I've tried this on both Windows 7 and Windows XP. Start Windows Explorer and create a new folder in some temporary location called (say) NonWriteable. Right-click the folder and set the properties of the folder to Read-only.
Now open the folder and create a new .txt file. This is allowed. Why? How do you set a folder so that nothing can be modified inside it?
Note: If I right-click the .txt file and set that to Read-only then the system correctly prevents updates to the file.
Unlike the Read-only attribute for a file, the Read-only attribute for a folder is typically ignored by Windows, Windows components and accessories, and other programs. For example, you can delete, rename, and change a folder with the Read-only attribute by using Windows Explorer.
The Read-only and System attributes is only used by Windows Explorer to determine whether the folder is a special folder, such as a system folder that has its view customized by Windows (for example, My Documents, Favorites, Fonts, Downloaded Program Files), or a folder that you customized by using the Customize tab of the folder's Properties dialog box. As a result, Windows Explorer does not allow you to view or change the Read-only or System attributes of folders. When a folder has the Read-Only attribute set it causes Explorer to request the Desktop.ini of that folder to see if any special folder settings need to be set.
This is an old article but it is still true for all versions of Windows.
To prevent the creation of files in a folder, change the permissions using the Security tab in the folder properties. Click the Advanced button and add a rule to deny access to Create Files / Write Data.
