Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!rutgers!ames!ucbcad!ucbvax!decvax!wanginst!ulowell!ci-dandelion!necntc!adelie!mirror!rayssd!rayssdb!rxb From: rxb@rayssdb.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: Hidden Subdirectories Message-ID: <1487@rayssdb.RAY.COM> Date: Mon, 26-Jan-87 18:59:55 EST Article-I.D.: rayssdb.1487 Posted: Mon Jan 26 18:59:55 1987 Date-Received: Thu, 29-Jan-87 05:35:28 EST References: <568@pbhyc.UUCP> <14366@amdcad.UUCP> <40@ritcv.UUCP> <2336@homxb.UUCP> Sender: rxb@rayssdb.RAY.COM (Richard A. Brooks @ Raytheon Company, Portsmouth RI) Organization: Raytheon Company, Portsmouth RI Lines: 55 Summary: Hidden,Read Only,& System Files(Directories) Altering the attributes of files and directories is a painless, simple process. Here the story: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The DIRECTORY of a DOS Formatted disk ( as well as all SubDirectory entries) is formatted as follows: Field Offset Size Description ----- ------ ---- ------------------------------------------ 1 0 8 Filename (Directory Name, or Label) - ASCII 2 8 3 Filename Extension - ASCII 3 11 1 Attribute (See Below) 4 12 10 UnUsed (should be zero's) 5 22 2 Time 6 24 2 Date 7 26 2 Starting FAT entry 8 28 4 File Size Field 3 describes the file (or SubDirectory) as follows: Bit Description 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -U - - - - - - 1 Read Only File -U - - - - - 1 - Hidden File or Sub Directory -U - - - - 1 - - System File -U - - - 1 - - - Volume ID Label -U - - 1 - - - - Sub-Directory -U - 1 - - - - - Archive File bits 7,6 are unused (0) To modify a file or Sub-Directory simply change the attribute bits using Debug or Norton Utilities (or any other utility that allows you to read,modify and write disk data). For example, to hide a file change the file attribute from 00H (or 20H for Archive file) to 02H (or 22H). Changing the attribute to 03H will make the file Hidden AND Read Only. Another trick used by some people is to change the FIRST char- acter of the file name to an Un-Printable character ( IBM graphic character). This will make the file unusable by the KEYBOARD, but may still be called by another program. The same applies to Sub-Directories. I often purchase software, pop it into the drive and type DIR, only to find ONE batch file (size 128 bytes) and NO SPACE AVAILABLE on the disk!!!! Upon running Norton Utilities I find that ALL FILES are located in a directory whose first character is a graphic character!!! Well enjoy your disks with this info!!!