Set Attributes provides a quick and simple way to check the archive, read-only, hidden and system attribute status of any file or folder, and optionally change that status.

Right-click any single folder or file icon and move down to ShellToys. You'll see a Set Attributes entry on the menu, followed by a combination of the letters A, R, H and S indicating the current attributes set for that item. Click this entry to show the Set Attributes dialog box.

When the dialog appears, the checked boxes will indicate the attributes currently set for that file or folder. Check or uncheck boxes to add or remove the associated attribute. To commit these attributes to the selected file or folder, click the Change button (or press Enter). To cancel and close the window, click the Don't Change button (or press Esc).

Note
In Windows XP, the Set Attributes dialog allows you to remove the System attribute from a folder. This could be extremely useful (since Windows applies this attribute to certain folders unexpectedly and doesn't offer a way to remove it) but take care not to remove this attribute from folders that should have it.