File properties: basic information and object management

Any computer user, regardless of the installed operating system, constantly sees the properties of the file in the simplest expression. This is an extension that indicates the type of the object and its correspondence to some application defined or installed by default. However, if you dig deeper, the properties menu allows you to not only see the characteristics of an object, but also configure many other parameters, including permissions in access, editing, deleting, and so on.

Windows system file properties: how to call the desired menu

As already mentioned above, file properties can be seen immediately in any file manager, including the standard "Windows Explorer". For example, if the display of extensions for registered file types is disabled, you can easily find out what the component is before your eyes.

For example, the main executable files of software packages usually have the EXE extension, associated dynamic libraries - DLL, audio tracks - MP3 or other format, video - AVI, MP4, etc.

Sometimes for convenience, in order not to show extensions, the system simply hides them. In this case, you can recognize the properties of the file simply by the icon (in any version of Windows registered types are displayed just like that if you turn on the icon display mode). But representation is far from the most important thing.

Property: the file type. What you can learn in description

In "Explorer" it is enough to call the additional menu with the right click and select the property line in it . The file properties will be displayed immediately. But only brief information will be presented here, although it can give a lot. For example, in the main menu, the application will be specified, to which the file is mapped to open by default. Here you can also view some additional parameters (setting stealth, protection from editing and deletion, date of creation and last modification, size, etc.).

On the tab of detailed characteristics you can see a lot of interesting things. In fact, if you compare with audio, this tab is a kind of ID3-tag, which indicates a lot of additional information about the file, its publisher, etc.

Changing Object Properties

But not all users know that it's quite easy to change some properties of a file. For example, in the same general tab, you can tick off the file hiding points or set the "Read only" option. What does this mean?

In the first case, it means that the object will not be displayed in the file manager when the hidden objects are turned off. In the second case, there is a ban on any modification of the file until the deletion. If such an attribute is applied, the system will simply issue a notification that access to the file is restricted or denied. But it is not all that bad.

Managing files and permissions

To change some parameters it is possible very much even simply. If you use file properties, even for Windows system components, which seemingly can not be edited, you can access them. An example is a HOSTS file that does not have an extension, but is opened in the most common Notepad. There are no problems with it.

But, when you need to open a file that critically affects the system, you'll have to use the object's properties menu, where you select additional parameters and change the owner, and then grant full rights to all available operations.

Please note: as a rule, this does not apply to user documents or installed programs, and it concerns more likely the system files of "operating system". However, sometimes even on a network with shared access, using this menu, you can lock an object from operations to modify or delete.

Instead of the total

It remains to add that many users of the property menu of a particular object are simply underestimated, considering that you can see only basic information about basic properties or size here. In fact, most files and folders can be managed from here, even if there are no administrator access rights. At the same time, you do not even need to rummage through the system registry or the Group Policy Editor to set priority rights for a particular user. As you can see, the properties of the "file" object are such that they can not be changed, but rather even associate the file with a completely different application that will open it by default when double clicking.