted four attributes 1 2 3. Archive A When set, it indicates that the hosting file has changed since the last backup operation. Windows' file system sets this attribute on any file that has changed. Backup software then has the duty of clearing it upon a successful full or incremental backup not a differential one.

The System attribute is used by Windows to determine that a folder is a special folder, such as My Documents, Favorites, Fonts, etc. Archive attribute. The Archive attribute A is used to mark files that have changed since they were previously backed up. The A flag is automatically updated by Windows as the file is saved. If the A flag is