SetFileAttributes

The SetFileAttributes function sets a file's attributes.

BOOL SetFileAttributes(
  LPCTSTR lpFileName,  // pointer to filename
  DWORD dwFileAttributes   // attributes to set
);
 

Parameters

lpFileName
Pointer to a string that specifies the name of the file whose attributes are to be set.

Windows 95: This string must not exceed MAX_PATH characters.

Windows NT: There is a default string size limit for paths of MAX_PATH characters. This limit is related to how the SetFileAttributes function parses paths. An application can transcend this limit and send in paths longer than MAX_PATH characters by calling the wide (W) version of SetFileAttributes and prepending "\\?\" to the path. However, each component in the path cannot be more than MAX_PATH characters long. The "\\?\" tells the function to turn off path parsing; it lets paths longer than MAX_PATH be used with SetFileAttributesW. However, each component in the path cannot be more than MAX_PATH characters long. This also works with UNC names. The "\\?\" is ignored as part of the path. For example, "\\?\C:\myworld\private" is seen as "C:\myworld\private", and "\\?\UNC\wow\hotstuff\coolapps" is seen as "\\wow\hotstuff\coolapps".

dwFileAttributes
Specifies the file attributes to set for the file. This parameter can be a combination of the following values. However, all other values override FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL.
Attribute Meaning
FILE_ATTRIBUTE_ARCHIVE The file is an archive file. Applications use this attribute to mark files for backup or removal.
FILE_ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN The file is hidden. It is not included in an ordinary directory listing.
FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL The file has no other attributes set. This attribute is valid only if used alone.
FILE_ATTRIBUTE_OFFLINE The data of the file is not immediately available. Indicates that the file data has been physically moved to offline storage.
FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY The file is read-only. Applications can read the file but cannot write to it or delete it.
FILE_ATTRIBUTE_SYSTEM The file is part of the operating system or is used exclusively by it.
FILE_ATTRIBUTE_TEMPORARY The file is being used for temporary storage. File systems attempt to keep all of the data in memory for quicker access rather than flushing the data back to mass storage. A temporary file should be deleted by the application as soon as it is no longer needed.

Return Values

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call GetLastError.

Remarks

The following table describes how to set the attributes that cannot be set using SetFileAttributes..

Attribute How to Set
FILE_ATTRIBUTE_COMPRESSED To set a file's compression state, use the DeviceIoControl function with the FSCTL_SET_COMPRESSION operation.
FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY Files cannot be converted into directories. To create a directory, use the CreateDirectory or CreateDirectoryEx function.
FILE_ATTRIBUTE_ENCRYPTED To encrypt a file, use the EncryptFile function.
FILE_ATTRIBUTE_REPARSE_POINT To associate a reparse point with a file, use the DeviceIoControl function with the FSCTL_SET_REPARSE_POINT operation.
FILE_ATTRIBUTE_SPARSE_FILE To set a file's sparse attribute, use the DeviceIoControl function with the FSCTL_SET_SPARSE operation.
FILE_ATTRIBUTE_SYSTEM This attribute cannot be set.

Windows CE: If the function succeeds, the return value is TRUE. If the function fails, the return value is FALSE. To get extended error information, call GetLastError.

QuickInfo

  Windows NT: Requires version 3.1 or later.
  Windows: Requires Windows 95 or later.
  Windows CE: Requires version 1.0 or later.
  Header: Declared in winbase.h.
  Import Library: Use kernel32.lib.
  Unicode: Implemented as Unicode and ANSI versions on Windows NT.

See Also

File I/O Overview, File Functions, GetFileAttributes